Apple has always maintained a very strong position when it comes to blocking what it perceives as inappropriate content on the App Store. And, by “inappropriate content”, understand any application that promotes defamation and / or discrimination involving religion, races, sexual orientation, sex, origin, ethnicity, etc. In addition, apps that purport to humiliate, intimidate or endanger an individual or a certain group – which is completely different from satirical or humorous content.
This week, an app created by Living Hope Ministries, a religious group from Arlington, Texas (United States), was removed from the store for promising what they call conversion therapy (a more intimate relationship with Jesus in order to change a person’s sexual orientation). The app was then identified by the non-profit organization Truth Wins Out, who filed a petition for such an application to be properly banned from the store.
Ricky Chelette, executive director of Living Hope Ministries, was dissatisfied with the decision. “I find it regrettable that the advocacy group does not know what we are doing and assume that we are a hate organization. We are not, ”he told the NBC News. «We love individuals identified as gay.»
Also according to Chelette, they “help people to understand who they are before Christ” and who only “help those individuals who come to us”.
On the other hand, Chelette also told the NBC News that he was attracted to men in the 1980s, but that his life changed thanks to an «experience with Christ». He said: “We try to help people who are in conflict with their faith and feelings. We’ve been doing this for a long time. ”
Truth Wins Out CEO Wayne Besen thanked Apple for taking action:
We thank Apple for exemplifying corporate responsibility and taking quick steps to remove a dangerous application that stigmatizes and demeans LGBT people. “Ex-gay” programs are fraud and do significant damage to the people they intend to help.
Apple did not comment on the withdrawal of the app from the store – and, let’s face it, nor does it need to: the fact of removing it already clearly shows the company’s positioning.
via Cult of Mac
