Apple has removed an anti-gay app dubbed “Living Hope Ministries” from its App Store which projects the LGBT community in a negative shade. The app is no longer available in the App Store, but Google and Amazon continue to offer the Android versions of the app. The incident came to light when Chicago head-quartered non-profit organisation “Truth Wins Out” founded by William Baysen filed an online petition regarding the same. The organisation runs campaigns against homophobia and fights against anti-gay extremism.
The backdrop of the whole story:
Texas-based Christian organisation, Living Hope ministries have been maintaining an app under the same name. The app has been available for some time now until recently it has been flagged as an objectionable by “Truth Wins Out”. It launched an online petition demanding the removal of the app from the App Store. As it turns out, Living Hope Ministries app projects the homosexuality as an addiction and that LGBT people are sick, broken and sinful. The app further assures assistance to LGBT people to come out of homosexuality.
This is not the first instance, wherein Apple has faced flak for inducting Anti-gay app in App Store. In 2011, Apple removed a similar Ex-gay app named “Exodus” from the App Store. Truth Wins Out personally thanked Apple Ceo Tim Cook for the prompt response. The organisation urged Tech Giants Google and Amazon to follow suit, as both these companies still continue to offer the Android versions of the app.
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However Ricky Chelette, the executive director of “Living Hope Ministries” denied the allegations levied and is now planning to challenge Apple’s decision. The app has been around for three years now in Appstore and the Cupertino giant has removed it without any prior intimation.
