There’s a national push to remove a controversial app from the Google Play Store that many say encourages people to “pray the gay away.” LGBTQ leaders in Tacoma are joining the push.
While many states, including Washington, have recently banned conversion therapy as a psychological therapeutic practice, an app called Living Hope Ministries has many concerned that conversion therapy is being practiced in new ways.
The app claims to help people "seeking sexual and relational wholeness" and centers its teachings around the idea of, “one man and one woman in a committed, monogamous, heterosexual marriage for life.” It also says, “anything less than this ideal, falls short of God's best for humanity."
Over the last few months, many have petitioned for companies to remove the Life Ministries app.
"It is extremely harmful. Every major medical association says that you can't change who are you are," said Matthew Wilson, Director of Programs for the Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma.
Wilson and his colleagues, Seth Kirby, Executive Director of the Oasis Youth Center and Manny Santiago from the Rainbow Center, offer support and resources to the LGBTQ youth and adults in Tacoma.
Santiago said he went through a form of conversion therapy in church as a kid.
"I was made to repent for my sins and acknowledge my sinful nature and all of that sort of things," Santiago said, "I am a survivor of some practices like this and I don't think I want to experience it again or to see."
"We know that [conversion therapy] can cause depression, suicidal ideation, [and] incredible isolation," said Kirby
The app is no longer available on Apple, Amazon and Microsoft. But it’s still available on Google.
"You're saving lives, Google, if you pull this app off of our catalog of apps, you're literally saving lives," said Santiago.
Earlier this year, Living Hope Ministries posted an open letter to Tim Cook from Apple about removing the app from its store writing, "the app does not promote people to quote 'pray the gay away.'"
Google didn't immediately respond to a request for comment and neither did Living Hope Ministries.
"They're perpetrating a lie that you can change your orientation and it’s just not possible," said Wilson.
"There is a huge number of people that are LGBTQ, young people who are LGBTQ, who have thought of ending their own life. We don't want to continue doing that and I hope that Google understands that," said Santiago.