Apple CEO Tim Cook has long been a champion of gay rights, but Thursday morning in Bloomberg Businessweek, he made one of his largest contributions to the Gay Rights Movement, when he came out publicly as the first gay CEO of Apple.
“While I [Cook] have never denied my sexuality, I haven’t publicly acknowledged it either, until now. So let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.”
While Cook has only now come out publicly, it isn’t the first time there have been hints about his sexuality since he first became Apple’s CEO. Earlier this week, Cook was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor. Instead of applauding the greatness of his home state, he tore them down for their slow responses to civil rights advances. In his coming-out column, Tim touched on the activism involved in such a noteworthy figure being open about being gay.
“I believe deeply in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, who said: ‘Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?” I often challenge myself with that question, and I’ve come to realize that my desire for personal privacy has been holding me back from doing something more important. That’s what has led me to today… I don’t consider myself an activist, but I realize how much I’ve benefited from the sacrifice of others. So if hearing that the CEO of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to insist on their equality, then it’s worth the trade-off with my own privacy.”
Although Cook made clear that he was motivated by a desire to drive social progress, Tim also assured that his primary focus would still be on his duties as the CEO of Apple. Tim remarked in his column that keeping the current public image of himself unchanged — despite his sexuality — was a mark of social progress in itself.
“Apple is already one of the most closely watched companies in the world, and I like keeping the focus on our products and the incredible things our customers achieve with them… Part of social progress is understanding that a person is not defined only by one’s sexuality, race, or gender. I’m an engineer, an uncle, a nature lover, a fitness nut, a son of the South, a sports fanatic, and many other things. I hope that people will respect my desire to focus on the things I’m best suited for and the work that brings me joy.”
Do you think Tim Cook’s coming out will influence his role as the CEO of Apple?
[Image via ValueWalk]
