“So let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.”
That’s a line from Tim Cook’s editorial today that was published in Businessweek, as the Apple CEO for the first time publicly discussed being gay.
Cook wrote that he’s “been open with many people about my sexual orientation” for years, and that “plenty of colleagues at Apple know I’m gay.” But as the CEO of one of the most recognizable companies in the world, he felt compelled to make a public announcement in hopes of inspiring justice and equality.
“I don’t consider myself an activist, but I realize how much I’ve benefited from the sacrifice of others,” Cook wrote. “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.”
Cook is arguably now the most prominent openly gay CEO in the business world. He’s highlighted the importance of equality in the past, and last year wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal encouraging workplace equality. Apple also has voiced its support as a company for inclusion, diversity, and equality.
“When I arrive in my office each morning, I’m greeted by framed photos of Dr. King and Robert F. Kennedy,” Cook wrote. “I don’t pretend that writing this puts me in their league. 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.”
Bloomberg Businessweek editor Josh Tyrangie spoke on Bloomberg Television this morning to discuss Cook’s piece.
“The backstory on it is pretty simple as well,” Tyrangie said. “He called and asked if I could come out. We had a conversation and he had something written. It was crisp and clear and frankly I hope he is available for more assignments going forward. He was very easy to work with on this. He knew what he wanted to say.”
