A few weeks ago, Jason Dabrowski’s Just A Jason Blog ran an article on an offensive free application made for Android, the free open source mobile project headed up by Google. Android is currently available in the US on one T-Mobile phone, but increased availability is in the works. Basically, it’s Google’s response to the iPhone, and yes I’m dumbing it way down.
Google has opened up an application marketplace where anybody can create an app for others to download, much (to my understanding) like the iPod/iPhone app marketplace. Straight? is an app from a company called Bendroid, and it works thusly: The user places his (apparently there’s no hers version) finger on the touch screen. There are two potential results, both of which are troublesome. (Thanks to Jason Dabrowski for the images.)
Positive result
Remember how Bishop Gene Robinson pointed out (part 3) that patriarchy and misogyny are the root of homophobia? That’s what we’re seeing here. Aside of what’s coming next, this positive result assumes that male –and not just male, but the hyper-masculine brand of male– is the optimum setting. (And as Jason observes, the empty rainbow is white. Not sure that was intentional, but it’s certainly interesting.)
Negative result
Here we have the negative result. The combination of the rainbow, the (misspelled) word “sweetie” and the lavender bit at the end point directly toward homosexuality as an undesirable negative state of being, something to apologize for.
We know that this kind of thing plays out on middle school playgrounds across the country every day. Trust us, we remember it well. It shouldn’t, however, be approved or (to a degree) sponsored by a company as large and influential as Google.
Jason did what he’s supposed to do and flagged the app as offensive. After a week of flagging and re-flagging the app, he went to the relevant forums and was scolded by forum members for being so sensitive. (We remember that too.)
Yesterday a Google staffer named Alden responded to Jason’s complaint. The main complaint was that Straight? violates the Android Market Terms of Service, specifically the prohibition against apps that include “promotions of hate or incitement of violence.”
Alden’s response is “Regarding this specific case, though the app may be offensive to some, it is not in violation. Stereotypes in and of themselves do not constitute hate against a group.”
I’m not posting a link to the response. (Here’s a screencap if you must.) My gut is that Alden’s an employee who hit the send button without thinking, and I don’t want him to be inundated with hate mail. Sometimes we need to educate.
As Jason points out on his blog, a joke app that tests whether the user is white or black, using white as the only positive response, would be unacceptable. If that app displayed a negative screen saying “Sorry ni**a, you’re…” under a picture of fried chicken, it would be yanked immediately. It’s a gimme decision. Swap that out for another minority stereotype and see what your reaction is. Now ask yourself why this is any different.
To Alden: The app Straight? is categorically offensive, and more importantly it breaks Google’s Terms of Service not because it is hateful, but because it promotes hate through negatively stereotyping a group of people.
To Google: You’ve been a friend of the LGBT Community for a long time. Thank you for your support in the past. Please correct this error in judgment and continue to support you LGBT users, family, and friends in the future.
Update 2/20/2009: Jason reported this morning that Bendroid has removed the app from the Android Market. The company left the following at the Google help forum: “Hello Everyone. We just want to let you know that we have removed ‘Straight?’ application. We really do not want to offense [sic] or humiliate anyone. We are saying ‘Sorry’ to people who took this app seriously, although it was done just for fun, without any intention to hurt the feelings.”
Still no comment from Google or Android.
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