The Cure Homosexuality App

Exodus International, a ministry that specializes in “curing” gays, released an iPhone application that was dubbed a “useful resource.” Exactly what it was supposed to be useful for is a bit unclear but lots of folks immediately figured out it must be for “curing” homosexuality.

Actually it looked more to me like a list of events and seminars about “curing” homosexuality.

Then Apple put its foot in it by rating the APP as having “no objectionable material.”

Needless to say the whole thing set off a firestorm of protest. Actually, it set off two firestorms. The first was by those outraged by the App and the second by those outraged by what they called a double standard. The attempt to censor Exodus International’s free speech.

So what’s the deal here?

Here’s the problem. In 2009 the American Psychological Association (APA) officially issued a statement opposing what is known as Reparative Therapy, therapy aimed at changing sexual orientation because it concluded that there was insufficient evidence that it worked.

The APA also expressed concern that “the hope of sexual orientation change followed by the failure of the treatment was identified as a significant cause of distress and negative self-image.”

In other words, there is no evidence that sexual orientation can be changed. Telling someone they can change inevitably leads to a failed attempt which leads to distress and a negative self-image. Both of which can be precursors to a suicide attempt.

Now, the people most at risk are younger people still struggling with their sexual orientation. The precise group aimed at by the Exodus International App.

So, the bottom line is, the App could, in extreme cases, harm someone that took its message to heart and then failed trying to follow that message.

Is this WHY people protested? I don’t know. I’m not those people. But it’s why, after initially being somewhat ambivalent about the whole thing, I finally came down on the side of maybe this App isn’t such a good idea.

Under the mounting pressure Apple has removed the App from its stores which was probably the right thing to do.

As to all those Right Wingers screaming about double standards and Freedom of Speech, allow me to suggest that, just for a change, you consider the potential impact on people that are very different from yourselves.