In an essay published in Bloomberg Businessweek the CEO of Apple, Tim Cook, publicly addressed his sexuality for the first time.
He wrote.
“While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven’t publicly acknowledged it either, until now. So let me be clear I am proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.” Tim Cook Apple CEO
Cook goes on to describe how his sexuality has given him a different social perspective and a thicker skin.
“Being gay has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to be in the minority and provided a window into the challenges that people in other minority groups deal with every day. It’s made me more empathetic, which has led to a richer life. It has been tough and uncomfortable at times, but it has given me the confidence to be myself, to follow my own path, and to rise above adversity and bigotry. It’s also given me the skin of a rhinoceros, which comes in handy when you’re the CEO of Apple.”
Just this Monday, Cook spoke about equality and civil rights while being inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor.
“And (Alabama is) still too slow and equality for the LGBT community. Under the law, citizens of Alabama can still be fired based on their sexual orientation. We can’t change the past, but we can learn from it and we can create a different future.”
Alabama is cooks home state and does not recognize same-sex marriage or offer protection to individuals based on sexual orientation and gender identity. He spoke about inequality on behalf of Apple.
There have been numerous accounts and speculation over Cook’s sexuality in the past. Around the time before he succeeded Steve Jobs (in 2011) and last year when he gave a speech about human rights at Auburn University. There Cook openly talked about times in his life when he faced discrimination, reported The Valleywag.
“Since the early days I have seen and have experienced many types of discrimination and all of them are rooted in the fear of people that were different than the majority,”.
Before today the 53-year-old CEO had not publicly come out. For a copy of the full Bussinessweek essay please click the link.
