AfterDawn: News

Apple boots 'anti-gay' app from App Store

Apple has been praised by several groups for responding to an online petition to remove an "anti-gay" application from its App Store.

The app, launched by Exodus International, promoted the idea of "curing gay people." In response, a Truth Wins Out petition setup on Change.org received 146,000 signatures from people who wanted to see the application removed from the App Store.



Apple responded by removing the application, prompting praise from several groups. "Apple made a wise and responsible decision to dump an offensive app that demonized gay and lesbian people," said Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out. "The real winners today are LGBT youth who are safer and less at risk for receiving Exodus' malice and misinformation."

Gary Remafedi, a researcher from the University of Minnesota, had also previously requested that Apple take action against the application, which he said grossly distorted his work to back up its claims.

The American Psychological Association, American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, and American Counseling Association have all rejected "ex-gay" therapy, saying that it can result in serious harm to the mental health of participants.

"We're thrilled that Apple has removed this 'gay cure' app from the iTunes store after more than 146,000 people signed this petition," said Mike Jones, Editor at Change.org, the platform used by Truth Wins Out to launch the petition. "The message Apple is sending here is clear: there is no place for 'ex-gay therapy' on the Apple platform."

Written by: James Delahunty @ 26 Mar 2011 3:15

• Previous article

• Twitter order to hand over WikiLeaks data appealed

• Next article

• Facebook boots out 20,000 underage users per day

• 6 comments

• JeeZee420

  Thats gayer than AIDS.
  

  26.3.2011 05:50 #1

• elbald90

  its ok there are plenty of tv evangelists who can still give them salvation for a little bit of money :)
  

  26.3.2011 05:58 #2

• KillerBug

  I can't say that I supported what this app said, but I did support their right to say it. I don't support the communist party or the fascist party either, but you won't see me trying to prevent democrats and republicans from talking. I might dispute their obvious lies, but I will at least let them speak. The fact that a site setup by the Obama administration is fighting free speech is sickening, depressing, and a slap in the face...unfortunately, I can't really say it is a surprise.
  

  
  

  26.3.2011 06:03 #3

• Dela

  Originally posted by KillerBug: I can't say that I supported what this app said, but I did support their right to say it. I don't support the communist party or the fascist party either, but you won't see me trying to prevent democrats and republicans from talking. I might dispute their obvious lies, but I will at least let them speak. The fact that a site setup by the Obama administration is fighting free speech is sickening, depressing, and a slap in the face...unfortunately, I can't really say it is a surprise.
  While you are certainly right that free speech is not negotiable in the free world, there are a few things to take into account. This app was shown to be twisting legitimate research in an attempt to gain a false legitimacy. On top of that, saying you can cure people of homosexuality as if it was simply on par with other mental conditions is also false information. Now obviously its fine for me to "claim" that I can "cure" gay people, but to market it on the public free market (which is what App Store is) and twist legitimate scientific studies to bolster my product (which is again, what it is) is not covered by free speech.
  
  Not only should Apple have a problem with such an illegitimate product, but even the relevant medical associations in the United States and other regions it is available in should take action against it.
  
  It's like how every so often you hear about these raids on "herbal medicine" sites etc. Usually its painted as big pharma going after the little guy with the "real natural medicine" but in reality its the unfounded claims that the sellers make that their products can cure anything from Swine Flu to Cancer, and that's also not covered by free speech once it is a product on the market.
  
  Also, it's worth remembering that the App Store has an extensive list of terms and conditions that developers must abide by and it will prohibit racist, sexist and/or discriminatory content, and some gay people seem to be offended by the persistence of anti-gay organizations to paint their sexuality as a condition that needs to be cured in spite of all the evidence to the contrary.
  
  So basically I wouldn't get on Apple's back too much about this one, and I completely support free speech too.

  26.3.2011 16:00 #4

• kampbell

  Originally posted by Dela: Originally posted by KillerBug: I can't say that I supported what this app said, but I did support their right to say it. I don't support the communist party or the fascist party either, but you won't see me trying to prevent democrats and republicans from talking. I might dispute their obvious lies, but I will at least let them speak. The fact that a site setup by the Obama administration is fighting free speech is sickening, depressing, and a slap in the face...unfortunately, I can't really say it is a surprise.
  While you are certainly right that free speech is not negotiable in the free world, there are a few things to take into account. This app was shown to be twisting legitimate research in an attempt to gain a false legitimacy. On top of that, saying you can cure people of homosexuality as if it was simply on par with other mental conditions is also false information. Now obviously its fine for me to "claim" that I can "cure" gay people, but to market it on the public free market (which is what App Store is) and twist legitimate scientific studies to bolster my product (which is again, what it is) is not covered by free speech.
  
  Not only should Apple have a problem with such an illegitimate product, but even the relevant medical associations in the United States and other regions it is available in should take action against it.
  
  It's like how every so often you hear about these raids on "herbal medicine" sites etc. Usually its painted as big pharma going after the little guy with the "real natural medicine" but in reality its the unfounded claims that the sellers make that their products can cure anything from Swine Flu to Cancer, and that's also not covered by free speech once it is a product on the market.
  
  Also, it's worth remembering that the App Store has an extensive list of terms and conditions that developers must abide by and it will prohibit racist, sexist and/or discriminatory content, and some gay people seem to be offended by the persistence of anti-gay organizations to paint their sexuality as a condition that needs to be cured in spite of all the evidence to the contrary.
  
  So basically I wouldn't get on Apple's back too much about this one, and I completely support free speech too. I disagree. Apple clearly caved in to a highly organized special interest group that has no respect for truth. They seek only to suppress viewpoints that differ from their own. They challenge the use of scientific findings but remain in absolute denial that there is no scientific evidence to support their "born this way" ideology. There is no such thing as a "gay" gene to account for homosexual behavior. The Exodus International app did not contain any information that was hateful. The focus of the information was on respect for the individual and support for their families. You are free to disagree, but to distort the facts in order to promote your position is fraud by every definition of the word. Apple should be ashamed.

  1.4.2011 13:56 #5

• SoulGLOW

  eh. Apple is gay.

  1.4.2011 19:53 #6