Exodus International Says God Wants Them to "Cure" Gay People Through iPhones

Exodus International openly admits that they believe people can be "freed" from homosexuality through the "power of Jesus Christ" and through the practice of "ex-gay therapy." They believe that LGBT people can have their brains rewired, and have their sexual orientations turned from gay to straight. They use scare tactics -- suggesting that homosexuality will lead to death and personal decay -- as well as misinformation about the LGBT community in order to promote the "ex-gay" agenda.

Oh, and their work? It has also been universally and emphatically condemned by every major medical and scientific organization. Indeed, the American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association, and the American Counseling Association have all said that the "conversion therapy" that Exodus promotes for LGBT people is severely damaging to self-esteem and mental health, and could have catastrophic consequences for those who are forced to experience it.

So why is Apple continuing to give Exodus a platform to champion to "ex-gay" myth, by allowing the group to run an iPhone app with the goal of "converting" gay youth?

Truth Wins Out was one of the first organizations to notice the Exodus International iPhone app, and to document just how damaging and harmful the work of Exodus has been to LGBT people around the globe. Their petition here on Change.org calling for Apple to drop this Exodus "ex-gay" app has reached more than 5,000 signatures, and is catching the attention of a number of press outlets.

Among them include Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN -- and yes, that Pat Robertson who suggested that Haiti deserved the January 2010 earthquake because of its lack of a Christian identity). It's no surprise that CBN is pretty sympathetic to Exodus' claim, given that Robertson and his network have previously suggested that LGBT people and feminists were to blame for 9/11. Fringe elements tend to attract fringe elements.

But the interview is interesting nonetheless, because it features Jeff Buchanan, a staff member of Exodus International, openly saying that the group wants to use the Apple and iTunes platform to reach youth who are "struggling" with their sexuality. Exodus wants to reach these youth in order to turn them away from homosexuality, and "convert" them to heterosexuality.

Does Apple really want to be the vehicle that allows this to happen?

"What we're wanting is simply the right and opportunity to be able to have ...equal representation on the iTunes platform within Apple to represent our biblical worldview of heterosexuality," said Buchanan. "We're simply wanting to communicate the message of Jesus and the message of Christ, and help the Church to become equipped to be able to redemptively respond to [homosexuality]."

You hear that Apple? They're using your platform to reach LGBT kids, to tell them that there's no room for homosexuality in the world, and to "respond" to homosexuality with "conversion" and dangerous "ex-gay therapy" that has been widely debunked all throughout the world. Why allow them to do this?

You've also got to love how Buchanan uses this segment on CBN to talk about concepts like "diversity," and how gay rights activists are trying to silence the voice of "ex-gay" believers by nixing this iPhone app. Two immediate responses: one, Apple has editorial standards for all iPhone apps, and it's perfectly within Apple's right to reject something that is fundamentally offensive to Apple's identity and brand. If promotion of "ex-gay" therapy doesn't meet that bar, I don't know what does.

But second, we're talking about an organization here in Exodus who practices and promotes "conversion therapy" that has been deemed harmful, damaging, and unethical by every major psychological and medical organization. Promoting their ideas and concepts is nothing short of promoting bad science. Diversity is great. Promoting bad science that psychologically wounds its victims is not.

Join with Truth Wins Out and tell Apple that this Exodus "ex-gay" app has no place on the iTunes and iPhone platform. Apple is a gay-friendly company. They've given money to support marriage equality, and they've previously taken down apps that have labeled gay people "sexually immoral." It's why the company should stand up again, and tell adherents of "ex-gay" therapy that while they might have the individual right to believe in this debunked science, they don't have the right to promote this flawed and dangerous set of ideas under the Apple banner.

You can also watch the video of CBN's interview with Jeff Buchanan below.

Photo credit: Yutaka Tsutano