Apple CEO Tim Cook Proudly Comes Out as Gay

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, has come out as a gay man. And he's damn proud of it.

“I’m proud to be gay, I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me,” said Cook, in a Bloomberg Businessweek editorial published this morning.

However, while Cook is revealing his sexuality publicly for the first time, he states it is something he has never hidden from those close to him.

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’s 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 given me the skin of a rhinoceros, which comes in handy when you’re the CEO of Apple.

The world has changed so much since I was a kid. America is moving toward marriage equality, and the public figures who have bravely come out have helped change perceptions and made our culture more tolerant. Still, there are laws on the books in a majority of states that allow employers to fire people based solely on their sexual orientation. There are many places where landlords can evict tenants for being gay, or where we can be barred from visiting sick partners and sharing in their legacies. Countless people, particularly kids, face fear and abuse every day because of their sexual orientation.

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.

This announcement comes just days after Cook criticized his home state of Alabama for being "too slow on equality for the LGBT community." This editorial could mark the beginning of Cook taking a more public stand against anti-gay marriage laws. As CEO of one of the most influential and powerful corporations in the world, he could potentially be a great figurehead for equality, as well as inclusion. Cook's piece is an eloquent, beautiful statement about the harms of intolerance, and how badly society needs to change its outdated views on the LGBT community. I suggest reading the entire statement, as it's really moving and well-written. Just head on over to Bloomberg Business Week to read the full editorial.

H/T: GLAAD

Credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP