[LCC] Amazon definition of "adult" materials

[Andrew Lear]

I just want to add that my book (Images of Ancient Greek Pederasty)
has lost its sales ranking as well.  Andrew Lear

On Mon, Apr 13, 2009 at 12:00 PM, Bruce W. Frier <bwfrier at umich.edu> wrote:
>        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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