The controversial "Is My Son Gay?" app has been pulled from the Android Market, according to LGBT advocacy group AllOut.org.
Neither the English version nor the original French version ("Mon Fils Est-Il Gay?") of the app currently appears in the Android Market, leading AllOut.org to send out an email declaring victory over an application they viewed as "being homophobic and relying on stereotypes."
“We are pleased that Google developers have heard the voice of the LGBT community and pulled the app," read the statement from AllOut.org co-founder Andre Banks. "Apps such as these are outrageous and only serve to further negative stereotypes and homophobia.”
"Is My Son Gay?" advertised itself as an app for parents who wanted to learn whether or not their child was homosexual; the parents would answer 20 'Yes' or 'No' questions about their kid's personality, habits and friends, and the app would then calculate the results and inform them whether or not their child was, in fact, gay. Many of the questions--such as "Does he like diva singers?" and "Does he watch football?"--were taken as crude and offensive, though the app's developers, a French team called Emmene Moi, told the Huffington Post that people were overreacting and taking the app too seriously:
"This app was conceived with a playful approach," they wrote in an emailed statement when the story initially broke. "It is not based at all on scientific research... Through humor, 'Is My Son Gay?' and the forthcoming novel have the sole objective of toning down/improving the situation and helping mothers to accept their sons' homosexuality."
Google, apparently, did not find the app funny, siding with those that found the app offensive and removing it from the Android Market. Again, here is the rule from the Android Developer Program Policies that "Is My Son Gay?" may have violated:
Hate Speech: We don't allow the promotion of hatred toward groups of people based on their race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status, or sexual orientation/gender identity.
We have reached out to both Google and the developers Emmene Moi for comment. Below, vote in our poll and view some other controversial apps that have hit smartphones through the years:
