Following a four-year absence, Ryan T. Anderson's controversial book, "When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment," has reappeared on Amazon's virtual shelves. The reinstatement has ignited speculation about political motivations and the evolving landscape of online censorship. Anderson, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center and a former Heritage Foundation research fellow, believes the timing of both the ban and the reinstatement are deeply connected to the political climate in Washington.
The book was originally removed in 2021, shortly after President Biden's inauguration. At the time, Amazon justified the removal, citing guidelines against content that frames LGBTQ+ identity as a mental illness. Anderson vehemently denies this characterization of his work, highlighting positive reviews from academics and its previous bestseller status on Amazon. He asserts that the ban was a politically motivated attempt to discredit him as a prominent critic of the Equality Act, which was being debated at the time.
Author Ryan T. Anderson responded after Amazon relisted his book, "When Harry Became Sally" after a 4-year ban. (Getty Images/EPPC)
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office recognizing two sexes. (Getty Images)
President Donald Trump has signed several executive orders combating gender ideology in the federal government and public schools. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Lauren Sanchez, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk attend the inauguration ceremony before Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th US President in the US Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 2025. ( Saul Loeb/Pool via REUTERS)
Now, with Republicans holding a Senate majority and leading the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Anderson suspects Amazon's reversal stems from a desire to avoid scrutiny. He points to recent interest in his case from Senator Ted Cruz and FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson as potential contributing factors. Amazon's official statement attributes the relisting to a combination of other retailers continuing to sell the book and persistent customer feedback. However, Anderson remains unconvinced, noting the lack of a direct apology from Amazon and their framing of the decision as a difficult balancing act between free speech and potentially hateful content.
This incident coincides with Amazon's "unbanning" of conservative filmmaker Robby Starbuck's film "The War on Children." Starbuck interprets these developments as a sign that conservatives are gaining momentum, making companies wary of associating with perceived liberal censorship. The relisting of "When Harry Became Sally" has reignited a complex conversation about the power of large tech platforms, the boundaries of free speech, and the potential influence of political pressure on corporate decisions.
