Apple approved an application called Manhattan Declaration which is an anti-gay application that called gay people “sexually immoral” and suggested that same-sex marriage would lead to the end of civilization. After Apple’s approval, thousands of people sounded off through an online petition at change.org.
The petition that was started on change.org attracted more than 7700 signatures. The petition organisers asked those unhappy with the initial decision to contact Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs, signing a statement: “Please remove anti-LGBT, anti-women application from iTunes Store.”
Over the weekend, exactly when is not clear, Apple removed the application from the iTunes App store.
Apple is known to be a defender of gay rights. According to the Huffington Post, in 2008 Apple donated $100,000 to oppose Proposition 8. It is a California legislation that ultimately led to a ban on gay marriage.
The petition placed on the change.org website asked Steve Jobs to take positive action, and to remove the app from the Apple store. It notes that the Apple store rated it 4+, meaning that it contained no objectionable material.
Here is the text from that petition:
Mr. Jobs:
I am joining with thousands of others in signing this letter to ask you to remove the Marriage Declaration application from the iTunes Store.
Apple has always been among the most progressive companies and earned a 100% rating from the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, and yet, the company has approved application that is offensive to Americans who support equality and free choice.
The Manhattan Declaration application exists to collect signatures on a website which espouses hateful and divisive language, the very kind of language I hope the iTunes Store will not want to help disseminate. Despite the store rating the application 4+ (“no objectionable material), I can assure you that the application does in fact contain lots of objectionable material.
I am writing to ask that you immediately remove the application from the store. Apple’s reputation is too important to be associated with this hate filled organization.
So far, Apple has not released an official statement about pulling the application from the app store.
