Roger Fingas
In accepting his Visibility Award at a Human Rights Campaign dinner on Saturday night, Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke about his coming out as gay and argued that there are still obstacles to LGBT acceptance even if much progress has been made.
Making reference to things like this summer's Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage, Cook suggested that the U.S. was closer than ever to achieving Martin Luther King Jr.'s goal of people being judged solely on their character. He noted however that that the country isn't there yet, and that LGBT people are still sometimes bullied, seen as defective, or even sent off for "reparative" treatment.
"People need to hear that being gay does not give you limitations in life," he commented in an NBC video of the event.
Cook also received positive words from people like HRC President Chad Griffin, and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, who said that Cook serves as an inspiration for kids worried about being different and what they can achieve.
Although Cook's sexuality was rumored for some time, the CEO only officially came out in October 2014, hoping to inspire others. During his tenure Apple has been been more assertive than ever in supporting LGBT causes, for instance by backing the Equality Act meant to end discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation.
Cook himself has spoken regularly on the topic, and been a major HRC donor. Apple has regularly won perfect scores on the pro-LGBT organization's Corporate Equality Index.
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17 Comments
I agree with what he's doing but at the same time understand the people who say that he shouldn't involve Apple in such matters. It's a difficult balance to find and I think this battle deserves to be fought under the name of Apple. After all it's surprising to see people who don't see that Apple is liberal at the root.
[quote name="ClemyNX" url="/t/188661/apples-tim-cook-accepts-visibility-award-at-human-rights-campaign-dinner#post_2785840"]I agree with what he's doing but at the same time understand the people who say that he shouldn't involve Apple in such matters. It's a difficult balance to find and I think this battle deserves to be fought under the name of Apple. After all it's surprising to see people who don't see that Apple is liberal at the root.[/quote] Jobs was a lot more libertarian than liberal.
[quote name="TheWhiteFalcon" url="/t/188661/apples-tim-cook-accepts-visibility-award-at-human-rights-campaign-dinner#post_2785844"] Jobs was a lot more libertarian than liberal.[/quote]And Apple is a far better company in every way for that shift.
I think Tim Cook may be libertarian as well.
Years ago, Steve Wozniak said that Jobs read Atlas Shrugged and it changed his worldview-- did the same thing for me. Was a liberal, became a libertarian after reading that book. (It pretty much demolishes liberalism, which is why liberal media is constantly bashing Ayn Rand)
Strictly speaking, Apple isn't too libertarian- discrimination is the nature of freedom of association. EG: If you don't want to associate with someone because they are gay or christian, that's your right. It might be stupid-- and personally I think it is-- but that's what freedom of association is. Gay Marriage is merely saying you have the right to marry who you want-- also freedom of association.
Tim is representing Tim Cook here. I've got nothing wrong with him being a leading light for gay people everywhere.
In the past, gay kids often committed suicide, in part because they had no role models, and believed they were the only ones like that. Tim Cook dispels that perception, and I commend him for that.
"Today,I'm thrilled to announce that..."