Tim Cook Outs Himself. Never Hid The Fact, Just Didn’t Discuss it.

Tim Cook did something on today that a lot of people thought he had already done.  He came came out as a homosexual one would be forgiven for thinking Cook had already done that

Out magazine made Cook number one in its 2013 LG BT power list.  T he magazine says the yearly list ranks the gay men and women whose power and prestige is instrumental in influencing the way Americans think about and engage with the world.

Never mind the fact that never commented publicly on his sexual orientation, in June of this year Forbes says one of the hosts of CNBC’s Squawk on the street appeared to out cook.  Co-anchor Simon Hobbs said on air I think Tim Cook is fairly open about the fact that he’s gay at the head of Apple isn’t he?

With Apple’s first corporate participation and pride this year in San Francisco and with comments the CEO made earlier this week when being inducted into the Alabama Academy of honour Alabama being Cook’s home states if you thought Tim Cook was gay it would be a safe bet but he’s never said so publicly till today.

In an open letter published in Business Week Cook wrote about cherishing his privacy at the same time he’s willing to give up a bit of that for what he sees as a greater good.

Quoting couple of key passages from the letter

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 had come to realise that my desire for personal privacy has been holding me back from doing something more important that is what is led me to today.

he goes on to say

While I have never denied my sexuality or even 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

It’s tempting to put the whole letter down here but here’s the thing it’s not my letter to read.  Cook goes on to say that 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 any think that’s made him a better person.

All parts of the planet are becoming more accepting of homosexuals and homosexuality yet there still plenty of discrimination he points out.

There are laws on the books in the 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 they 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 and so he’ll let go of some of his privacy.

Quoting the CEO again

I don’t consider myself an activist but I realise how much I 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 and it’s worth the trade-off of my own privacy.

There’s plenty more to the letter and I highly encourage you to see it out.