Target dumps ‘transphobic’ book after a SINGLE complaint on Twitter, prompting cries of ‘censorship’
Retail giant Target has removed a book from its assortment after a single tweet complaint, alleging the book contained transphobic content, leading to massive outrage on social media over the company’s compliance to PC culture.
In a now hidden Thursday tweet, an anonymous user complained about Target selling the book ‘Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters,’ by Abigail Shrier. The tweet demanded to know why the chain was selling the book and said the trans community “deserves a response” from the company.
lol they changed it but screenshots are forever pic.twitter.com/TmCC5AYnWu
— LB (@beyondreasdoubt) November 13, 2020
“Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention,” Target’s customer service account responded, “We have removed this book from our assortment.”
Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention. We have removed this book from our assortment.
— AskTarget (@AskTarget) November 12, 2020
Just like that, Shrier’s book – which delves into the potential dangers of teen girls undergoing irreversible procedures and treatments – was gone from the online store.
The retail giant’s quick and extreme response prompted a wave of backlash online, with even the author herself chiming in. “Does it bother anyone that Woke activists and spineless corporations now determine what Americans are allowed to read?” Shrier tweeted about the incident.
https://t.co/NRY9T9nAfA just made my book disappear.Does it bother anyone that Woke activists and spineless corporations now determine what Americans are allowed to read? https://t.co/dbIbjm96Ll
— Abigail Shrier (@AbigailShrier) November 13, 2020
The response from the general public was similar, with commenters wondering how a “random Twitter user” could make a major company “bend to the mob” so easily.
Do you think it’s maybe a problem that you’re allowing a random twitter user to act as your manager?
— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) November 13, 2020
I just can not believe what I am reading from Target. Why do corporations bend to the mob? Screw Target. Shop elsewhere
— Sydney Somer🇺🇸🇺🇲📚📚🇨🇦 (@cindy_csomer37) November 13, 2020
That's an inappropriate response. I suggest you actually read the book before you decide whether it ought to be removed from sale. It's a very important book to a lot of people.
— Crone in a Million (@CroneInAMillion) November 13, 2020
Many others decried Target’s decision to delist the book as an anti-free-speech act of “censorship,” with quite a few even vowing to boycott Target.
Why does Target support censorship?
— Lisa Boothe (@LisaMarieBoothe) November 13, 2020
Scary stuff, really, I mean the censorship, not the book.
— Ramin Sakhtemani (@rayanramin) November 13, 2020
Okay Target. I will not shop with you anymore. Censorship is a bad road to travel.
— Vice President Elect PDWhite 🇺🇸 (@pdwhite1965) November 13, 2020
I will not be shopping at Target. Censorship has no place in our country.
— georgia (@georgia1041) November 13, 2020
Some argued, however, that despite the optics, it was merely a free-market decision made by a multi-billion-dollar company, free to decide which products to sell and which to drop.
Y’all really need to get some knowledge to understand what I’d and what is not censorship.
— Aimee Hix (@aimeehixauthor) November 13, 2020
"communism is when a multi billion company decides to not carry a book"
— Chips (@The_Gingerhead) November 13, 2020
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