New iPhone App to 'Cure' Gays

[Altanzitarron]

Do I think it's a horrible idea? Yes. Should it be taken down? Well unfortunately I can actually kind of see the point here that no one is forcing you to download it. I have known of people who have actually seeked out treatment like this for themselves and it has been completely their decision. Unfortunately it comes from a desire to be "normal" and it is heartbreaking that they've been made to feel that they need to be "normal" but if it's what they want it's what they want. Do I think it's a completely doomed effort? Yes but it's not my call to make. All you can do is hope that at some point they will come to accept and love themselves for all that they are.

Edit: The more I've been thinking about this the more I'm surprised Apple approved it. Freedom of information is one thing but Apple has deliberately set up a system where the apps have to be approved by them. So by approving this is almsot like they're saying it's a worthwhile application. Lets face it if you're gay and you really want to try something like this it's no ones business to stop you but I cant see how an app could offer any real comfort or "treatment" as such especially when there's not anything to treat.

 

[shelgarr]

If Apples approval process made it available than apparently the app has merit. It's legitimate that some experimentally gay people would like support if they are questioning their orientation. I would think that as humans both gay and straight would be glad there is a resource. Maybe an alternative to the word "cure" would help? How about "undo", "reverse"....those terms seem more objective in giving anyone options if they so desire.

 

[Iris]

Meh, I think it's a stupid app. but to each their own. If there is someone who is struggling, like fractal said, then by all means use the app. While I personally would never do that nor encourage someone to, I understand that everyone is different from me, with different family members, and friends. so the social pressures could be different as well. I'm confident in the fact that eventually no one will care if a person is gay, straight, bi, or trans.

Though I think it will be a long road, I know it will happen.

 

[Crouton]

If Apples approval process made it available than apparently the app has merit. It's legitimate that some experimentally gay people would like support if they are questioning their orientation. I would think that as humans both gay and straight would be glad there is a resource. Maybe an alternative to the word "cure" would help? How about "undo", "reverse"....those terms seem more objective in giving anyone options if they so desire.

It's not only the name that bothers me, but it's the content of the app itself. I haven't personally seen it but I've read for many different sources that it uses scare tactics, misinformation and quite biased and unfair ideas to convert people. That means they are basically going to any lengths to change someone which by the sounds of things includes lying through their teeth. That seems wrong to me too. I suppose there's just no correct and "truthful" way to convince someone not to be gay so they have to result to these terribly methods.

The petition again this already has 104,722 signatures. Apple can't ignore that type of pressure for long. They have taken down apps before under pressure from society and I think they will do it again.

Here's some more info.

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. 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.

This new iPhone app is the latest move in Exodus' dangerous new strategy of targeting youth. In light of the recent wave of LGBT youth suicides, this tactic is particularly galling as it creates, legitimizes, and fuels the ostracism of LGBT youth by their families. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, LGBT teens who experienced negative feedback from their family were 8 times more likely to have attempted suicide, 6 times as vulnerable to severe depression, and 3 times more likely to use drugs (Caitlin Ryan, San Francisco State University, June 2009).

Apple's app guidelines released in September last year detailed rules on how the company decides what can and cannot be sold through its store: "Any app that is defamatory, offensive, mean-spirited, or likely to place the targeted individual or group in harms way will be rejected," the company states.

Apple doesn't allow racist or anti-Semitic apps in its app store, yet it is giving the green light to an app targeting vulnerable LGBT youth with the message that their sexual orientation is a "sin that will make your heart sick" and a "counterfeit." This is a double standard that has the potential for devastating consequences.

 

[SuiGeneris]

Ok so a few things:

A) Attacking "christian logic" and clumping everyone together is as close minded as the people you are so angry at right now.

I can't really say that I agree with the application, but I don't see how you can say that this should be taken down. They use "scare tactics" well what tactics? "If you are gay you sin, if you sin you go to hell unless you accept Jesus Christ" If that's their version of scare tactics then you're saying that Christians in general can't have an application.

The fact is, this application has to be used by the consumer. How can you crucify this application before knowing what it does say? Just because a "source" says it uses "scare tactics" doesn't mean it's true.

You can ask anyone that's been at this site for over a year or so I am very very pro-gay, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to lash out angrily at everyone with differing views. My problem with this "anti-app" movement is they are documenting statistics that have nothing to do with the application. For instance:

This new iPhone app is the latest move in Exodus' dangerous new strategy of targeting youth. In light of the recent wave of LGBT youth suicides, this tactic is particularly galling as it creates, legitimizes, and fuels the ostracism of LGBT youth by their families. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, LGBT teens who experienced negative feedback from their family were 8 times more likely to have attempted suicide, 6 times as vulnerable to severe depression, and 3 times more likely to use drugs (Caitlin Ryan, San Francisco State University, June 2009).

The statistic given by Caitlin Ryan is being abused by this article. I mean they are saying it is "possible" for this application to be "used by families" and then that in turn goes to "and since it could be used by families" they might "push it on their teen" and if this happens it could "raise the suicide rate."

That's a lot of "coulds" before you reach the statistic they are using to scare people off of this application. So who is the one using scare tactics? There is a niche of people who could benefit from this application, there is no doubt.

And the words "cure" and "treatment" does not imply a disease. If I'm having marital problems I can go get treatment, if I'm angry I can go get treatment, there are a million things I can go get treatment for or be "cured of" that don't imply disease. That's you forming your own view on their opinions.

 

[ysabel]

Other developers should just make a similar app, a parody, to show how ridiculous the app is. :lol:

Initially I didn't find anything wrong with iPhone allowing the app. I mean, the content itself is offensive but there are lots of iPhone apps out there that are ridiculous and offensive. However I found some articles where they said Apple have rejected apps for being offensive and inappropriate: Sacrilegious iPhone Apps - ‘Me So Holy’ Deemed Too Devilish by Apple (GALLERY)
Inappropriate iPhone Apps - Underage BeautyMeter App Gets Pulled (GALLERY)

So it does have limits and maybe with enough mobilisation, Apple will rethink the approval of the app. Or perhaps it just takes into consideration that there would be serious users of this app (that it's not just a propaganda to mock homosexuals but they really intended it to help their breathen) - and whether or not iPhone think that this works or this is stupid, if others truly believed the app will help them and will be used a lot, then it's down to business, I suppose.

 

[Crouton]

Oh, if only all you people who think this is 'okay' have read, heard and seen what I have over the years. I have been following this type of thing for a very long time now and it is not pretty. The results are barley ever good, and it's almost always the same story.

I've read and heard stories of both men and women who were forced into these -anti-gay Christian- programs as teenagers by their families and churches. Many of them end up committing suicide later in life. I've heard of women living unhappy lives married to men they don't love in a family with children who just spend their days contemplating suicide and most end up fighting depression their whole life.

You people can believe what you want but in the end for most cases homosexuality is something a person is born with, and cannot be changed. Even the people who say they are "cured" usually have these feelings arise again later in life and that's usually when the battle with depression starts again. It's not pretty, it's not fun and this is the cause of loss of life for many people.

Also, I have as I said been studying this type of thing for a long time, mostly out of interest and disgust. I have been to biased websites, none biased websites, spoken to people, e-mailed people and to this day I haven't found even one case where a gay person was "cured" of homosexuality and go on to live a full, rich, happy life.

You can all support this if you like, but that's not the type of reaction I was expecting when I posted this here. In fact I'm actually shocked by the amount of support this app is getting on this forum. It makes me wonder where I truly am.

 

[Merc]

The only problem I have is that Apple frequently bans apps for really, really stupid reasons. Hell, they remove apps that have fart noises because they view it as 'inappropriate'. However, conversion therapy as the app mentions is a very disturbing topic in and out of itself so that may be enough to get it removed.

Although a funny note is that two of that groups' co-founders (the group that made the app) divorced their wives and married each other and now apologize for what they helped start.

 

[ysabel]

I think if you made a thread about the notion of curing gays, then you would see that a lot of members feel the same you do. What I see from this thread is not particularly a support for the idea that gays need and could be cured (but you might have perceived it that way, so correct me if I'm wrong) but rather letting iPhone/Apple market what it wants to market, as part of their (or developer's) liberty to be stupid and frankly, what would it change? Only those who already believe this to be true will use this. It won't change the ideas of people who already feel it's a ridiculous notion. And perhaps having this available may not be bad, because it will further prove that you can't cure gay. I mean seriously, I'm waiting for that person who will go on youtube to say "My iPhone app cured me". :lol:

 

[SuiGeneris]

See, this is what thoroughly bothers me about people who seem to see only two options. "you're either for or against it," this isn't true. I'm not supporting the application, I'm not supporting your blind attack on Christanity, and I'm not supporting people forcing their opinions on other people.

Whether that is forcing teenagers to be straight or forcing people to be pro-gay.

It's quite depressing that you seem to think that we are "supporting" something, when we're simply saying you have no right to take it down. Unless there truly is hate expressed with it beyound "Gays are sinning" then we have no right to make them take it down. They are expressing their opinions.

However, if it is worded as "Gays are an abomination of the world" or something to that affect, then I'd agree. I'm simply saying be careful on how heavily you rely on statistics and quotes when there are logical fallacies and missing information.