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back to article Apple 'gay-cure' app severely slapped

Apple is today accused of anti-gay discrimination, following the release of an iPhone app that aims to help people find “freedom from homosexuality”. A petition has been launched by Truth Wins Out, which describes itself as a non-profit organisation that fights anti-gay religious extremism on the change.org website, asking …

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  1. Leona A
    Unhappy

    This should be a no brainer

    Remove the app. Apple should be neutral, as the article states, they would not be allowed to include a Racist related App, so the same should be for this. I'm sure this would be breaking the law in the UK under the new Equalises law.

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    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Neutral?

      I do not condone the app, inf act I have signed the petition for it's removal.

      But, this does raise an interesting conundrum.

      If Apple are neutral, then they should not censor anything, and let the purchasing populace decide, objectionable apps would have few downloads, and fall off...

      Personally, I hope it's removed, but vendor neutrality means they should not bend to one argument's wishes.

      AC, for obvious reasons.

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      1. Aaron Em
        Reply Icon

        Misunderstanding of 'neutral'

        They appear to censor in an attempt to prevent the App Store from becoming a political or religious battleground, and presumably also with an eye toward avoiding things that'd piss off their bigger markets -- and I would wager quite a large sum of money indeed that there are far more gay people out there with iPhones than there are fundies.

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      2. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Heart

        neutral when it suits them

        Apple are not neutral, and there is plenty of selective censoring on the App store. Gay themed picture apps get removed, but there are plenty of similar apps with female flesh on show, boob jiggling and strip games.

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        1. ratfox
          Reply Icon

          Really?

          I think you will find out that these apps are few and far between, as they are rarely let through by the Apple thought police.

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    2. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Thumb Down

      no-brainers just don't 'get' freedom

      How dare those intolerant straight-hating bigots deny others the freedom to consume educational material of their choosing. No one is being forced to use or subsidise this app, they choose to download it of their own free will. If you don't like it, don't download it. Simple.

      In countenance, pro-homosexual lifestyle books are being peddled to impressionable young school children. As tax payers have to pay for this, and their children are forced to read this propaganda, they have a moral case for opposing it.

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      1. Arctic fox
        Reply Icon
        Troll

        RE no-brainers just don't 'get' freedom

        You appear to have got off at the wrong stop old chap. The Daily Heil is just down the road on your right.

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      2. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Pint

        because I have to

        It didn't seem like this was in jest...

        You might want to include the title of one of these books, since I can't imagine some kid reading about how Jane should really try a little rug munching at recess or how Dick should take a litle from behind in the janitor's closet. I seem to remember these as being the 'I have 2 mommies' or '2 daddies' type. Seriously... include a real title of a book that a school uses so I can see for myself because I'm doubting your sincerity. Maybe you could argue that since most people in the country are white, that other colours shouldn't be shown. Woudn't want some white girl thinking it was o.k. to be with a black guy.

        Homosexuality is genetic, which means I also wouldn't classify this app. as being remotely educational as you infer. Trying to convice someone, that they really aren't who they are, is pretty cruel. Gayness, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. Doesn't mean it's a good thing, just a neutral thing that doesn't matter.

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  2. Anonymous Coward
    WTF?

    I am not buying anything more from iTunes

    As long as Apple makes this offensive "app" available, I will not be buying anything more from iTunes or any other Apple product or Apple licensed accessory.

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    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Bluffing

      Usually when people spout catagoric statements like this, they are usually bluffing.

      In terms of stickability it's right up there with New Year's resolutions...

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      1. bubba-bear
        Reply Icon
        Happy

        Quite simple, actually

        It really is quite simple; I use a Touch that I got for xmas, and it is the only Apple product that I have owned since I had a 2e. I also have a 4.3 inch Android tablet. I have bought several apps and a few songs for the Touch. I have no pressing need need to buy any more apps or music for the Touch. It is no hardship at all for me to not buy anything Apple.

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      2. Richard 12 Silver badge
        Reply Icon

        Nah, I won't buy anything either

        But then I didn't have any plans to buy any Apple-related products in the near future anyway, so it's not exactly a 'lost sale'.

        That said, Apple are probably on rather dodgy legal grounds here, as discrimination against homosexuals is illegal. They control the Apple App Store and have publicly stated that they consider that this application contains no objectionable material, that certainly implies that they agree with the material.

        Which isn't a great place to be.

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  3. Tigra 07
    Alert

    Reparative Therapy...

    Also known as conversion therapy and brainwashing would fall under human rights laws to be illegal and tantamount to torture.

    It also has no scientific evidence to work and has an unacceptably high rate of depression and suicide in people who experience it, exactly why it was banned by British and American medical associations.

    Exodus International encourages rape in Africa to cure lesbians with Aid money and their clergy who travel there so their moral compasses are as bad as those paedophile priests.

    Apple would do well to remove the app before this becomes a real headache for them.

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    1. Aaron Em
      Reply Icon

      Moral compass: worse in fact

      I don't believe I have yet encountered a child-molesting priest who tried to claim that what he was doing was not merely okay, but actively what God wanted him to do.

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      1. RichyS
        Reply Icon
        Thumb Down

        Priests

        Fortunately I've not encountered any child molesting priests. But then I'm not Catholic...

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      2. Boring Bob
        Reply Icon

        Strange

        And how many priests have you discussed this matter with then?

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  4. mrh2

    Apple detractors also have to decide...

    ...because many of the people who slam Apple's tight control will no doubt try having it both ways by bashing them for allowing this app through.

    If this were Android marketplace - apparently the 'better', 'freer' model - those unhappy about this app wouldn't have a snowball's chance of getting it removed.

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    1. Aaron Em
      Reply Icon

      No contradiction

      Better if they didn't censor at all, but if they're going to do it, then they need to do it even-handedly.

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      1. Graham Marsden
        Reply Icon

        Would the American Moral Minority...

        ... consider an App saying that we can "cure" extremist Christians of their bigotry to be acceptable?

        I doubt it!

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        1. Arctic fox
          Reply Icon
          Thumb Up

          @Graham Marsden

          Good point. One can just imagine their reaction to being told that their religious orientation is a disease and that impressionable young children should not be allowed to read the bible on the grounds that it "promotes" this degenerate lifestyle.

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        2. zanto
          Reply Icon
          Stop

          bring it on

          not american, but as a christian, I see hate, disdain and insults against my religion all the time. one just learns to let barking dogs bark, or in this case down vote your posts. no big deal.

          having said that, any thing that incites hate should be censored, the world has enough problems as is.

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          1. Robert Simpson
            Reply Icon
            Alert

            "any thing that incites hate should be censored"

            let's censor the bible and quran then.

            if you don't think these books incite hatred you haven't read them.

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  5. Gaz_M4

    The Register has a sense of humour!

    Got to admire the editorial staff for placing this 'gay-cure' item next to RIM, Woman fingers ex and Yahoo! To! Offload! Not to mention the nude photo actress. Nice one. LOL

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    1. dssf
      Reply Icon

      Will be funny, if on judgement day, "God" says,

      YOU FOOLS! How DARE YOU DESTROY HOMOSEXUALITY! I SPENT TWO *MONTHS* WORKING ON THAT ASPECT OF HUMANITY!

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  6. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    As a Pastafarian...

    ...I'm strongly opposed to people and fish co-existing.

    Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you'd have good people doing good things and evil people doing bad things, but for good people to do bad things, it takes religion.

    All hail his noodley apendages..

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    1. spegru
      Reply Icon
      Thumb Down

      obviously written

      by someone who knows nothing about religion except what he or she reads in the tabloids

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      1. Robert Simpson
        Reply Icon
        FAIL

        "by someone who knows nothing about religion except what he or she reads in the tabloids"

        or by someone who has actually studied what people believe in and what people have done to each other for not having the same views on imaginary friends...

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    2. Old Handle
      Reply Icon

      I respectfully disagree

      Government can also accomplish that quite well.

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    3. foo_bar_baz
      Reply Icon
      Thumb Down

      Yes, it's always religion

      Or whatever your favourite scapegoat happens to be. Politicians, government, people from country X, people not from country X, whatever. I thought freedom and democracy are the cause of all evil.

      http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093058/quotes?qt=qt0475805

      You went wrong the moment you said "good people" and "evil people". You'd probably make a good fundamentalist religious type, since things are so clear cut. In fact, one could conclude you're probably just the type of prescriptive know-better "good guy" who ends up causing bad things because you "know better".

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    4. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Credit Where it is due.

      I should have posted the above quote by steven weinberg with a reference.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Weinberg#Other_intellectual_legacy

      So sorry its not a tabliod source.

      Good people do good things with or without religion.

      Bad people will do bad things with or without religion.

      Good people do bad things in the name of religion.

      From the Crusades to the Taliban, the list is huge...

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      1. Shakje
        Reply Icon

        My personal view would be

        for the really big things (like wars n ting) you can't blame the ideals of religion, but I think it's undeniable that religion enables such actions to be more devastating. For instance, the Crusades were clearly an effort by the Pope to not only make a bit of money but also to unite the warring factions in Europe. The way it was done was sickening, but at its core it was more a power and money thing. The problem I have is this, if it wasn't for the religious reasoning behind it would anywhere near as many people died? Or would the people encountered have been treated anywhere as badly?

        Personally my problems with religion lie with its more insidious actions. The indoctrination of children, the criminal negligence of preaching against protection to a country ravaged by AIDS, its ability to influence country politics, or the suppression of women, or how about just the plain violence that's ok because it was done in the name of some beardy? Bashing babies' heads out on rocks, ethnic cleansing, and the treatment of women in captured towns. Sorry, no thanks, I'm not in the business of accepting that something is all right because it's 'religious'.

        Every day that I make any effort to find out something new about religion (it still interests me, even though I am more than happy and secure in my 'beliefs') I get more saddened by how easily it pervades everyday life. I really don't bear a grudge against anyone that wants to be religious, but that doesn't mean I'll accept hatred just because it's 'what they believe'.

        Apologies for rambling shouty thing.

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  7. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    Over-generalisation in the last sentence of this article?

    I'm an atheist, so forgive me if I'm wrong, but I thought a lot of Christians would also be offended by this app?

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    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Alien

      They should be offended

      Good Christians should be offended, but Christians will seldom say anything against other Christians. An exception is that the Christians that are against gays will claim that certain other Christians are not really Christians.

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      1. David 141
        Reply Icon
        Alert

        Censor those who would censor.

        Tolerance of intolerance should not be tolerated. Yes that's a contradiction; and it also implies censorship, and yes it is essentially the ends justifying the means,

        Because left to itself intolerance will breed further intolerance, and ultimately, violence, and the voices of tolerance will be drowned in the cries for blood and vengeance. That is why intolerance needs to be eradicated. Like an infectious disease it needs to be stopped even when this does infringe on personal rights sometimes.

        0 1
    2. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Yes...

      This will be highly offensive the the vast majority of Christians that I know, myself included. The problem is that there are a minority of very shouty people who use their religion to justify their bigotry, they tend to be the ones getting onto the news because it's not news to say "Today, millions of Christians weren't offended by homosexuality" However "Today a My Homophobic Asshole said that homosexuality is an abomination and people should be educated out of it" tends to make a headline.

      Very disappointed in apple here...

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      1. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        re AC 1548

        That should read "a Mr Homophobic Asshole" - otherwise it sounds just deeply odd... Bit of a typo there...

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    3. TelePom
      Reply Icon
      FAIL

      Yeah

      A lot of the gay ones will be, certainly.

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  8. Mectron

    Simple

    1. Force Apple remove the app

    2. Fine Apple at least one billion for puting a hainous app on itune

    3. Jail. the creator for the app for LIFE for CRIME AGAIN HUMANITY

    4. Force Apple to remove ALL religious based app from itune

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    1. Aaron Em
      Reply Icon

      I know it's Friday, but...

      ...is it really the thing to start quite *this* early, old chap?

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      1. corrodedmonkee
        Reply Icon

        BOOO

        If his days is anything like mine, he's still feeling Paddies day.

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    2. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Coat

      I trust

      You have polished your jackboots to an extreme shine ready for a night out at the Dog and Swaztika?

      Coat please, black and leather I feel

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    3. Syntax Error
      Reply Icon
      WTF?

      New Censorship

      Bigot. Its a free world man!!

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    4. RichyS
      Reply Icon
      Headmaster

      WTF.

      5. Learn to write comprehensible English.

      6 1
    5. bubba-bear
      Reply Icon
      Pirate

      unfortunately it won't happen

      That is a great idea, but unfortunately it won't happen.

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    6. Ian Yates
      Reply Icon
      Thumb Down

      Not So Simple

      Using discrimination to fight discrimination is entirely the wrong way to solve anything.

      If you're confused, "remove ALL religious based app" is discrimination.

      The correct response (IMHO) is to remove apps that promote extreme/negative views of others (this includes anti-religious) and let the market decide about the rest.

      You can't spout equality on one side will removing it on the other. As with democracy and free speech, if you want equality, you have to be prepared to give it to others first.

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        1. Anonymous Coward
          Reply Icon
          Anonymous Coward

          No, no

          See my earlier post.

          You're double smugging your previous error?

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  9. Fuh Quit
    Pint

    The Hallowed Walled Garden

    It makes me laugh that crap like this gets through the strict vetting procedures that Apple has for the appstore......oh wait a minute......

    Also, I laugh even more at this app. Why? If I was gay, I would not be downloading it. As I am not, I won't be downloading it.

    Actually, due to the "success" of the appstore, I don't download anything as I can't find shit. The signal-to-noise ratio means that, for me, the Apple appstore has become a victim of its own success.

    Now if it was a Freedom from Beer app, that just might get me going :-)

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    1. The Indomitable Gall
      Reply Icon

      And besides....

      There are people who genuinely want to be "cured". Although most people (myself included) find the term "cure" both offensive and impossible, why stand in their way of making their own decisions?

      The only valid argument against this app should be that it gives advice that has been shown to cause mental health problems.

      IE: people should be free to look for a "cure" if they really, truly want, but at the same time, snake oil merchants should be closed down.

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  10. Christoph
    Grenade

    Their god got it wrong?

    "upholds heterosexuality as God’s creative intent for humanity, and subsequently views homosexual expression as outside of God’s will".

    A large proportion of humans are homosexual. This also happens in many other animals. It's not in any way 'unnatural', it happens in all cultures and all places and in many species.

    If their god intended humans to be entirely and exclusively heterosexual but created them as they actually are, in part homosexual, then that would imply that their god, according to their own statement, is grossly professionally incompetent.

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