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Apple CEO Tim Cook publicly comes out: ‘I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me’

Even when “everyone” knows a person is gay, it’s a powerful day when that person decides they are ready to come out publicly.

It’s even more powerful when that person is one of the most powerful CEOs in the world.

It happened this morning when Apple CEO Tim Cook posted an essay in Bloomberg Businessweek. Here are some excerpts:

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.

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

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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.

******

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.

FILE UNDER: Coming Out

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One Remark

  1. Fortune magazine named Apple the most admired company in the United States in 2008, and in the world from 2008 to 2012. Now the world knows that the CEO of Apple is gay. Thank You Tim Cook for coming out and writing such a beautiful essay in Bloomberg BusinessWeek. It makes all of us very proud!

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