Washington D.C., Feb 23, 2021 / 18:00 pm
After a critique of the transgender movement was de-listed by Amazon this week, U.S. senators responded.
On Sunday, conservative scholar Ryan Anderson reported that his 2018 critique of the transgender movement When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment was no longer listed for sale on Amazon.com. As of Tuesday afternoon, the book was still no longer available on Amazon.
After the company provided no explanation as to why Anderson's book was no longer listed for purchase online, U.S. senators criticized the company on Monday and Tuesday.
"American oligarchs, cheered on by leftist politicians, are conducting digital book burnings," tweeted Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Tuesday. "@Amazon banned a thoughtful & well researched book on a complicated issue."
The senator added that his office reached out to Amazon for an explanation, but that the company had not responded.
"The corporate left begins the banning of books. Openly and without apology. Welcome to the new normal," tweeted Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.).
Anderson's book had been released three years before in 2018.
The book explores the biological, psychological, and philosophical areas of the transgender debate. It received positive reviews by professors of psychiatry, psychology, and medical ethics at universities such as Johns Hopkins, Boston University, New York University, and Columbia University.
On Monday, a spokesperson for Amazon declined to comment on Anderson's claims.
Under the company's content guidelines, Amazon prohibits material which "we determine is hate speech" or is "inappropriate or offensive."
Amazon also states that it will inform the "author, publisher, or selling partner" if their material is removed from the site, and would allow them a chance to appeal the removal. However, Anderson told CNA on Monday that he had received no explanation for his book's removal.
Dr. Robert George, a Princeton University law professor, called the removal of Anderson's book "the new Woke religion's Index of Prohibited Books."
The legal group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) stated "Robust debate and dialogue require that all viewpoints be heard. So why did Amazon remove 'When Harry Became Sally'?"
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The incident comes after the Equality Act was introduced in Congress last week. The legislation would create protected classes for sexual orientation and gender identity. Anderson and others have warned that the law would create sweeping changes in society, requiring people to acknowledge gender ideology and allow people access to sex-specific locker rooms and bathrooms based on their gender identity and not their biological sex.
"Make no mistake, both Big Government and Big Tech can undermine human dignity and liberty, human flourishing and the common good," Anderson stated on Monday.
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