Michael Bussee and Gary Cooper, two of the five co- founders of Exodus, left the group to be with each other in 1979. In time, they divorced their wives and participated in a commitment ceremony in 1982, exchanging rings and vows. Bussee and Cooper lived together until Cooper's death from AIDS-related illness in 1991.The group sounds like a failure from the beginning. A toast to Bussee and Cooper. Bussee continues to speak out against Exodus Int'l.
An ex-gay, according to Chambers, still wants to sleep with men. He just refrains from having sex with men. So technically I've been ex-gay all morning. Not straight, of course, because nothing can make me straight—not even Almighty Gawd—but so long as I don't have a dick in my mouth I am, according to Chambers, totally not gay. See how that works?posted by NoraReed at 12:07 PM on March 21, 2011 [10 favorites]
"When one clicks the Exodus app, it directs the viewer to a webpage that answers questions about homosexuality. One of the question sequences is, 'If people are same-sex attracted but don’t ever act on it, does that make them homosexual? What if they do engage in same-sex physical intimacy? Are they homosexual then?'In answering these questions, Exodus twists the findings of Dr. Remafedi to make it appear as if homosexuality is just a transitory phase in youth. *
Dear Messrs. Jobs and Cook,Previously: Dr. Gary Remafedi Reprimands Sham Pediatric Group For Distorting Research.
This message serves as a request to remove the Exodus International application from Apple’s iphone offerings because the website content is objectionable. It erroneously cites my research (Remafedi 1992) in support of claims that homosexuality can be changed.
Various professional organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, have taken the position that homosexuality is not a mental or physical condition. Programs which aim to change sexual orientation have been opposed because they are unwarranted, ineffective, unethical, and harmful.
Exodus’s website features an article (Buchanan 2010) which makes erroneous statements and conclusions and attributes them to Remafedi (1992). Statements were made to the effect to that many teens are confused about their sexual orientation and that sexual orientation is amenable to change. Further, associating my work with that of the ex-gay ministry and other unfounded treatments is professionally injurious and grievous.
As a savvy consumer, I understand that corporations market phones both by offering a wide array of applications and by appealing to niche audiences like Exodus’s. In turn, Exodus applies the Apple “4+” smartphone application rating to its own website as an imprimatur (see http://exodusinternational.org/).
From my perspective, the risk of offending and harming consumers by providing a platform for erroneous information about an important health and social topic far outweighs the potential financial gain. Arguably, corporations have no affirmative responsibility to vendors under the First Amendment of the Constitution, but they are accountable for the quality and consequences of their products.
For the aforementioned reasons, I ask Apple to revoke the 4+ rating and delete the Exodus application from the iphone’s menu of applications.
Respectfully,
Gary Remafedi, M.D., M.P.H.
Ex-gay ministries started in the early 1970's with a group called Love in Action, under the principle that through prayer gay people could be "cured" of their same-gender feelings and converted to heterosexuality. Shortly after, the co-founder of Love in Action, Rev. Kent Philpott, wrote the landmark book The Third Sex?, which described the conversion process of six gay people to heterosexuality.'Ex-Gay' Love In Action Co-Founder: ‘My Ministry Shatters Lives’.
Attention surrounding The Third Sex? resulting in the first ex-gay conference, of which the largest ex-gay ministry, Exodus International was created. The ex-gay movement grew with the creation of several ex-gay organizations that all believe homosexuality can be repaired.
Deliverance: The True Story of a Gay Exorcismposted by ericb at 6:45 PM on March 21, 2011
"Some Pentecostal Christians believe the deliverance rite can exorcise the demons that cause homosexuality. the truly shocking part is that god-fearing gays keep signing up for the traumatic ritual."
Apple sues Amazon over 'Appstore'posted by ericb at 1:25 PM on March 22, 2011
As Amazon launches a store for Android applications, Apple is suing the retailer over its use of the name 'Appstore'.
... An Apple spokesman today confirmed to ABCNews.com that the company removed it.posted by ericb at 8:28 AM on March 23, 2011
"We removed the app from the App Store because it violates our developer guidelines by being offensive to large groups of people," he said.
Exodus International did not immediately provide comment on Apple's decision, but Jeff Buchanan, senior director of church equipping and student ministries for the group, earlier told ABCNews.com that the group was disappointed to see the negative reaction to its app.
"What we're asking for is fair and equal representation on the Apple platform," he said. "We see this as a religious freedom."
Buchanan said that given that the "pro-gay" Metropolitan Community Church of New York has a place in Apple's online store (with a podcast app), Exodus should be allowed to distribute its application there as well.
« Older Epidemiology: Study of a lifetime.... | FuckYeahSourceCode.tumblr.comT... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by mudpuppie at 10:24 AM on March 21, 2011 [34 favorites]