Apple under fire from gay rights groups after approving iPhone app 'cure' for homosexuality

[The Straight Story]

Apple under fire from gay rights groups after approving iPhone app 'cure' for homosexuality

Computer firm Apple has approved an iPhone and iPad application which claims to ‘cure’ gay people.

The app, called Exodus International, is targeted at ‘homosexual strugglers’ and teaches them that gay people have a choice about their sexuality.

Its Christian makers claim the app gives them a chance of ‘freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus’.

The free programme, which is available in Britain, was given four out of five stars by Apple, which means it is deemed to have ‘no objectionable content’.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1368152/Apple-gay-rights-groups-approving-iPhone-app-cure-homosexuality.html

[johnroshan]

1. Whats objectionable here??

They aren't forcing anyone to buy it... God, some people just can't understand freedom.

BTW, I support gay marriage.

[Jamastiene]

2. Not everyone knows that the APA,

that is, the American Psychological Association, said way back in 1973 that reparation therapy, aka hawking any therapy as a "cure" for homosexuality, was psychologically damaging to the point that it sometimes causes MORE suicides.

Would you be ok with an app that constantly berated young children and instilled a thought into their heads that they were worthless until they killed themselves? If not, why not? It should be some software company's "freedom" to sell that too under your original logic.

I see you put the obligatory afterthought of "I support gay marriage" in there just like so many others who are fine and dandy with anything that seriously damages gay people. It's ok though. We are used to that "borderline" gray area...but we also know what it really means. Some advice: In the future, don't waste your time adding that little BS tidbit as if we can't see through it.

[Dogtown]

3. Excellent reply, Jamastiene.

:applause:

[johnroshan]

5. The Westboro group thinks and says that I'm going to hell soon...

I don't know much about psychology but that shit is getting me depressed... You know what... BAN THAT MOFOS.

Some Islamist freaks think that I'm an infidel and have no right to live. BAN THEM!!!

There are always going to be people who will have opinions that will damage your psychological mindset. Its up to the parents to protect children from such unwanted influence. About adults feeling bad about this, I have nothing to say...

[Jamastiene]

6. Not the best of comebacks, really.

Westboro Baptist Church thinks EVERYONE outside their immediate family is going to Hell. Lol, like we haven't heard that off the wall comparison before.

There is a huge difference between hate groups that are known hate groups and software that claims to be real therapy.

People know a hate group when they see it. Many people do not know a quack form of therapy that was discredited ages ago.

The bottom line is that you cannot compare a hate group to something sold as if it is some form of official cure all for something that does not need to be "cured." Those are like apples and oranges.

[johnroshan]

11. No one is trying for a comeback or anything...

The bottom line is that you cannot compare a hate group to something sold as if it is some form of official cure all for something that does not need to be "cured." Those are like apples and oranges.

Do you really think some Christian group selling an app on iphone is "Official"??

A medical university parading a cure for homosexuality is official.

A state declaring homosexuality an illness would seem official.

I'm not here to debate with you, that I need to somehow win points with "comebacks". I'm just trying to express my opinion on this issue.

[Occulus]

24. You opinion on the subject is as offensive as the app itself

and for most of the same reasons

welcome to my ignore list

(and.... this gay man does not want, welcome, or approve of your support for gay marriage.... with "friends" like you, I don't need enemies)

[Atypical Liberal]

21. Yes, we should ban quakery of all stripes.

Whether you are trying to hurt people through some belief in magic, or espousing a medical cure that doesn't work, quackery of all stripes should be banned.

The idea that homosexuality is something that can be "cured" or is even something you can choose are both concepts that most homosexuals reject. In online forums, I've only ever heard perhaps 3 people claim that their sexual orientation was chosen. In person, having spoken with some 6 homosexuals on the subject, all of them said they did not choose their sexuality.

So the idea that some piece of software can help you change your sexual orientation is ridiculous. Aside from the fact that it might actually cause harm, the very fact that it almost certainly doesn't do what it claims to do should be sufficient to have it taken off the market. No doubt the software is provided with a convenient EULA that basically says, "this software makes no claims to do anything at all".

Trying to tie this to religion buys no points with me, either. They are selling quackery that is just as dangerous and as far as I'm concerned the world will be a better place when it's gone, too.

[gatorboy]

18. By the way, some of his best friends are black!

[johnroshan]

33. Yes, I'm a black-hating KKK, Nazi and a homophobic pedophile.

Now, can we please move past silly ad hominems? Thanks.

[ThomCat]

27. +1

[BR_Parkway]

4. To download a game, a kid has to be of a certain age for many apps - but to download

scientifically proven misleading information that's going to fuck up their sense of self worth for possibly decades to come, there's no "objectionable content".


There's enough messages out there to tell GLBT kids that they are sick, abominations and worthless already to push them to have a rate of suicide 3-4 times higher than their peers

There's a reason we don't give kids the same "freedoms" we do adults to make informed decisions. That they have access to this app, by a totally discredited group pretending to have science on their side is the problem here - not that anyone's being "forced" to buy it

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

15. I'm going to go against my instincts here and give you the benefit of doubt.

Apple is quite fickle about what apps it approves or not for the App Store. Therefore, for them, accepting an app from a hate group amounts to endorsement.

[johnroshan]

16. Could be just an overlook. Maybe not.

So what if apple endorses homophobia? Boycott apple if you want. Don't pull the app. They are full well within their rights to publish that app.

The reason you might find me offensive is that I tend to prefer to err on the side of freedom rather than state or corporate censorship.

[Motown_Johnny]

19. these are private citizens who have a problem with the app

not a state or corporation


If this app contributes to even one young adult ending his or her own life then it never should have been made available.


The reason you might find me offensive is that I tend to prefer to err on the side of public safety rather than on corporate profits.

[Starry Messenger]

20. +10000

[Shining Jack]

22. So in other words you support that product.

Several Chinese toxic products are banned in many countries. So by your logic we should import those products, after all nobody is forcing anyone to buy them. That app is harmful because it's spreading hate and is badly hurting people who had to deal with toxic environments all their life and kids that are very vulnerable, this thing will be very popular with bullies. If you don't understand this then I doubt that you sincerely support gay marriage.

Over 100000 people signed that petition demanding that this app be removed:

http://www.change.org/petitions/demand-that-apple-remove-ex-gay-iphone-app?%3Fopt_new=f&opt_fb=t

BTW, I support human rights.

[johnroshan]

31. Did you download the app and see for yourself?

Please do it. It DOES NOT CLAIM to be a cure for anything. Its filled with their religious views on homosexuality. If you find it as crap, good for you for being rational. Curbing their right to express their views, no matter how irrational it might be, is wrong.

http://blogs.forbes.com/shenegotiates/2011/03/18/the-internet-freedom-of-speech-and-the-anti-gay-app/

I don't see this app different from the thousands of websites spewing their religious views that homosexuality is sin.

[Canuckistanian]

29. They seemed to ban the Wikileaks App fast enough

http://techcrunch.com/2010/12/20/apple-removes-wikileaks-app-from-app-store/

[Fearless]

30. I guess that bullying is freedom too. Right? I mean I'm not FORCING anyone to accept it.

[Skip Intro]

32. +1. You said what I was thinking. Freedom means freedom for everyone. nt

[speltwon]

7. Why the fuck is Apple the grand arbiter of what is or isn't available for Iphone anyway?

Is there another site to get "unapproved apps" on? I just find it ridiculous, but totally consistent with "Apple culture" that the monolith is the gatekeeper for all these apps. I think it's lame that the producer of the hardware is also the one that is the gatekeeper for the apps. I assume there are numerous places to get evil "unapproved apps?"

The whole thing reinforces why I far prefer PC's to Mac's. Open architecture and no gatekeeper.

Granted, I long ago preferred Apple as a business model. I bought their stock when Jobs took over. But I just loathe their Empire of Control

[Javaman]

14. Because they make the product and don't license it out.

that's why.

I have an android.

(Personal disclaimer: I do not support this app)

[The Philosopher]

8. This is, simply, Apple approving of child abuse

There's a reason we regulate a slew of things and it's because there are those who would take advantage of the public and do serious harm. The idea of a "cure" is one that does serious harm to the public and takes advantage of emotionally unstable people. This stupid app gives a false sense to people that there is a cure to be taken.

So long as there's an idea that the person CAN be changed, either through therapy or turning to God, there will be harm done to the child. There's the torture of that therapy, the torture of the religious acts, parents neglecting their child, physically punishing them, kicking them out of the house and forcing them to fend for themselves at young ages.

Saying you're an advocate of the LGBT community doesn't allow anyone to support actively or passively anything involved in a "cure." Apple is disgusting in this regard.

[DCKit]

9. Class-Action Lawsuit, Anyone?

If the product doesn't work as advertised (or actually causes harm)....

[WatsonT]

10. How strict is the process?

Do they generally approve everything but the most blatant offenders (like say youtube) or do they keep a tight lid on it?

If they're pretty generous with who gets approved I don't see this as an issue.

Otherwise . . . yeah.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

13. From everything I've heard

their approval process is *supposed* to be pretty strict though I've heard of some fairly benign, less controversial apps (like the one designed by Sony for their Reader Library) rejected but some other junky apps that should be rejected get approved and show up in the app store, leaving you wonder what the heck they were thinking. Maybe their approvers just had a brain fart and this particular one just slipped through. :shrug: I guess that Exodus is trying to bring their own brand of bigotry into the 21st Century? :puke:

[pokerfan]

17. they've made some rather odd decisions in the past

They also allowed the "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dLA7TnOVMM">Baby Shaker" app and only removed it when child welfare groups complained. Yet they barred South Park because someone might find it offensive. Of course, it's their product and they can do what they want with it but their choices seem to reflect a rather odd sense of humor.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

23. Oh yeah. I remember that

I also know that they are VERY strict about not allowing any sex-related apps onto the shop. It would be interesting to know how their approval process actually works though one might never know unless they tried to submit an app for consideration. Personally, I love my iPhone and the number and types of apps that are currently available is rather impressive, particularly sincet you can get a lot of good apps for free, but you do have to be choosy about what you actually pay for. I'd say that, for the most part, I've been pretty happy with most of my app purchases but I take the time to read what other people are saying about the app and how much it is before I buy anything. The two Angry Birds alone are an ultra-bargain ($0.99 each) given that they are continuously updating both games with new levels and themes (Seaons).

[HappyMe]

12. Good grief!

So much for callin 'em "smart" phones.

[ohheckyeah]

26. Well said. n/t

[BillStein]

25. If they claim to "cure" a mental disorder

whiah is what they consider homosexuality, then are they practicing medicine without a license?

BTW, I support freedom of religion

[sarcasmo]

28. Kick to the top.