Apple Discontinues Anti-Gay APP After 150,000 Sign Petition

Apple pulled an anti-gay app after 150,000 signatures appeared on an online petition asking for its removal.

Released in mid-February by the Orlando, Fla.-based Christian group Exodus International, the free app provided video, podcasts, blog posts and other content that reflect the group’s mission as a “refuge for people looking for help in their journey out of homosexuality.”

“Exodus is a Christian ministry that supports those wanting to reconcile their faith with their sexual behavior,” the group says on its site, adding that it believes that changing homosexuality is possible because thousands of people in its network can attest to it.

Apple issued this statement stating, “We removed the app from the App Store because it violates our developer guidelines by being offensive to large groups of people.” Exodus claims the app is not objectionable because it has a “4+” rating. Change.org, the group behind the petition, says:

“No objectionable content? We beg to differ. Exodus’ message is hateful and bigoted. They claim to offer ‘freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ’ and use scare tactics, misinformation, stereotypes and distortions of LGBT life to recruit clients,” the petition says. “They endorse the use of so-called ‘reparative therapy’ to ‘change’ the sexual orientation of their clients, despite the fact that this form of ‘therapy’ has been rejected by every major professional medical organization including the American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association, and the American Counseling Association. But reparative therapy isn’t just bad medicine — it’s also very damaging to the self-esteem and mental health of its victims.”

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.