Retail giant Amazon announced this week
that it will no longer sell books that frame gay, lesbian,
transgender, and other sexual identities as a mental illness.
The company made the announcement in a
letter sent to Republican senators.
In February, Amazon stopped selling a
book by Ryan Anderson, a conservative commentator who is vocally
opposed to LGBT rights. In When Harry Became Sally: Responding to
the Transgender Moment, Anderson is critical of the transgender
community.
Republican Senators Marco Rubio, Mike
Lee, Mike Braun, and Josh Hawley wrote to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos
to complain about the book's removal.
In response, Amazon said that it
reserves the right not to sell certain books.
“As a bookseller, we provide our
customers with access to a variety of viewpoints, including books
that some customers may find objectionable,” the company said in a
letter first published by the Wall Street Journal.
“That said, we reserve the right not
to sell certain content. All retailers make decisions about what
selection they choose to offer, as do we. As to your specific
question about When Harry Became Sally, we have chosen not to
sell books that frame LGBTQ+ identity as a mental illness.”
According to research firm Codex Group,
Amazon sells 53% of all books sold in the United States and 80% of
all ebooks.
LGBT rights advocate GLAAD called
Amazon's decision “a positive step in ending the misinformation
campaign against LGBTQ people, especially trans youth, meant only to
cause harm.
“This book is dangerous and harmful
to trans kids, and those who are looking for information about trans
identity should not look to resources written by someone who has made
their livelihood by publishing screeds against the trans community,”
a GLAAD spokesperson said.