Jeff Bezos, the Amazon CEO (Courtesy Photo)
By Male Marvin & News Agencies
A petition has been launched after popular online retailer Amazon dropped almost a dozen books that offered readers testimonies and strategies on healing and change from homosexuality.
Among the books that no longer come up in a search on the site or are listed as being “not currently available for purchase” are “Restoring Sexual Identity: Hope for Women Who Struggle with Same-Sex Attraction” by Anne Paulk; “Desires in Conflict: Hope for Men Who Struggle with Sexual Identity” by Joe Dallas; “Orientation and Choice: One Man’s Sexual Journey” by David A Robinson; and “Growth into Manhood: Resuming the Journey” by Alan Medinger.
An organization called Voice for the Voiceless, which works to defend the rights of those who’ve left homosexuality, is now speaking against the ban, saying it “tantamount to religious discrimination and discrimination based on sexual orientation.”
The organisation stated that Amazon’s action is an attempt to silence all the voices of those who have found new life and freedom not through “conversion therapy,” but through conversion to Jesus Christ, a distinction that seems lost on LGBT activists.
“We exist. Do not erase our community,” said Daren Mehl, founder of Voice of the Voiceless. “Jesus is alive and does wonderful works in our lives. Desires change. Sexual orientation changes. It is not immutable.”
According to media sources, the ban came as a result of pro-gay supporters going on-line and giving bad “reviews” of material with personal testimonies of individuals who left active homosexuality.
“We are outraged that a smear campaign by one individual could convince Amazon to censor all books, audiobooks, and Kindle material related to our experiences and viewpoints,” reads the petition.
“For every major issue there are two sides to each story,” continues the petition. “For one side to be bullied and censored on every platform is counter to the values we have long held in common with Amazon.”
When contacted by local media reporters for comments, an employee from Amazon shared the company’s general guidelines for books.
“As a bookseller, we provide our customers with access to a variety of viewpoints, including books that some customers may find objectionable. That said, we reserve the right not to sell certain content, such as pornography or other inappropriate content,” the guideline read.
This petition demanding that Amazon reverse its decision to ban books that aim to help those with unwanted same-sex attraction can be found here.
