On Tuesday, I wrote a post about a homophobic, AIDS-mocking wall calendar called "I'm Not Gay, I'm Just a Sissy" by "Christian" cartoonist Joe King being sold by Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Check out my original post for more information, but here's the cover of the calendar, which is really all you need to see.
I went out of town (with no Internet access) for a couple of days, and while I was gone a lot happened. I updated the original post, but I thought it called for a new post as well.
The story took off, going beyond the LGBT blogosphere. GLAAD even picked it up. Hundreds and hundreds of negative customer reviews were written, countless e-mails were sent, and many phone calls were made. And it paid off.
As indiemcemopants wrote on Thursday, Barnes & Noble decided fairly quickly that it wasn't good business to have angry customers tweeting you and posting on your Facebook wall. They took the calendar off their website and made clear that it is not, and never has been, available in stores.
Yesterday, after their Facebook wall was covered in customer responses to the homophobia, and after over 2,000 signatures were collected for a change.org petition, Amazon followed B&N's lead and pulled the calendar.
Mission accomplished.
Thanks to everybody who pitched in an e-mail, a phone call, and/or a negative review. We sent a message to Amazon and Barnes & Noble that this kind of blatant homophobia will not be tolerated. This was not censorship - it was the market speaking. The market spoke, and the corporations had little choice but to listen. Hopefully it will serve as a lesson for Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other companies in the future.
Joe King, by the way, is not pleased (note: it looks like you need to be signed into Facebook for the link to work). At all (look at the comments).
Quick! Somebody call the waaambulance!