More than 88,000 people have signed a petition asking Apple to remove the so-called “gay-cure” app from its App Store.

[ad#Google Adsense 300×250 in story]Exodus International says its app “is committed to encouraging, educating and equipping the Body of Christ to address the issue of homosexuality with grace and truth.” But that’s certainly not how everyone sees the app.

“Exodus’ message is hateful and bigoted,” according to the petition. “They claim to offer ‘freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ’ and use scare tactics, misinformation, stereotypes and distortions of LGBT life to recruit clients. They endorse the use of so-called ‘reparative therapy’ to ‘change’ the sexual orientation of their clients, despite the fact that this form of ‘therapy’ has been rejected by every major professional medical organization including the American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association, and the American Counseling Association.

The petition is asking Apple to remove the app from the App Store.

“Apple doesn’t allow racist or anti-Semitic apps in its app store, yet it is giving the green light to an app targeting vulnerable LGBT youth with the message that their sexual orientation is a ‘sin that will make your heart sick’ and a ‘counterfeit.’ This is a double standard that has the potential for devastating consequences.