In the same way that requiring a driver's license to drive is gatekeeping. Creating a website is fundamentally different from altering HTML to bold text or adjust alignment of an entity. I'm not trying to shit on people that don't code it from scratch, I'm just saying it's not the same at all.

Most people have no need for a website made from scratch. It would be a massive waste of time to invest that much effort into something they could just have a service create for them for free. Calling yourself a "web developer" because you modified a Squarespace template is a bit of a stretch.

Disagree. People who modify Squarespace templates are absolutely web developers.

I think you may be thinking of a web designer; If modifying a template is developing, changing my motor oil is being a mechanic.

Also true.