Tim Cook has announced he’s gay and proud of it. Thank God he’s not from Uganda, he could be dead by now. The CEO of Apple says he’s always been open about his sexuality and he wanted to encourage others like him to insist on their equality.
“For years, I’ve been open with many people about my sexual orientation. Plenty of colleagues at Apple know I’m gay, and it doesn’t seem to make a difference in the way they treat me,” Cook said. “While I 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.”
According to Cook, being gay has given him a deeper understanding of what it means to be a minority and has seen the challenges others face but it has also given him the skin of a rhinoceros, which has come in handy as the CEO of Apple.
Born Timothy Donald “Tim” Cook 1960, Tim joined Apple in March 1998 as Senior VP of Worldwide Operations and has served as the Executive Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Operations then later as Chief Operating Officer before he succeeded Steve Jobs in August 2011.
“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,” he said.
Cook says he’ll continue to fight for other people’s values regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. This comes as no suprise and should not have even been worth writing about but for the sake of those in the closets and discriminated, Cook feels speaking it out might help see others be free and proud of who they are.
