I'm Gay I proud of it. Apple boss

Throughout my professional life, I’ve tried
to maintain a basic level of privacy. I
come from humble roots, and I don’t seek
to draw attention to myself. Apple is
already one of the most closely watched
companies in the world, and I like keeping
the focus on our products and the
incredible things our customers achieve
with them.
At the same time, I believe deeply in the
words of Dr. Martin Luther King, who said:
“Life’s most persistent and urgent
question is, ‘What are you doing for
others?’ ” I often challenge myself with
that question, and I’ve come to realize
that my desire for personal privacy has
been holding me back from doing
something more important. That’s what
has led me to today.
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. Of course, I’ve had the
good fortune to work at a company that
loves creativity and innovation and knows
it can only flourish when you embrace
people’s differences. Not everyone is so
lucky.
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.
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.
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.
I’ll admit that this wasn’t an easy choice.
Privacy remains important to me, and I’d
like to hold on to a small amount of it.
I’ve made Apple my life’s work, and I will
continue to spend virtually all of my
waking time focused on being the best
CEO I can be. That’s what our employees
deserve—and our customers, developers,
shareholders, and supplier partners
deserve it, too. 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.
The company I am so fortunate to lead
has long advocated for human rights and
equality for all. We’ve taken a strong
stand in support of a workplace equality
bill before Congress, just as we stood for
marriage equality in our home state of
California. And we spoke up in Arizona
when that state’s legislature passed a
discriminatory bill targeting the gay
community. We’ll continue to fight for our
values, and I believe that any CEO of this
incredible company, regardless of race,
gender, or sexual orientation, would do
the same. And I will personally continue to
advocate for equality for all people until
my toes point up.
When I arrive in my office each morning,
I’m greeted by framed photos of Dr. King
and Robert F. Kennedy. 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.
Tim Cook is the CEO of Apple.
Source: Bloomberg Businessweek