In case you hadn’t heard, an app developed in France for Android smart phones has caused quite a bit of controversy over the last week. The app, called “Is My Son Gay?,” asked users 20 questions that, it claimed, would enable the app to determine a child’s sexual orientation. The questions, largely based on outdated stereotypes and caricatures of gay men, included: “Does it take him a long time to do his hair?,” “Does he like to dress well and pay close attention to his outfits and brands?,” “Before birth, did you want that child to be a girl?,” and “Is his father absent?” The app offered three results: “gay,” “normal and modern,” and “not gay;” if the user’s answers yielded the third result, the app reassured them that yes, their son would indeed father grandchildren. And all this for the low, low price of €1.99.
Yeah. Pretty offensive stuff. The app’s creator said in an email to Rue89 that it was “…designed with a light-hearted approach.” Because homophobia is just SO funny, right?
Well today, we have good news to report: according to the Advocate, Google has pulled the “Is My Son Gay?” app from the market.
Sheesh, you’d think that app developers would know better than to market homophobic smart phone apps by this point…
