Tim Cook in 2009 | Photo by lemagit via Flickr (http://bit.ly/1u9IDyI)
To say that Tim Cook is gay would surprise exactly no one. Until, that is, the news came from the source himself-Cook, Apple’s CEO since the death of Steve Jobs, has been famously quiet in public about his sexual orientation. It’s understandable that he wouldn’t feel the need or desire to announce that particular personal detail, but today, Cook wrote an article for Bloomberg Businessweek called “Tim Cook Speaks Up.” (It’s a great essay; I hope you’ll take the time to read it.)
In it, he writes that he has been open with employees at Apple about being gay, but hasn’t wanted to make a public statement because “I like keeping the focus on our products and the incredible things customers achieve with them.” Which makes sense.
It’s a funny thing how we ask so much of anyone in the public eye in America. We want them to deliver the best product, best performance, and to lay bare any part of their private lives that might sate our curiosity. So I think it’s both wonderful that Cook hasn’t addressed being gay until now, and wonderful that he has made the choice to do so now. This is exactly how he said it, and it brought tears to my eyes as I read it this morning:
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.
Cook goes on to say that being gay has given him, a wealthy and powerful white man, a sense of understanding what it is like to be in the minority. It has, he says, made him more empathic and given him confidence and a thick skin.
He talks about the progress that has been made towards equality since he was a kid, but also notes that there are still laws that disadvantage gay people and that “countless people, particularly kids, face fear and abuse every day because of their sexual orientation.”
Cook’s announcement doesn’t change much – Apple will still keep making expensive gadgets that we all love and hate; Apple employees will go to work today doing the same things they’ve done for years. But Cook’s bravery may well pave the way for some others on the path behind him.