Peter Tatchell claims academics have accused him of “censorship” as publishers decide against reprinting a book containing defamatory allegations against the gay rights campaigner.
Raw Nerve Books, which published the book Out of Place in 2008, made an apology to Tatchell earlier this year because one of the chapters in the book contained untrue allegations made against him and gay rights group Outrage.
Tatchell said: “Many of my detractors now claim that I forced the book to be withdrawn from sale and that I pressured the publishers to declare it ‘Out of Print.’ Not so.”
Tatchell added: “The book was listed as ‘Out of Print’ on the Raw Books website before I contacted the publishers and challenged the lies and falsehoods they had published about me."
According to Tatchell, the chapter entitled ‘Gay Imperialism: Gender and Sexuality Discourse in the War on Terror’ - by Jin Haritaworn, Tamsila Tauqir and Esra Erdem, suggest that he is “anti-Muslim”, has engaged in “racial politics”, and accused him of being “part of the Islamophobia industry.”
However, since Raw Nerve Books’ decision to abandon plans for a second edition the authors' friends and supporters have been “spreading further smears” according to Tatchell.
Tatchell added: “I have no objection to Out of Place being reprinted, providing it does not include the lies and fabrications about me.”
None of the academics were available to comment.