Indiana AG warns Jeff Bezos about Amazon censorship of book on transgenderism: ‘I will be watching closely’
‘Censorship by one of the world’s largest corporations is the stuff of would‐be despots and tyrannical regimes,’ Indiana AG Todd Rokita wrote
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}EXCLUSIVE – The Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita warned billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in a letter Thursday that his office will be "watching closely how Amazon continues its censorship crusade" on the heels of the online retailer removing a bestselling book about transgender people.
Author Ryan T. Anderson’s book, "When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment," was removed last month by Amazon over claims it portrayed transgenderism as a mental illness, which Anderson has denied.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rokita’s letter, which has been obtained by Fox News, was addressed to Bezos and echoed a recent opinion piece Anderson penned for the Wall Street Journal, which urged an "enterprising state attorney general" to investigate whether Amazon’s decision was politically motivated.
"Anderson’s book, published in 2018, calmly and carefully addresses the scientific, medical, philosophial, and legal issues raised by transgender ideology. It has earned praise from experts and scholars," Rokita wrote.
"Three years after the book’s publication, and early in the same week that the U.S. House of Representatives scheduled a vote on the so-called Equality Act, Amazon abruptly stopped selling Mr. Anderson's book. Amazon took this action without providing any notice or explanation to Mr. Anderson or the publisher."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rokita agreed with the National Coalition Against Censorship, which has already expressed deep concerns with Amazon’s decision.
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The effects of the world's largest book store, as well as its streaming service, canceling books it does not like will undermine future projects and limit books that will be published or made in the future," Rokita wrote, noting books such as Mein Kampf, the Communist Manifesto and an assisted suicide handbook remain on Amazon.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Certainly, those books have contributed to more death, pain, suffering, and destruction than Mr. Anderson’s ever could," Rokita wrote. "I will be watching closely and with interest how Amazon continues down this path of censorship and the impact it has on Hoosier consumers."
Rokita said his office "will not hesitate" to take action against Amazon when its practices violate Indiana law.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I ask you to inform me promptly who made Amazon's decision regarding Mr. Anderson's book and why," Rokita wrote, noting that Amazon has said it removed the book because it calls LGBTQ issues a mental disorder. Anderson has said his book does not do that..
"I also ask that you inform me of any statements by Amazon that inform customers that Amazon makes decisions whether to offer certain products based on considerations of ideology," Rokita wrote.
Rokita wrote the "pernicious effect of Amazon's actions will be to severely limit consumers' options because of a desire to crush opposing viewpoints" and the online retailer has "decided to put its thumb on the scale to determine what can and cannot be published and therefore what people can and cannot read."
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Rokita felt anyone who disagrees with the content in Anderson’s book should be free to "rebut his arguments or not purchase the book," but censoring it is unacceptable.
"Censorship by one of the world’s largest corporations is the stuff of would‐be despots and tyrannical regimes is wholly inconsistent with the foundation of our Republic," he wrote. "I look forward to your response, and I hope Amazon reconsiders the decision and instead encourages liberty for all consumers."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.