Amazon removes books that label LGBTQ issues as mental illness

Amazon removes books that label LGBTQ issues as mental illness

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Amazon recently made the decision to remove books from its catalog that describe transgender and other LGBTQ identities as mental illnesses, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

The move comes after four Republicans – Sen. Marco RubioMarco Antonio RubioRubio and dual group of senators strive to make summer savings permanent The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by the National Shooting Sports Foundation – At 50 days in charge, Democrats consider the US rescue plan the biggest victory Senate GOP retires brain drain MORE in (Fla.), Mike LeeMichael (Mike) Shumway Lee Mike Lee says’ the bill for the people is’ as if it was written by the devil in hell ‘. Black Caucus supports Biden’s choice as head of DOJ’s Civil Rights Division. Biden ticks apparently the best antitrust scientist for FTC MORE (Utah), Mike BraunMichael Braun Senate honors film ‘Hoosiers’ Senate supports ‘God-awful’, ‘stupid’ session before COVID-19 relief vote Murthy promises to focus on mental health effects of pandemic if confirmed as surgeon general MORE (Ind.) En Josh HawleyJoshua (Josh) David Hawley ‘Cancel Culture’ is just freedom of speech holding others responsible White House seeks solution to border storm The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by the National Shooting Sports Foundation – CDC news on events a step towards normality MORE (Mo.) – sent a letter to CEO on 24 February Jeff BezosJeffrey (Jeff) Preston Bezos Pentagon awards 0 million contracts to Musk’s SpaceX philanthropist MacKenzie Scott remarries after Jeff Bezos’ divorce Marianne Williamson: Refusal to increase minimum wage is MORE part of ‘rigged economy’ the question of why ‘When Harry Become Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment’ was no longer available on Amazon platforms, including Kindle and Audible.

“As for your specific question about When Harry Become Sally, we have chosen not to sell books that label LGBTQ + identity as a mental illness,” Amazon said in the letter to senators, obtained through the outlet.

Brian Huseman, vice president of public policy at Amazon, wrote in the letter that the company has changed its content guidelines for books since 2018, but did not elaborate on how.

Amazon said it “gives its customers access to a variety of viewpoints, including books that some customers may find offensive.”

“That said, we reserve the right not to sell certain content,” Huseman wrote. “All retailers make decisions about the choice they want to offer, just like we do.”

It is unclear how many books Amazon has or will remove according to the new standard. The Hill contacted the company for comment.

‘When Harry Became Sally’, published in 2019, was written by conservative scholar Ryan T. Anderson and discusses several issues, including gender identity.

“In this book, the contrast between the sunny depiction of the fluidity of the media and the often sad reality of life with gender dysphoria is exposed,” according to its description online. “It gives a voice to people who are trying to make a ‘transition’ by changing their bodies, and do not find themselves better at it. Of particular concern are the stories told by adults who were encouraged to transition as children but later regretted subjecting themselves to the drastic procedures. ”

Anderson responded on Twitter, saying Amazon “apparently never read my books, but relied on striking pieces.”

“As I mentioned earlier, ‘Quote the passage I call’ mentally ill, ‘” Anderson wrote. “You cannot quote that passage because it does exist.”

Anderson and Roger Kimball, the publisher of Encounter Books, who released the title, said in a statement to the WSJ that “everyone agrees that gender dysphoria is a serious condition that causes great suffering.”

“However, there is a debate that Amazon wants to conclude on how to best treat patients with gender dysphoria,” they added, calling their book an “important contribution” to the conversation.

“Amazon is using its great power to distort the market of ideas and mislead its own customers in the process,” Anderson and Kimball said in the joint statement.

Conservatives set up the removal of the book as censorship and targeted the Amazon for continuing to sell other controversial or problematic books such as “Mein Kampf” or the “Communist Manifesto”.

‘When Harry Becomes Sally has sparked important discussions in the national media and among policymakers in 2018, and remains one of the most researched and compassionately debated topics on the subject, “the senators wrote to Amazon last month.” By removing this book from Amazon, he unashamedly used his extraordinary market share to silence an important voice just for the crime of violating awake group thinking. ”

Amazon denied that the removal of the book was not part of a broader campaign against conservative material and votes.

“We offer customers across the political spectrum a wide range of content that includes divergent opinions,” the company writes.

The senators did not respond to requests from The Wall Street Journal.

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