Senators order Amazon to explain why it removed book critical of transgender ideology

Senators criticize "shortsighted censorship" of political philosopher's book.

Published: February 24, 2021 6:24pm

Updated: February 24, 2021 6:41pm

A group of U.S. senators on Wednesday directed Amazon to give a detailed explanation as to why it removed from its digital shelves a book by a Princeton-educated political philosopher that criticized prevailing transgender orthodoxy. 

Ryan Anderson, the president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, revealed this week that Amazon removed his 2018 book "When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Movement," with no explanation and with no apparent recourse to have the book re-instated on Amazon's digital storefront. 

In a letter to Amazon on Wednesday, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, along with three other GOP senators, demanded that Amazon explain its reasoning behind its removal of Anderson's book. 

"What was the motivating factor behind Amazon's decision to remove access to this book after hosting it for sale for over three years?" the senators wrote. "Is this action part of a broader campaign against conservative material and voices on Amazon's platforms?"

The senators asked that Amazon provide documentation to substantiate any claims that Anderson's book violated the company's book content policy. 

"We would appreciate a reply no later than March 9, 2021," they wrote. 

Amazon has thus far refused to tell Anderson why it removed his book from its website; when contacted this week, the retail giant also declined to explain its reasoning to Just the News.

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