The author of a book Amazon banned says the online retail giant is misinformed about its content. Pictured: The Amazon logo is seen on a smartphone and on a computer screen.(Photo: Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images)
Amazon defended its decision to remove a book about transgender issues from its platform, claiming it frames “LGBTQ+ identity as a mental illness,” an assertion sharply disputed by the author.
Amazon sent a letter Thursday to Senate Republicans Marco Rubio of Florida, Mike Lee of Utah, Mike Braun of Indiana, and Josh Hawley of Missouri. The lawmakers had written last month to Amazon asking why “When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment” by Ryan T. Anderson was no longer available for purchase on the platform.
<p><img width="350" height="219" src="/media/17259925/corporate-rainbows 350x219.jpg" alt="corporate LGBTQ emblems" class="ImageFloatRight"/>A record number of Americans are identifying as homosexual, lesbian, or bisexual, at least according to a new poll, and a medical doctor says the jump is evidence that our rainbow flag-waving society is influencing younger generations. </p>
Dr Rachel Levine could become the first openly transgender federal official to be confirmed by the US Senate / screenshot Washington Post YouTube channel
Uniting both women’s rights activists and conservatives, the fight also demonstrates the degree to which the administration’s commitment to the most extreme parts of the progressive agenda, such as late-term abortion and transgenderism, can imperil its more popular economic initiatives.
Passed by the House on February 18, the Equality Act would expand the provisions of the 1964 Civil Rights Act to forbid discrimination of any kind based on sexual orientation and “gender identity.”
When it comes to employment specifically, this is nothing new: The US Supreme Court ruled last year that that discrimination in employment on the basis of “sex” includes sexual orientation and gender identity.
LGBT activists and their supporters rally in support of transgender people on the steps of New York City Hall, in New York City, October 24, 2018. | Getty Images/Drew Angerer
Legal and medical experts and concerned parents have warned that the Equality Act, which passed in the House Thursday, will have lasting implications on children, parental rights, and religious freedom if it becomes law.
The 500-plus page bill, which passed by a vote of 224-206 adds sex, gender identity and sexual orientation to the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The measure was reintroduced in the House where it was first passed in 2019 before it stalled in the Senate. It adds sexual orientation and gender identity as protected categories in nondiscrimination law. The measure also strips away key religious liberty provisions and conscience protections in the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Jan 15th, 2019 5 min read
COMMENTARY BY
Director of the Richard and Helen DeVos Center
Emilie Kao is director of the Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Religion & Civil Society at The Heritage Foundation. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is pushing the Equality Act as a major priority in the 116th Congress. Win McNamee / Staff/Getty Images
Americans have long understood that children are best cared for by their parents. The state can only intervene in the family when there is demonstrable evidence of abuse and neglect.
This has long been established in our laws. But now, transgender ideology is silencing doctors and challenging the way courts define parental abuse and neglect.