APPLE REMOVES CONTROVERSIAL 'GAY CURE' APP FROM APP STORE

Exodus International made news last week with the release of its self-titled application in Apple’s App Store. The organization billed the application as a "resource for those looking to help cure themselves or someone else of homosexuality." Now the app is making news again, as Apple has pulled it from the App Store.

Apple has been a quiet supporter of gay rights, and during the 2008 Proposition 8 campaign in California, the company issued the following statement: “Apple was among the first California companies to offer equal rights and benefits to our employees’ same-sex partners, and we strongly believe that a person’s fundamental rights — including the right to marry — should not be affected by their sexual orientation.” The statement, which was made via its website, accompanied a $100,000 donation to the campaign opposing “Prop 8.”

An online petition started by change.org collected over 140,000 signatures in an attempt, which appears to have been successful, to get Apple to remove the controversial Exodus app. Apple has yet to issue a statement to articulate why Exodus’ application was removed from its mobile app store.

ANONYMOUS TARGETS ANTI-GAY WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH

Online vigilante group Anonymous appears to be stopping its campaign against HBGary and its CEO Aaron Barr and going after anti-gay group Westboro Baptist Church. Anonymous have accused the church of bigotry and fanaticism, and have warned them that if they did not stop their public protests they would be attacked. In response the Baptist Church hit back and said that they would not be threatened and goaded Anonymous to “bring it!”

The argument was started when Anonymous laid their cards on the table to Westboro Baptist Church with a letter stating:

We have always regarded you and your ilk as an assembly of graceless sociopaths and maniacal chauvinists & religious zealots, however benign, who act out for the sake of attention & in the name of religion.

However, despite the above being posted on the Anonymous news site, there has been uncertainty surrounding its authenticity. Graham Cluley from security firm Sophos believes that due to Anonymous being a headless organization its loyal followers could be led into mounting an attack on the church under false pretense:

There are dangers in future that someone may pose as Anonymous and say that they want an attack.

Unfortunately it may be too late for withdrawal as the Westboro Baptist Church issued a statement of its own which labeled Anonymous as “a puddle of pimple-faced nerds” and this in turn led on to the opening “bring it!” statement which brought Anonymous into action.

Westboro Baptist Church has been widely criticized for its stance against homosexuality and various protests which include picketing at military funerals and desecrating the American flag. The church leader Fred Phelps was banned from entering the UK in 2009 by the Home office and a number of US states have banned various members from protesting close to the aforementioned military funerals.