Photograph by Ashley
Gilbertson for Bloomberg Businessweek
|
The article below is originally written by Tim Cook
and published on US leading technology website, Bloomberg Businessweek.
Excerpt;
Throughout my professional life, I’ve tried to
maintain a basic level of privacy. I come from humble roots, and I don’t seek
to draw attention to myself. Apple is already one of the most closely watched
companies in the world, and I like keeping the focus on our products and the
incredible things our customers achieve with them.
At the same time, 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,
and I’ve come to realize that my desire for personal privacy has been holding
me back from doing something more important. That’s what has led me to today.
For years, I’ve been open with many people about my
sexual orientation. Plenty of colleagues at Apple know I’m gay, and it doesn’t
seem to make a difference in the way they treat me. Of course, I’ve had the
good fortune to work at a company that loves creativity and innovation and
knows it can only flourish when you embrace people’s differences. Not everyone
is so lucky.
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.
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. It’s made me more
empathetic, which has led to a richer life. It’s been tough and uncomfortable
at times, but it has given me the confidence to be myself, to follow my own path,
and to rise above adversity and bigotry. It’s also given me the skin of a
rhinoceros, which comes in handy when you’re the CEO of Apple.
The world has changed so much since I was a kid.
America is moving toward marriage equality, and the public figures who have
bravely come out have helped change perceptions and made our culture more
tolerant. Still, there are laws on the books in a 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 we 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.
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.
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.
The company I am so fortunate to lead has long
advocated for human rights and equality for all. We’ve taken a strong stand in
support of a workplace equality bill before Congress, just as we stood for
marriage equality in our home state of California. And we spoke up in Arizona
when that state’s legislature passed a discriminatory bill targeting the gay
community. We’ll continue to fight for our values, and I believe that any CEO
of this incredible company, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation,
would do the same. And I will personally continue to advocate for equality for
all people until my toes point up.
When I arrive in my office each morning, I’m greeted
by framed photos of Dr. King and Robert F. Kennedy. I don’t pretend that
writing this puts me in their league. All it does is allow me to look at those
pictures and know that I’m doing my part, however small, to help others. We
pave the sunlit path toward justice together, brick by brick. This is my brick.
What are your
thoughts on this? I have a lot of question about being gay; is it natural or a
mistake in the gene or hormone?
@Roluseye
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