Nine members of an influential coalition of Republicans in Congress and its chairman, Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) sent a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, demanding an explanation for Amazon’s decision to stop selling Ryan T. Anderson’s book on transgenderism, When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment.
The letter, which can be read in full below, calls on Amazon to provide a list of all books it has removed from its store in the last five years, together with justifications for each decision, as well as internal correspondence related to the decision to remove When Harry Became Sally.
The letter also questions why books from Mao, Hitler, and bomb manuals like the Anarchist’s Cook Book are not deemed to be in violation of Amazon’s policies.
“Amazom.com currently controls a majority of the print book market in the United States, and a supermajority of e-book sales. In other words, your censorship decisions affect the dissemination of facts, opinion, and culture on an incalculable scale. As such, we believe that Congressional interest in promoting open and fair market practices is justified,” says the letter.
The letter was signed by ten Republican members of the Republican Study Committee: its chairman, Rep. Jim Banks, Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL), Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY), Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK), Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Rep. Jody Arrington (R-TX), and Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA).
“Amazon’s treatment of Ryan Anderson perfectly demonstrates the authoritarianism and insidiousness of Big Tech censorship. Ryan isn’t a Twitter troll, he’s an academic,” said Rep. Banks in a statement.
“His book offers the clearest, most thoroughly researched conservative perspective on the issue of transgenderism that I’m aware of. And that political issue is extremely relevant because Congress is debating it right now. That is why Amazon is desperate to shut him up.”
Allum Bokhari is the senior technology correspondent at Breitbart News. He is the author of #DELETED: Big Tech’s Battle to Erase the Trump Movement and Steal The Election.
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