Google has pulled an “ex-gay therapy app” from its Google Play app store after more than 140,000 people signed a Change.org petition calling for the app to be removed, according to an email from Michael Jones, the managing director of campaigns for Change.Org.

Amazon, Microsoft and Apple had all previously removed the Living Hope Ministries app from their platforms.

In a statement announcing the decision, Google said: “After consulting with outside advocacy groups, reviewing our policies and making sure we had a thorough understanding of the app and its relation to conversion therapy, we’ve decided to remove it from the Play Store, consistent with other app stores.”

“This is what people power looks like, when 140,000 people can convince one of the largest companies in the world to take a bold stand against the dangers of ex-gay therapy,” Jones said. “This was the perfect storm of online pressure and institutional activism from the LGBTQ movement, and tonight supporters can claim a big win in convincing tech companies to stand up for equality.”

The petition on Change.org was started by the LGBTQ rights group Truth Wins Out. The Human Rights Campaign had moved to suspect Google from its Corporate Equality Index because of the ex-gay app. In a statement after Google announced it would be removing the app, HRC officials said, “We applaud Google for making the right decision to pull this app from their online store. So-called conversion therapy is a debunked practice that’s tantamount to child abuse and is proven to have dangerous consequences for its victims. Google and other platforms that have pulled this app are taking an important step to protect LGBTQ youth.”

The app was created by Arlington-based Living Hope Ministries to “cure” LGBT people and “help homosexuals leave their destructive lifestyle.” It called homosexuality a “stomach-ulcer-of-a-life.”

According to its website, since its founding in 1989, Living Hope Ministries has “developed into a world-wide ministry and outreach to those seeking sexual and relational wholeness in Christ and is a pioneer in the areas of online support ministry and youth work.” The 501(c)(3) nonprofit provides “support, education and help for youth/young adults, friends and family, men (single and married), women (single and married), wives of men who struggle with same-gender attractions [and] churches, schools, universities, pastors and leaders.”

The website also says that Living Hope Ministries’ mission is to “proclaim God’s truth as we journey with those who are seeking sexual and relational wholeness through a more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. We provide free in-person support groups, one-on-one pastoral counseling and mentoring, online support forums and education and training for the church and community. LHM proclaims a Christ-centered, Biblical world-view of sexual expression rooted in one man and one woman in a committed, monogamous, heterosexual marriage for life. Anything less than this ideal, falls short of God’s best for humanity.”

So-called conversion therapy has been denounced by most if not all reputable counselors and therapists, who say beyond not actually converting LGBT people to heterosexuality, such therapies can be damaging to young people. At least 15 states have banned conversion therapies, as have the territories of the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Openly-lesbian Texas state Rep. Celia Israel of Austin has introduced a bill in the current legislative session to ban such practices in Texas, too. At least 50 cities/municipalities and at least one school district have banned conversion therapy. See the lists here.

— Tammye Nash