Amazon.com Inc.
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said it recently removed a three-year-old book on transgender issues from its platforms because it decided not to sell books that frame transgender identities and other sexual identities as mental illness.
The company explained its decision in a letter Thursday to Republican Senators Marco Rubio of Florida, Mike Lee of Utah, Mike Braun of Indiana and Josh Hawley of Missouri, which was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. Senators wrote to executive director Jeff Bezos last month asking why “When Harry Became Sally: The Answer to the Transgender Moment” was no longer available on Amazon AMZN 1.83%
nor on its Kindle and Audible platforms.
“Regarding your specific question about When Harry Became Sally, we chose not to sell books that frame LGBTQ + identity as a mental illness,” Amazon said in a letter signed by Brian Huseman, Amazon’s vice president of public policy. to sexual identities that include lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, among others.
“When Harry Became Sally,” written by conservative scientist Ryan T. Anderson, was published in February 2018. The book focuses on a variety of issues, including gender identity.
“Everyone agrees that gender dysphoria is a serious condition that causes great suffering,” said Thursday Anderson and Roger Kimball, publisher of Encounter Books, the New York nonprofit that published the book in a statement. reply to Amazon’s letter. .
“There is, however, a debate that Amazon is trying to close on how best to treat patients with gender dysphoria,” they added, calling their book an “important contribution” to the conversation. “Amazon uses its massive power to distort the market for ideas and deceives its own customers in the process,” they said.
Amazon’s decision comes as the country’s largest technology platforms are subject to increased scrutiny over the decisions they make about acceptable content. The senators, in their Feb. 24 letter, described Amazon’s decision to remove the book as a signal “for American conservatives that their views are not welcome on its platforms.”
The four senators could not be reached for comment late Thursday afternoon.
The senators in their letter also asked Mr. Bezos if Amazon changed its content guidelines in 2018. In Thursday’s response, the company said it had indeed changed its guidelines that year, without providing more. details.
Amazon said it offers its customers “access to a variety of points of view, including books that some customers may find unacceptable.”
“That being said, we reserve the right not to sell certain content,” wrote Amazon Huseman. “All retailers make decisions about which selection they choose to offer, just like us.”
Amazon is the country’s leading book retailer, accounting for 53% of all books sold in the US and 80% of all e-books, according to recent 30-day sales data from Codex Group LLC, a book research firm. Removing a title from the Amazon platform can have a significant impact on its performance.
Write to Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg at [email protected]
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