Chase Ross

Chase Ross (born January 21, 1991) is a YouTuber from Canada, transgender activist, and scholar. He began documenting his life on YouTube in 2006, acting as one of the first of many transgender vloggers on the platform. Ross graduated from Concordia University with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with Honors as well as a minor in Interdisciplinary Studies in Sexuality in 2014, and a Master of Arts in Sociology in 2018. His research focused on Trans man, body modification, tattoos, and identity. In addition to working on his YouTube channel, Ross speaks at a variety of educational events for universities and LGBTQ community centers.
In 2019, Chase Ross and eight other content creators filed a Class-action lawsuit against YouTube in the United States on the claim that YouTube was unfairly censoring their content and blocking ads so they could not make money from their posts. In 2020, the lawsuit was heard by a California court to determine if the case should be dismissed.
In September 2021, Ross apologized for his involvement in Abigail Shrier's book, Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters, which he had been interviewed for--and his commentary had subsequently been included in--the final publication in 2020.
== Early life ==
Chase Ross grew up in Greenfield Park in Quebec, Canada with only his father. Ross describes that he first began questioning if he was transgender at 15 years old and came to terms with his identity at 17 years old. In 2006, he began recording his journey and documenting every part of his transition online. At 18 he sought guidance from the Montreal General Hospital to seek medical transition. Initially he was denied access to medically transitioning, after which he went through therapy to affirm his desire to medically transition. Ross began Hormone replacement therapy at the age of 19 in 2010. After having been on hormonal replacement therapy for two years, he sought a double mastectomy (colloquially referred to as tTop surgery), then delayed his surgery for an additional year to emotionally prepare for it. 
Ross graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology with honors from Concordia University in 2014. He went on to graduate with a Master of Arts in sociology from Concordia University in 2018. 
Chase Ross is also an athlete, having started the group FTM Runners with a friend. In 2015, he was named FTM Magazine's Athlete of the Year. Ross credits running as a therapeutic outlet for his depression and anxiety. 
== Career ==
As early as 2013, Chase Ross has been involved with advocacy by highlighting his experiences in navigating the world as a transgender man. His videos have been referenced in documentaries as a representation of the transgender YouTube community.
=== YouTube ===
Chase Ross has been documenting his transition since 2006. His YouTube channel features education on transitioning, safer sex, mental health, and videos reviewing prosthetics and other items geared towards trans masculine people. 
== YouTube class action lawsuit ==
Beginning in June 2018, Chase Ross claimed that YouTube was age-gating, demonetizing, and putting anti-LGBT advertisements on his videos. In August 2019 he joined a class action lawsuit with YouTube creators Bria Kam, Chrissy Chambers, Brett Somers, Chris Knight, Celso Dulay, Cameron Stiehl, and Lindsay Amer, as well as a company that produces the LGBTQ news show "GNews!," Divino Group.
In 2019, Youtube's parent company, Google, disputed the claims, saying the platform's distribution algorithms are protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The United States Department of Justice intervened to defend the statute and requested for the court to dismiss the case, arguing that Section 230 does not limit content that YouTubers can upload to YouTube and that YouTube is not preventing creators from uploading. 
On August 28, 2019, the request to proceed before a US Magistrate Judge was declined. Peter Obstler, the lead attorney with Divino Group, stated that if the case were to be dismissed the plan would be to take it to the ninth circuit and appeal.
Category:Canadian YouTubers
Category:Transgender rights activists
Category:Scholars
Category:1991 births