Really, Amazon, you're going to be that transparently homophobic?

[butterfly]

Amazon makes the assumption that all gay, lesbian, bisexual, and/or trans material is 'adult' and have erased them from the rankings system, while showing their hypocrisy by leaving up (lots) of very explicit heterosexual material.

A list of links about the issue can be found here.

If you only have time to read one post, read this one as it contains the reply that Mark Probst (YA author) received from Amazon.

So, new definition as coined by Smart Bitches, Trashy Books: Amazon Rank.

Comments

[scarah2.livejournal.com]

I emailed the fuckers. If I get a reply I'll post the email and response in my journal.

I've talked to one person who used to work there and one person who works there presently, and from their experience with how the place runs they both believe it is just a fuckup that will be fixed.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I'll be on the look-out for your post. Hopefully, they'll tell you something.

[carpenyx.livejournal.com]

All of this is complete BS. Really.

http://jezebel.com/5209088/why-is-amazon-removing-the-sales-rankings-from-gay-lesbian-books -- apparently even "Heather has Two Mommies" was stripped, um, that's a KIDS book. Not "Adult".

Grr, this is just makes me so mad.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I'm so pissed at them. I had something on pre-order from them, but now it is canceled and I made sure that they knew this was the reason why.

[spiletta42.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I just checked my amazon account, and I have ten pre-orders right now. I'll give them until tomorrow to fix this, it being a Sunday night and all, but they'll notice if I cancel those.

[rattus-aerius.livejournal.com]

Makes me wonder who thought doing this would be a good idea. And why the hell are they doing it anyway? To protect the damn children? Because some fundie complained about an OMG!GAY book?

You'd think someone at a company that exists because of the internet would know that you don't piss the internet off. ;)

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

You would think! They apparently turned off their brains for this choice.

[kiki-miserychic.livejournal.com]

#amazonfail is the number one hashtaf on twitter right now. http://hashtags.org/

There's a petition started already. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/in-protest-at-amazons-new-adult-policy

People are posting phone numbers of Amazon Board of Directors. -- Patricia Stonesifer 206-709-3140

There's an open letter http://digg.com/d1oYjg

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Ooo. Thanks for the links and information.

[kiki-miserychic.livejournal.com]

I thought the phone number was a office/business phone, but it might actually be home phone though.

Amazon is saying it was a glitch now. *eye roll*

[ishtar79.livejournal.com]

The google fu is strong in the nets:

http://www.google.gr/search?q=amazon+rank&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:el:official&client=firefox-a

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Awesome!

[spiletta42.livejournal.com]

Wow, good PR move, Amazon. I guess I'll have to write a strongly worded letter and then stop spending money for a while. That's one way to save cash -- an amazon boycott would curtail about 90% of my spending.

[marble-rose.livejournal.com]

SO MUCH FAIL. Why would they even DO that?