Apple's CEO is now openly gay. Is that progrs?

Contents:

• APPLE CEO TIM COOK SAID HE CID TO E OUT AS GAY AFTER READG LETTERS OM KIDS STGGLG WH THEIR INTY
• APPLE'S CEO IS NOW OPENLY GAY. IS THAT PROGRS?
• TIM COOK: APPLE'S NEW CEO AND THE MOST POWERFUL GAY MAN AMERI
• IS APPLE'S NEW HONCHO GAY?

APPLE CEO TIM COOK SAID HE CID TO E OUT AS GAY AFTER READG LETTERS OM KIDS STGGLG WH THEIR INTY

Apple CEO Tim Cook says he was motivated to publicly e out as gay after receivg letters om children stgglg wh their sexual an terview wh People en Español, Cook discsed his public g out and his msage to children uncerta about revealg their sexual, now 58, me out 2014, beg the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 's ments e amid a tough spell for the Apple CEO, who has faced cricism for his cisn earlier this month to remove om the App Store an app that allowed Hong Kong protters to track police Bs Insir's homepage for more stori. Tim Cook says he was motivated to e out as gay after receivg letters om children stgglg wh their sexual ually private Apple CEO publicly me out 2014, revealg his sexual orientatn an open letter published Bloomberg Bsweek.

This ma him the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 an terview wh People en Español published Thursday, the 58-year-old spoke about a range of topics related to sexual orientatn and young people. "Though Cook said he "didn't worry" about how Apple staff would react to his g out, he did acknowledge worryg about the reactn "outsi of Apple, " and noted that "the world is still not iendly to gay or trans people many untri but also wh our untry.

" He ntued: "Gay is not a limatn. "Cook add that beg gay gave him a lens to how other people thk and feel. One more thg.After years of stayg relatively silent, Apple CEO Tim Cook me out as gay on Thursday for the first time publicly, sayg that "while I have never nied my sexualy, I haven't publicly acknowledged eher, until now.""So let me be clear: I'm proud to be gay, and I nsir beg gay among the greatt gifts God has given me."'"So let me be clear: I'm proud to be gay, and I nsir beg gay among the greatt gifts God has given me," Cook said Bsweek, beg the first Fortune 500 chief executive to e out publicly.Cook, who took over the role 2011 shortly before the ath of Apple founr Steve Jobs, wr that he's been open about his sexualy wh many people his life, cludg "plenty" of his Apple lleagu, and that hasn't changed the way he's been treated.

APPLE'S CEO IS NOW OPENLY GAY. IS THAT PROGRS?

He ntu the post:"Beg gay has given me a eper unrstandg of what means to be the mory and provid a wdow to the challeng that people other mory groups al wh every day. It’s been tough and unfortable at tim, but has given me the nfince to be myself, to follow my own path, and to rise above adversy and bigotry."RELATED: Apple CEO tells climate change niers to sell their Apple sharThe Natnal Gay & Lbian Chamber of Commerce praised Cook for g out, wrg a statement that "The bs voice of the LGBT muny, mends Tim Cook for his movg and heartfelt g out say ... Wyomg on Tuday beme the 32nd state to legalize gay marriage, jog several other nservative areas allowg same-sex weddgs.The lossal shift go for public opn, too.

A recent poll shows half of the Amerin public believ gay marriage is a nstutnal right, wh 50% sayg that same-sex marriage is protected by the U.S Constutn’s Equal Protectn clse.

The numbers support of marriage equaly this year far surpass those om a siar survey 2004, when jt 32% of Amerins said they favored gay rights.Apple as a pany has been a strong supporter of marriage equaly. We appld the Supreme Court for s cisns today." And Cook himself has been a vol supporter of gay rights over the years. And still too slow on equaly for the LGBT muny."In December 2013, a speech Cook gave on gay rights and racism -- cludg personal discrimatn -- led some media outlets, cludg Gawker's tech se Valleywag, to ponr if that was the first time the Apple CEO acknowledged his sexual orientatn publicly.

TIM COOK: APPLE'S NEW CEO AND THE MOST POWERFUL GAY MAN AMERI

This summer, a CNBC segment of "Squawk on the Street" turned heads when one host accintally "outed" Cook, sayg “I thk Tim Cook is fairly open about the fact that he’s gay at the head of Apple isn’t he?” But Thursday's remarks leave no room for gusg. Apple CEO Tim Cook ma history last week, beg the first Fortune 500 CEO to break through the steel ceilg of heterosexual privilege the bs world when he disclosed Bsweek that he is "proud to be gay. For some, lerally pays to be gay.

2 ln there exists a flty assumptn that gays and lbians the U. Are prosperg, recent rearch dit that lbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) Amerins actually remaed more likely to be poor than heterosexual people.

IS APPLE'S NEW HONCHO GAY?

He even wrote, "Beg gay has given me a eper unrstandg of what means to be the mory and provid a wdow to the challeng that people other mory groups al wh every day.

"Yet, the plex and ternnected stggl of queer women, people of lor, and transgenr dividuals are often obscured when we celebrate seemg moments of sgular gay uplift. In fact, twenty-four percent of lbians and bisexual women are poor, pared wh only 19% of heterosexual women, as reported by the Williams, Cook exists among a ntgent wh the LGBT muny ma up of whe cisgenr men who are more likely to be enomilly stable, employed, and ’s announcement was important given that up until now there was not one openly gay Fortune 500 CEO, but we should be ls quick our sh to name this moment progrs.