Tim Cook opens up about being gay, the importance of equality

Tim Cook opens up about being gay, the importance of equality

<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><a href='http://www.imore.com/tim-cook-opens-up-being-gay-equal-rights' title="Tim Cook opens up about being gay, the importance of equality"><img src='http://www.imore.com/sites/imore.com/files/styles/large/public/field/image/2014/01/tim_cook_2013_ipad_event.jpg?itok=se1B3Rqd' />[/url]</p> <p>Apple CEO Tim Cook has penned an op-ed where, for the first time, he opens up about his personal life, his pride in being gay, and how it has helped him develop empathy, and better understand the struggle of minorities and the importance of human rights. From Bloomberg:</p>

<p>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.</p> <p>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.</p>

<p>Apple has been increasingly active in social issues, including supporting civil rights, employment non-descrimination, and inclusivity, and Cook has been at the forefront of those efforts for the past few years.</p>

<p>We pave the sunlit path toward justice together, brick by brick. This is my brick.</p>