[LCC] Amazon definition of "adult" materials

[Bruce W. Frier]

         To sign the protest petition, go to: 
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/in-protest-at-amazons-new-adult-policy. 
Nearly 13,000 signatures already.  This situation is much more 
pervasive than Amazon is currently acknowledging.  B.


At 10:35 AM 4/13/2009, Terrence Lockyer wrote:
>The message below was posted to H-Histsex, the H-Net
>History of Sexuality forum, by Rictor Norton.  I cannot
>vouch for any of the information contained therein, but
>thought it worth posting here, as, if accurate, it will
>inevitably affect works in our field:
>
>Over the Easter weekend, Amazon.com and many of its
>affiliates decided to prevent "adult" material from
>appearing in some of its searches, which they did by
>removing the sales ranking data from individual titles
>deemed to be "adult". Amazon have made no official
>comment on this, but in response to a complaint by a
>novelist they replied:
>
>In consideration of our entire customer base, we
>exclude "adult" material from appearing in some
>searches and best seller lists. Since these lists are
>generated using sales ranks, adult materials must also
>be excluded from that feature.
>
>Hence, if you have further questions, kindly write back
>to us.
>
>Best regards,
>
>Ashlyn D
>Member Services
>Amazon.com Advantage
>
>It quickly becomes apparent that by "adult" they mean
>not only titles of an erotic or pornographic nature,
>but also any gay and lesbian titles irrespective of
>their serious nature. So in effect they have classified
>all GLBT material as obscene. Some of the titles which
>have been stripped of their sales ranking details
>include:
>
>Routledge International Encyclopedia of Queer Culture
>Gay and Lesbian Historical Fiction by Norman Jones
>A Lesbian History of Britain by Rebecca Jennings
>The Sciences of Homosexuality by Kenneth Borris
>Behind the Mask of the Mattachine by James Sears
>Byron and Greek Love by Louis Crompton
>Homosexuality and Civilization by Louis Crompton
>Female Masculinity by Judith Halberstam
>Gay Life and Culture by Robert Aldrich
>Gay American History by Jonathan Katz
>Hellenism and Homosexuality in Victorian Oxford by
>Linda Dowling
>How to do the History of Homosexuality by David
>Halperin
>Homosexuality in Greece and Rome by Thomas Hubbard
>
>and the list is endless -- anything with the words gay
>lesbian queer or homosexuality no longer is accorded
>sales rankings.
>
>On the other hand, books like "Sex Among the Rabble" by
>Clare Lyons or "City of Eros: New York City,
>Prostitution, and the Commercialization of Sex,
>1790-1920" by Timothy Gilfoyle -- and an equally
>endless list -- still have their sales rankings.
>Obviously, books about heterosexual history are
>perfectly OK because they are accepted by their
>"normal" market, but books about homosexual history are
>obscene in the view of Amazon, whose general audience
>is no longer deemed to include LGBT individuals or
>indeed anyone interested in such things.
>
>I'm not entirely sure what commercial effect the
>removal of sales rankings has. But obviously it had its
>promotional uses, otherwise it would not have been
>removed so that material deemed inappropriate by Amazon
>would no longer be promoted. My main objection is that
>this is a clear-cut case of discrimination on the basis
>of sexual orientation, that is: homophobia pure and
>simple.
>
>I don't know how others on this list feel, but I think
>it is outrageous. My own website promotes Amazon
>product through its Associates programme, but if Amazon
>doesn't wish to encourage promotion of LGBT books, then
>of course I will cease promoting Amazon books on my
>website and resign from its Associates programme.
>
>
>Rictor Norton, London
>rictornorton.co.uk
>
>----------
>
>The text above the line was cross-posted to by
>Terrence Lockyer
>Johannesburg, South Africa
>e-mail:  lockyert [at] mweb.co.za
>
>Please note that I am simply fowarding this message for
>information, and have no personal connection with any
>individuals, institutions, sites, publications, or
>events concerned.  Please direct any queries to the
>sites or addresses in the message itself.
>
>
>
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