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After Intense Backlash, Google Finally Removes Conversion Therapy App From Google Play

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Google's CEO Sundar Pichai and the text "Why is Google providing a platform for "pray away the gay" app?The last horse finally crosses the finish line. After Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft had the decency to remove a predatory anti-LGBTQ conversion therapy app from their respective app stores, Google decided to keep it. It was only a petition that carried over a 140,000 signatures and action from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) that finally pushed Google to do the right thing. In comparison, Apple removed the app before the petition could even reach 400 signatures.

Google finally removed the Living Hope Ministries conversion therapy app from Google Play, and victims of their abuse on Reddit couldn’t be happier.

Comment from Reddit user AaronBurrSer, states "Omg I was part of this a few years ago! So happy I got out!" User Capitanchayote responds, "oh wow, me too." They later reference breaking the rules against talking to each other about their experiences, a common tactic among abusive organizationsThis was an app ran by an abusive organization that specifically targeted children with scarring, harmful abuse bordering on torture. Any reasonable person would have removed it from their app store immediately. It took the complaints of over a hundred thousand users and the actions of a large pro-LGBTQ lobbying group for Google to finally budge.

Clearly Google isn’t as LGBTQ-friendly as they’d like to appear.

HRC and the Petition

8 times more likely to have attempted suicide, 6 times as likely to have high levels of depression, 3 times as likely to use illegal drugs, 3 times as likely to be at high risk for HIV and STDs. This is what conversion therapy actually does

The damage conversion therapy does to LGBTQ people. Graphic via HRC

The petition at this time has over 140,000 signatures. However, this didn’t seem to have the largest impact on Google’s decision. The app had been downloaded between 1,000 and 10,000 times (Google does not give precise measurements) before Google finally removed it. That’s at least 1,000 children that Google exposed to harmful ideologies that are proven to increase their chances for depression, anxiety, self harm, and suicide. Still, Google refused to take action until HRC stepped in.

This year, the Human Rights Campaign published their Corporate Equality Index. This is a measure of how well a company treats LGBTQ people, both inside the company and out of it. Their ranking regularly has tech companies near the top of the list, with Apple frequently receiving a perfect score. For 2019, they didn’t even include Google on their summary list due to their refusal to remove this hateful and harmful app. HRC prominently featured many Google competitors though.

The Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index

Header for HRC's 2019 Corporate Equality Index (CEI). They excluded Google from the list

“Such practices have been rejected by every mainstream medical and mental health organization for decades. Minors are especially vulnerable, and conversion therapy can lead to depression, anxiety, drug use, homelessness, and suicide. Pending remedial steps by the company to address this app that can cause harm to the LGBTQ community the CEI rating is suspended.”

-Human Rights Campaign

When looking for a job, I check HRC’s index. I wouldn’t work for a company that would treat me like a second-class citizen, not allow my future spouse to share my benefits, or not give me the same parental leave options that they would a heterosexual couple. LGBTQ people look into benefits like adoption assistance, non discrimination policies, and a history of advocacy. HRC’s index is an important recruiting tool for top tech companies. By excluding Google, HRC dealt the company a devastating blow. Apple, Microsoft, Adobe, Dropbox, eBay, Facebook, Intel, Nvidia, Twitter, Uber, Yelp, and countless other companies received a perfect score from the Human Rights Campaign. By excluding Google from their top rankings, they sent a clear message to potential LGBTQ employees: avoid Google.

Finally, Google took action.

Damage Done

A screenshot from Google's https://pride.Google webpage. It shows various same sex partnerships and images from queer culture.

From the pride.google webpage. Why doesn’t Google practice what they preach?

Google is a company that has come under fire for their refusal to remove Absher, a Saudi app that allows men to track and control the travel of women. They’ve suffered abuse scandals, and sided with the abusers. They even gave one accused sexual abuser, Andy Rubin, a $90 million dollar payout, helping him start a new company, Essential Phone. They company has proven itself to only react when the public becomes aware of its misdeeds. It didn’t respond when James Damore sent out his sexist screed, accusing women of being lesser Google employees and ill-suited for tech work. Google only responded when one employee leaked the memo, and fired someone who spoke out against hate speech at the company.

Google started with more women in important roles than most tech companies, but quickly allowed the “bros” to take over. Now the company seems hostile towards women and minorities, and does little to change that unless it comes under public scrutiny.

The damage has been done. Women and LGBTQ people know where Google’s morals lie, and it doesn’t reflect well on the company. If they want to regain the trust of women and the LGBTQ community, they’re going to have to do a lot more than send a few LGBTQ employees to march in Pride. They’re going to have to defend LGBTQ rights and equality when it’s not a marketing opportunity as well.

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