Apple CEO Tim Cook "Proud to be gay"

[BioDiver]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/31/te...to-be-gay.html

Timothy D. Cook, Apple’s chief executive, said he was “proud to be gay” in an essay published early Thursday, becoming by far the most prominent executive of a public company to come out.

“Let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me,” Mr. Cook wrote in the essay, published by Bloomberg Businessweek.

Mr. Cook, 53, has never spoken publicly about his sexual orientation in the many years he has worked in the spotlight at Apple.

In his essay, Mr. Cook also noted that he had spent much of his life trying to keep his personal matters private, which is why he had not previously spoken in public about his sexual orientation.

“Apple is already one of the most closely watched companies in the world,” he wrote, “and I like keeping the focus on our products and the incredible things our customers achieve with them.”

While he has never talked about it publicly, Mr. Cook’s sexuality has been a widely open secret in Silicon Valley. In private forums, he has alluded to facing difficulties growing up as a young man in Alabama, where he was raised for much of his childhood. He has said that human rights and dignity are values that need to be acted upon.

With his essay, Mr. Cook becomes the most prominent gay man in the corporate world, joining a very short list of openly gay executives at public companies. He also defies corporate sexual identity norms; 83 percent of gay, lesbian and bisexual people hide aspects of their identity at work, according to a Deloitte report.

Silicon Valley, and technology companies in particular, have taken largely progressive stances on gay rights and advancement in the workplace. Companies like Google, ******** and Apple participate regularly in San Francisco’s annual gay pride parade. And many of these companies, including Twitter, Intel and Apple, offer more inclusive health benefits packages to gay employees and their partners.

Activist groups were quick to praise Mr. Cook for his essay, while lauding Apple’s progressive history. “Tim Cook’s announcement today will save countless lives,” the Human Rights Campaign, America’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights group, said in a statement. “He has always been a role model, but today millions across the globe will draw inspiration from a different aspect of his life.”

As Apple’s chief executive, he has publicly pushed for marriage equality in its workplace, and had consistently enacted progressive policies to encourage gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender candidates to work for the company.

Apple has publicly supported a workplace equality bill in California, site of the company’s headquarters, and spoke against a bill passed in Arizona which Apple said discriminated against the gay community.

Mr. Cook recently gave a speech in Alabama, in which he denounced his home state’s history of human rights and addressed its record of inequality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.

“As a state, we took too long to take steps toward equality, and once we began, our progress was too slow,” he said at the event, where he was inducted into Alabama’s Academy of Honor, the highest praise the state can give one of its natives.

“Too slow on equality for African-Americans. Too slow on interracial marriage, which was only legalized 14 years ago. And still too slow on equality for the L.G.B.T. community,” he said, noting that workers in Alabama can still be fired based on their sexual orientation.

Arthur D. Levinson, chairman of Apple’s board, issued this statement, saying, “Tim has our wholehearted support and admiration in making this courageous personal statement.”

Mr. Levinson added: “His decision to speak out will help advance the cause of equality and inclusion far beyond the business world. On behalf of the board and our entire company, we are incredibly proud to have Tim leading Apple.”

In the essay, Mr. Cook cited Robert F. Kennedy and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose framed photos are on his office wall, as his inspiration for publishing his essay on Thursday.

“I don’t pretend that writing this puts me in their league,” he wrote. “All it does is allow me to look at those pictures and know that I’m doing my part, however small, to help others.”

“We pave the sunlit path toward justice together, brick by brick. This is my brick,” he wrote.

Yes, I'd imagine it must be so challenging to hide your sexuality as a multi-millionaire in one of the most liberal states in the country whose products are skewed towards left-leaning college kids and hipsters. I'm all for equal rights and don't care who you sleep with but to make such a big deal out of this kind of defeats the purpose of "equality."

[tyn89]

not a single fck is given.

[cashinout]

gay and religious

apple truly is good at this marketing thing

[incomingbrOMS]

not a single fck is given.

yeah, this.

[AWillis]

Why can't he keep his private life private. Fuking retard. You don't see straight people go on and on about not being gay.

[xmikeman]

As I've said in a previous thread, I think this is pretty cool. It must be comforting for young gay people to see such a prominent businessman coming out. It's still pretty common for men working in business environments to feel the need to hide who they are so they can advance the corporate ladder.

[T150]

The more threads I see about this, the more my suspicions about misc being a hotbed of suppressed *******ry are confirmed.

Who fukking cares?

[waymoreflythanu]

Let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.

GOAT troll line.

[blackstar87]

"I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me,” Mr. Cook wrote

[VictorHei]

Meanwhile gay people in Uganda and Tanzania are being brutally slaughtered and hunted down like witches

[Devils]

As I've said in a previous thread, I think this is pretty cool. It must be comforting for young gay people to see such a prominent businessman coming out.

I think a good number of young gay people already saw him coming brah.

[Bassorah]

The ultimate troll.

[SquidSticks]

Gay, and loves god?


Apple be raking in dat dere cash money.

[Bassorah]

I think a good number of young gay people already saw him coming brah.

Ayyyyyy lmaooo

[frutistafreeze]

Who cares? Does that make your iPhone run on ****gy time now? No

[xmikeman]

I think a good number of young gay people already saw him coming brah.

Maybe so, but I still think he's setting an example. If the head of one the biggest and most powerful corporations can come out as a homosexual then why can't everybody else? I'm sure there are tons of men and women hiding who they are from coworkers just to advance their career.

[VmissileX]

aapl stock dropped a dollar or so earlier this morning.

*tear

[Ronnie87]

Why can't he keep his private life private. Fuking retard. You don't see straight people go on and on about not being gay.

Straight people are allowed to get married and hold hands in the street without getting funny looks though, and there aren't huge Religious organisations saying that being straight goes against God

[Brahhphomet]

Look at me! Give me attention!

[nzgs]

So what? The only people who bought Apple products were girls and homos anyway.

[PepperedAngus]

Why can't he keep his private life private. Fuking retard. You don't see straight people go on and on about not being gay.

this.

"He also defies corporate sexual identity norms; 83 percent of gay, lesbian and bisexual people hide aspects of their identity at work, according to a Deloitte report."

I wish the other 17% would go back to being normal phucking people and not advertising their sexual preferences all over work and town.

Nothing wrong with being gay, but theres everything wrong with making it your whole agenda all day everyday as some do.

[metafour]

I thought he already came out as gay? I mean, I already knew he was gay from prior stories...

Also, he's from Alabama which explains the God thing.

[2pacalyptic]

not a single fck is given.

Unless hes with another man

[7rmr]

Maybe so, but I still think he's setting an example. If the head of one the biggest and most powerful corporations can come out as a homosexual then why can't everybody else? I'm sure there are tons of men and women hiding who they are from coworkers just to advance their career.

I think you missed the point. He meant "cumming" not "coming"

But I agree with your earlier post. Personally, I don't really care. But I'm sure if I was gay and interested in going into a tech field it would be nice to hear that other gay people have been successful.

[Devils]

Maybe so, but I still think he's setting an example. If the head of one the biggest and most powerful corporations can come out as a homosexual then why can't everybody else? I'm sure there are tons of men and women hiding who they are from coworkers just to advance their career.

News flash, who you have sex with SHOULD be hidden from your coworkers. Why on earth would they need know

[DLTBB]

time to get an Android

[7rmr]

this.

"He also defies corporate sexual identity norms; 83 percent of gay, lesbian and bisexual people hide aspects of their identity at work, according to a Deloitte report."

I wish the other 17% would go back to being normal phucking people and not advertising their sexual preferences all over work and town.

Nothing wrong with being gay, but theres everything wrong with making it your whole agenda all day everyday as some do.

Clearly, since he's only talking about it now he hasn't made it his whole agenda all day every day. Furthermore, straight people don't hide their sexual identity. If you talk about your wife/girlfriend or have a photo of her on your desk that's not hiding your sexual identity.

[7rmr]

News flash, who you have sex with SHOULD be hidden from your coworkers. Why on earth would they need know

Do you have a wife/girlfriend? Do any of your coworkers know you have a wife/girlfriend?

[tricepwarrior]

lmao we live in a world where it it publicly recognized that somebody loves cocks who is supposed to love vaginas.


This is what the media focuses on.

[Ronnie87]

News flash, who you have sex with SHOULD be hidden from your coworkers. Why on earth would they need know

Clearly who you have sex with does matter, all the discrimination piled on Gays from Religious groups and people should tell you that