10.07.2014

"Are You Asian and Don't Want To Be?"

All these years later, this fake billboard keeps making the rounds.



Feeling the need to post this, since an old meme seems to have popped up and is making the rounds again... Every couple of months, and once again within in the last week or so, I've recently seen several people post this photo with the expected levels of exasperation, usually in the realm of "WTF? Have you seen this?"

As a public service, let's make it clear: this image is at least seven years old, and it's fake.




In 2006, an organization called Truth Ministry purchased several billboards in South Carolina with this message: "Are you Gay or Lesbian and don't want to be? There is hope for change." This ministry aims to "help" those with same-sex attractions who hope to change their homosexuality.

Good luck with that.

Shortly after the billboards went up, someone altered a photo of the ad to read "Are you Asian and don't want to be?" The point being that nobody chooses to be gay any more than do Asians choose to be Asian. The image went viral, and has since been circulating for years, popping up periodically to confound social media users.

The image remains so pervasive all these years later that Truth Ministry has had to post and update an explanation about the doctored image on its website FAQ, due to the persistent barrage of emails and calls it has received about the billboard. If their clarification doesn't do it for you, keep 'em coming.

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