On Wednesday, Amazon employees staged a “die-in” protest at the company’s annual pride month event called “Glamazon” to protest the sale of what they deem “transphobic” books.
According to a tweet by Business Insider’s Katherine Long, the “die-in” involved about 30 employees. They pretended to be dead by laying flat on the ground, and covered themselves with trans flags.
I’m at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters, where about 30 Amazon employees are staging a die-in during Amazon’s Pride Flag raising ceremony in protest of the company’s continued sale of what they say are transphobic books. pic.twitter.com/Pz0Pyy0Mzi
— Katherine Long (@_katya_long) June 1, 2022
According to reports, the employees who staged the “die-in” are affiliated with the No Hate At Amazon group. The members of the group, in a speech posted on its website, said that their main point of anger is “Amazon using the raising of the Pride flag as a PR stunt.”
The group added that the event was a “rainbow washing” of the company profiting from “spreading a culture of hatred through sale of transphobic books.” Most of the speech focused on “Johnny the Walrus” by Matt Walsh, but they also mentioned a 2020 bestseller by Abigail Shrier, “Irreversible Damage.”
They said Walsh is a “a serial abuser who has openly attacked our coworkers and our customers,” noting that his book was originally put in the LGBTQ book category.
The group also noted Walsh has a recent documentary “What is a Woman?” and complained that its accompanying book is available on pre-order at Amazon.
No Hate at Amazon demanded that Amazon should stop selling “transphobic” books. They also said the company should be held accountable through the creation of “an elected workers’ oversight board which includes and collectively advocates for workers from marginalized communities and oppressed groups.”
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