Two years ago, Lina Jodoin transitioned to female and recently quit her engineering job at Amazon in protest, found it strange to discover books advocating that trans individuals should not transition in the LGBT book area. It is only painful on a personal level.

The internal outcry began in employee chat groups more than a year ago, then became public in March when more than 400 employees signed a petition demanding that senior management cease selling particular books and create a panel to evaluate if the titles violate Amazon's hate speech standards. Earlier this month, some thirty employees from the group No Hate at Amazon participated in a "die-in" during a Pride celebration at Amazon's Seattle headquarters.

According to a member of the group, more than 600 employees have signed the petition, and approximately 20 staff have resigned due to the selling of titles that, in their opinion, distort what it means to be transgender. In addition, the person, who requested anonymity for fear of punishment, stated that several other transgender employees want to leave after completing gender-affirming treatments. This complex and personal procedure can take years and could be disrupted by transferring workplaces and insurance plans.

Amazon spokesperson Maggie Sivon said in an email, "We recognize that many people feel profound about this issue, and we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive work environment for all of our 1.6 million workers." "As an organization, we are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a bookshop, we've opted to carry various perspectives, including books that contradict our company's declared stances. As a result, we feel it is possible to provide a diverse selection of ideas in our bookstore and uphold our corporate values. When examining a book for compliance with our content rules, we analyze the book's specific content and commit significant time and resources to guarantee that our guidelines are consistently applied.

Amazon faces a perpetual issue determining which items to ban, as the company does typically not remove products until public pressure threatens to harm its brand. For example, the company removed Confederate flag goods from its online store in 2015, only after Walmart Inc. and EBay Inc. had already prohibited them. In addition, Amazon is routinely criticized for selling Nazi artifacts and anti-Semitic products, such as Christmas ornaments commemorating the horrific Nazi death camp Auschwitz. Over half of the products marketed on Amazon are offered by independent merchants who post their products through internet portals, making it impossible to control the vast online marketplace.

For instance, Amazon discontinued selling "When Harry Became Sally" last year, citing the book's dismissal of transsexual persons as having mental problems. This week, though, a reporter for Bloomberg discovered the book in an online bookstore while researching this story. It was withdrawn after the reporter inquired about it to Amazon.

Employees find it difficult to comprehend why Amazon prohibited this book but continue selling others with comparable subject matter. They assume that a response from Republican legislators prompted the firm to hesitate after Amazon stopped selling "When Harry Became Sally," Florida Senator Marco Rubio accused the company of censorship.

"Irreversible Damage" is of particular concern to employee advocates because it appears at the top of search results for "transgender" on Amazon. The 2020 book by Abgail Shrier offers anecdotal data to argue that kids identifying as trans is a "trend" that may be linked to mental health problems. It has a 4.7-star rating and over 6,000 reviews on Amazon. 

The publishers Shrier and Regnery did not reply to requests for comment. However, the publisher stated on its website, "Abigail Shrier's crucial book will help you comprehend what the trans craze is and how to immunize your child against it, or how to retrieve her from this perilous path."

Another target is the children's book "Johnny the Walrus" by conservative commentator Matt Walsh, about a boy who believes he is a marine mammal. In response to pressure from "Internet people," the boy's mother feeds him worms and takes him to a doctor who advises converting his hands and feet into fins.

GLAAD, an LGBTQ media watchdog organization, asserts that the firm has violated its promise not to sell books that depict LGBTQ people as mentally ill from the previous year. According to a spokeswoman for an advocacy group, Amazon must comply with its content guidelines, which prohibit hate speech, and stop misrepresenting these titles as anything other than what they are: destructive anti-LGBTQ misinformation and propaganda.

Image courtesy of Gage Walker @gagewalkerr

JIM IS PRESIDENT OF WOODS KOVALOVA GROUP

Jim has a passion for accelerating talent across organizations. While this passion has fueled his work in leadership assessment and development, it has crystallized in the area of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. 

Jim's experience spans a broad range of industries, including public, finance, consumer, retail, pharma, industrials, and technology. 'Organizational & people agility,' 'design thinking,' and 'digital transformation' are some of the critical themes Jim works with clients across the globe.

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His consulting experience includes assessing, training, coaching, and developing leaders. In addition, he has delivered work in defining competencies and success profiles, designing and conducting assessment centers, integrating talent analytics, and designing and facilitating development roadmaps.

Jim is a certified coach and facilitator for Woods Kovalova Group's virtual leadership assessment and development tools, including leadership accelerators, and WKG Potential. Jim holds an MS degree in organizational development and human resources. He served as an adjunct professor at Villanova University; taught fifth-grade math and science.