Enemy action

[nancylebov]

Here's what showed up at amazon recently if you searched on "homosexuality"



At this point, the elimination of books with homosexual content (some of them completely unexplicit) from the amazon search and sales rankings doesn't look to me any more like some half-assed effort to bend to pressure. It looks like serious, intentional policy, though I hope it isn't from the top.

I expect things to get even more interesting when whoever had the bright idea gets identified.

Link thanks to jonquil.

copperbadge has the most thorough discussion I've seen with definitions and where to protest and updates.

Addendum:Here's an interesting theory that it really is enemy action by people manipulating amazon tags for books. On the other hand, there are previous statements from amazon that they had a new policy for "adult" material.

Comments

[cathyr19355.livejournal.com]

Either that, or it means that Fundies with the intent to stamp out homosexuality are presently publishing more books with that agenda than anybody else writing about homosexuality.

I don't think Amazon has an agenda here; I think its search engine hunts for items with the word typed into the search engine in the title or write-up. Books by gay people for gay people are, I suspect, less likely to use the word "homosexuality" in the title than are books by the crusaders trying to abolish it.

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

I may have been too paranoid, but did you catch that many books with pro-gay content have been taken out of the amazon search?

I just did a search on homosexuality at amazon, and some kids' books about families with same sex parents are showing up, but it's still mostly "how not to be homosexual" at the top of the list.

[cathyr19355.livejournal.com]

I may have been too paranoid, but did you catch that many books with pro-gay content have been taken out of the amazon search?

No. How can you tell that's been done? If true, that *is* worth complaining about.

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

As I understand it, the sales rank number has been eliminated for a lot of books with homosexual content. This means that you can find the book if you know the title and author (allowing that amazon search isn't very good anyway) but the book won't show up if you're looking for books like some other book.

May I suggest looking at the copperbadge link in my post, or at my friendslist? The only mentions on your flist was from me and supergee, and his post wasn't conspicuous. My flist has probably gotten two dozen posts from a bunch of different people.

There's been a lot of action on twitter, and what's being called amazonfail has made the LATimes blog.

[cathyr19355.livejournal.com]

Fair enough. You did answer my question, at least. Thanks.

[chomiji]

Well, the first of results from same search on Powell's book store site brings back titles including What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality (which concludes that "the Bible supplies no real basis for the condemnation of homosexuality") and a number of young adult titles with gay characters. Similarly, the same search on Barnes and Noble also brings back What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality, plus a mixture of non-fiction such as When Homosexuality Hits Home: What to do When a Loved One Says They're Gay and a number of novels (both adult and YA) with gay characters. Yes, perhaps the readership of the companies really varies that much, but I have my doubts. Also, you may wish to check out this LA Times blog column on the subject. Gay-friendly books that used to have Amazon sales ranks noted have had those ranks removed.