Apple CEO Cook Says He’s ‘Proud to Be Gay’ - WSJ

Contents:

• APPLE CEO TIM COOK OUT AS GAY: I'M PROUD
• WHY IS APPLE'S TIM COOK THE ONLY OPENLY GAY CEO OF A MAJOR US FIRM?
• THE RNER CLOSET: WHY THERE ARE SO FEW GAY AND TRANSGENR EXECUTIV RPORATE AMERI
• APPLE CEO TIM COOK OUT: 'I'M PROUD TO BE GAY'
• CEOS WHO ARE OPENLY GAY
• APPLE CEO TIM COOK COM OUT AS GAY
• APPLE CEO TIM COOK: 'I'M PROUD TO BE GAY'
• APPLE'S CEO IS NOW OPENLY GAY. IS THAT PROGRS?
• APPLE CEO TIM COOK SAID HE CID TO E OUT AS GAY AFTER READG LETTERS OM KIDS STGGLG WH THEIR INTY
• IN HIS NATIVE ALABAMA, APPLE CEO'S ANNOUNCEMENT HE IS GAY PROMPTS DISFORT FOR SOME
• TIM COOK: BEG GAY IS GOD’S GREATT GIFT TO ME
• APPLE CEO TIM COOK IS 'PROUD TO BE GAY'
• INI ALASAN CEO APPLE M MENGAKU GAY
• APPLE CEO SAYS HE’S ‘PROUD TO BE GAY’
• RSIAN OFFICIAL SAYS APPLE CEO SHOULD BE BANNED FROM RSIA AFTER SAYG HE IS GAY
• MILONOV: ‘BAN APPLE CHIEF OM RSIA FOR BEG GAY’

APPLE CEO TIM COOK OUT AS GAY: I'M PROUD

One more 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.

WHY IS APPLE'S TIM COOK THE ONLY OPENLY GAY CEO OF A MAJOR US FIRM?

"'"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, 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.

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. "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 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. 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 as a pany has been a strong supporter of marriage equaly.

THE RNER CLOSET: WHY THERE ARE SO FEW GAY AND TRANSGENR EXECUTIV RPORATE AMERI

"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. 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?

The famoly private Cook me out an say published by Bloomberg 2014, makg him the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 pany. In the say, he wrote: “If hearg that the CEO of Apple is gay n help someone stgglg to e to terms wh who he or she is, or brg fort to anyone who feels alone, or spire people to sist on their equaly, then ’s worth the traoff wh my own privacy.

In addn to stillg an LGBTQ+-iendly pany culture, Gente clud a give-back program to raise funds and awarens for the Trevor Project—the world’s largt suici preventn and crisis terventn anizatn for lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, queer, and qutng young people.

APPLE CEO TIM COOK OUT: 'I'M PROUD TO BE GAY'

Ford has been openly gay her whole profsnal reer, tellg CNN, “I ma a cisn long ago to live an thentic life, and if my beg named CEO helps others do the same, that’s a wonrful moment. GLAAD (Gay and Lbian Alliance Agast Defamatn) is a media monorg anizatn that is famo for takg a strong stance agast biased and rogatory LGBT reprentatn. Image source, Getty ImagIt's pretty startlg that among the chief executiv of the 500 biggt US pani only one, Tim Cook of Apple, is openly claratn this week that he is "proud to be gay" was hailed as an important moment for the gay muny.

Campaigners say they know of boss of other big firms who are gay, but are reluctant to be open about hope Mr Cook's public acknowledgement will spur them to e what is holdg them back? Changg tim"When I was at universy, people who did gay thgs, homosexual acts, ually went to prison and stayed there a long time, " Lord Browne said an terview wh the BBC earlier this rigned as chief executive of BP 2007 after emerged that statements he had ma legal documents about a four-year relatnship he'd had wh a man had been "untthful" Lord Browne, many chief executiv would have grown up tim that were much ls tolerant of gay people.

CEOS WHO ARE OPENLY GAY

"Societal views have changed nsirably, but that has only really been the past 10 years, " says Si Sandhu, founr of profsnal work ptn, Former BP chief executive Lord Browne says Mr Cook is "an important role mol"Gay people now their 50s and 60s uld have been keepg their sexualy a secret om lleagu for years, perhaps s.

"Some of our bt lears are known for their honty and thenticy, to kd of then turn around and go, 'Actually, there's a big thg that I haven't que mentned', is que difficult, " says Ruth Hunt, chief executive of Stonewall, the lbian, gay and bisexual equaly anisatn. "Once you e out, you are expected to sudnly be an expert on all thgs gay, but of urse you are an expert on your job - not all thgs gay, " says Ms source, Getty ImagCommercial ncernsChief executiv uld have another ncern. The Internatnal Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Associatn lists 78 untri wh crimal laws agast sexual activy by the groups of those untri are Ai, Asia and the Middle regns are growg fast and are where amb pani would be eager to Sandhu of Outstandg thks havg a gay chief executive "uld impact sal" those untri.

But that remas to be seen, as there is no data to support the Tim Cook's announcement, we might fd out over the next few years whether ctomers might nsir the sexualy of a chief executive when choosg a mobile prospectsSo what about gay people tryg to work their way through the ranks the current era? Over three-quarters of Ameri's 500 biggt pani have non-discrimatn polici that bar firg someone bee they are gay or lbian, says Jt Nelson, -founr and print of the US Natnal Gay and Lbian Chamber of he says those polici n only go so far.

APPLE CEO TIM COOK COM OUT AS GAY

"There are still tim that, even when you have a policy, the guy the cubicle next to you might have a personal belief that is not fully clive, " he source, Getty ImagImage ptn, Christopher Bailey is the only openly gay chief executive of a FTSE 100 firmSome dtri are workg harr than others to overe such UK fashn dtry n boast the only openly gay chief executive among FTSE 100 pani, after Christopher Bailey beme chief executive of Burberry earlier this Sandhu says diversy is " the DNA" of the fashn dtry is not necsarily leadg the way enuragg gay staff. The buildg tra is also makg a big effort, she says, wh nstctn giant Balfour Beatty workg closely wh Stonewall to help gay staff.

"It's que shockg to learn that even now graduat who are openly gay at universy are gog back to the closet bee the bs world is a ltle behd, " says Mr on this story. He says public disapproval of homosexualy ma many the gay muny wary of intifyg themselv at work, pecially durg the AIDS/HIV crisis. Gente says the rner closet nudged open 2014 when Apple’s Tim Cook, lear of one of the world’s most inic brands, clared “I’m proud to be gay.

APPLE CEO TIM COOK: 'I'M PROUD TO BE GAY'

”But progrs has remaed slow sce Cook beme the first publicly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 pany, particularly dtri outsi fashn, media and entertament.

They didn't keep rights movement transforms workplaceThe gay rights movement has led to substantial chang the workplace a relatively short perd of time, says Lee Badgett, an enomics profsor at the Universy of Massachetts more LGBTQ employe opened up about their inti and formed employee rource groups and as lawsus raised the prsure, rporatns extend benefs to same-sex upl and created anti-discrimatn polici the 1990s.

7% of people Generatn Z – those born om 1997 to 2004 – intified as lbian, gay, bisexual or transgenr pared wh jt 3. A history on how the flag me to beGay and transgenr employe bump up agast 'lavenr ceilg'But wh too few mentors, sponsors and alli, there’s still prsure to hi sexual orientatn or genr inty at work, she said.

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

They live and work areas of the untry where beg their whole selv at work uld put them at risk, pecially as nservativ ph legislatn targetg the gay and transgenr there’s the risk of bumpg up agast the “lavenr ceilg, ” which keeps gay and transgenr employe om jobs for which they qualify and om dog their jobs at the level they are pable of, said Badgett, thor of “The Enomic Case for LGBT Equaly: Why Fair and Equal Treatment Benefs Us All.

”People who belong to multiple unrreprented groups, such as Black gay people or transgenr women, face even bigger hurdl.

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

“You put yourself at risk the event that beg an out lear creat an addnal Irv worked on Wall Street, she was often the only gay woman the room. "Let me be clear: I'm proud to be gay, and I nsir beg gay among the greatt gifts God has given me, " he wrote a lumn Bloomberg Bsweek. "So if hearg that the CEO of Apple is gay n help someone stgglg to e to terms wh who he or she is, or brg fort to anyone who feels alone, or spire people to sist on their equaly, then 's worth the tra-off wh my own privacy.

IN HIS NATIVE ALABAMA, APPLE CEO'S ANNOUNCEMENT HE IS GAY PROMPTS DISFORT FOR SOME

" Related: Tim Cook isn't the only openly gay CEO Cook, who grew up Alabama, said he has long been open about his sexual orientatn, but had jt not prevly discsed publicly.

John Browne served as CEO of BP (BP) om 1995 to 2007, and acknowledged he was gay after he was forced to leave office.

TIM COOK: BEG GAY IS GOD’S GREATT GIFT TO ME

Out of the closetJt Sullivan | Getty Imag Openly gay CEOs are a rary the bs world, even though more pani are publicly exprsg their support for gay rights and clive workplac. One bsman on this list med that there are still many gay executiv who keep their personal liv private, but predicted that more openly gay men and women will steer more pani the future.

2014Tim Cook Apple CEO Tim Cook openly discsed his sexualy an terview published Thursday, makg him one of a relatively short list of openly gay CEOs.

APPLE CEO TIM COOK IS 'PROUD TO BE GAY'

He wrote about his sexualy Time, sayg he has been openly gay as long as he has been bs, and that the greater visibily of high-performg gay CEOs n help fight discrimatn agast gays and lbians the BrowneFormer Chief Executive of Brish Petrolm Lord Imag The former chief of BP abptly rigned after the Brish tabloid The Mail exposed a relatnship Browne had wh a young man who had once been a male prostute, acrdg to the BBC. In a subsequent book he wrote about his experienc as a closeted gay executive, Browne said he was "terrified" of beg outed even as a young man. He has lled for a more clive BurgsBurgs is CEO of the Florida-based vtment bank C1 Fancial, makg him the first openly gay CEO of a bank listed on the New York Stock Exchange, acrdg to Out ThielPeter ThielAdam Jeffery | CNBC Thiel is one of Silin Valley's most signifint vtors and entreprenrs.

Thiel said an terview on CNBC's "Squawk Box" that he spects there may be many gay CEOs who have not announced publicly, and suggted may be part bee they hail om an olr generatn. Christopher BaileyChristopher Bailey attends the Serpente Gallery Summer Party at The Serpente Gallery Cattermole | Getty ImagThe chief executive and chief creative officer of inic Brish fashn brand Burberry assumed learship May 2014, which means he is the first openly gay CEO of a pany clud the FTSE 100—the 100 pani on the London Stock Exchange wh the largt market palizatn, acrdg to an say by another man on this list, Lord WeltsAs print and chief operatg officer of the Goln State Warrrs, Welts is the is the hight rankg executive men's profsnal team sports to publicly acknowledge he is gay.

"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, " Cook wr.

INI ALASAN CEO APPLE M MENGAKU GAY

So if hearg that the CEO of Apple is gay n help someone stgglg to e to terms wh who he or she is, or brg fort to anyone who feels alone, or spire people to sist on their equaly, then 's worth the tra-off wh my own privacy. Apple CEO Tim Cook publicly nfirmed he is gay an opn piece published Thursday, makg him the hight-profile chief executive to e an say published by Bloomberg Bsweek advotg for human rights and equaly, Cook says he was spired by Dr. "Cook be the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 pany, acrdg to gays rights group Human Rights Campaign, who appld the Apple chief's say.

"This serv as an openg of the door for other CEOs, senr-level managers, senr-level executiv to say I'm ready to brg my thentic self to the office and I know now that 's not potentially a triment, 's an asset to be out and proud the workplace, " says Jt Nelson, -founr and print of the Natnal Gay & Lbian Chamber of has been among the top Amerin pani for embracg equaly.

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.

APPLE CEO SAYS HE’S ‘PROUD TO BE GAY’

Are prosperg, recent rearch dit that lbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) Amerins actually remaed more likely to be poor than heterosexual people. 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. " And now one is openly long as gayns is an inty celebrated or talked about when certa LGBT people, like the wealthy and famo, e out or when LGBT people are vlently killed the US, we will ntue to wns the var ways some wh the LGBT spectm are placed squarely the center of power as some others are phed to the edg of the is no activist.

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.

RSIAN OFFICIAL SAYS APPLE CEO SHOULD BE BANNED FROM RSIA AFTER SAYG HE IS GAY

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.

(Rters) - Apple chief Tim Cook’s announcement on Thursday that he is gay and wants to help further civil rights found strong support some quarters, but his advocy met ls enthiasm among some people Alabama, where he was born and CEO Tim Cook speaks at the WSJD Live nference Laguna Beach, California October 27, 2014. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson Cook said a magaze edorial he hop his example will spire others to ph for socially nservative Alabama, where gay marriage remas illegal and workers n lawfully be fired on the basis of their sexual orientatn, some said they wish the Apple executive had kept his sexual orientatn private.

MILONOV: ‘BAN APPLE CHIEF OM RSIA FOR BEG GAY’

”When ducted on Monday to the Alabama Amy of Honor, Cook ma ments cril of the state’s progrs on rights for gays and mori.

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley, a Republin and opponent of same-sex marriage, said afterward that he objected to nnectns Cook drew his ductn speech between the civil rights movement and gay rights, the Anniston Star newspaper reported. Birmgham-based state Reprentative Patricia Todd, a Democrat who is Alabama’s sole openly gay lawmaker, said she drew strength om Cook’s announcement, ma an article he wrote Bloomberg said the prospects for a bill she plans to retroduce next year to legalize gay marriage will be strengthened by Cook’s example.