Tim Cook at Apple's 2012 Worldwide Developers Conference.
Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, wrote in a post in Businessweek on Thursday that he is “proud to be gay.”
“I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me,” he added.
“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,” he continues.
His coming out publicly has, inevitably, brought up a storm of controversy in the media. Not only is same-sex attraction controversial in and of itself, but Apple is one of the most successful and influential Fortune 500 companies in the world.
Those supportive of same-sex relationships consider Cook as a “role model” and “hero.”
“By deciding to speak publicly about his sexuality, Tim Cook has become a role model, and will speed up changes in the corporate world,” John Browne, former CEO of BP, said. “This is an important step in the journey towards full and uncompromising inclusion of LGBT people.”
“The fact that Apple is so incredibly ubiquitous and successful – they just posted their most successful quarter of all time – and that it has been led by a now openly gay leader, sends a tremendous message,” Todd Sears, who founded an LGBT leadership and strategic advising firm, told Washington Post.
However, others see it as a political step for Apple.
“Put aside the religious objections to Cook’s statement, and the ambiguity as to whether he considers his sexual drive a gift from God or his choices about how to act on them a gift from God,” started Ben Shapiro in his post on Breitbart.
“Focus in on the fact that Cook doesn’t just come out as gay, he then says that he will use Apple as a political tool in the fight for homosexual rights.”
Cook did mention that Apple had “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 will personally continue to advocate for equality for all people until my toes point up.”
The use of ‘we’ and ‘our’ in his statement seems to have an implication that he and Apple share the same values and will advocate for the same positions for social issues.
“Apple under Steve Jobs was not a company that took a stand on any issues which were not seen as relevant to its business,” said Rory Cellan-Jones, BBC’s news technology correspondent. “Tim Cook has been more forthcoming on all sorts of issues, including equal rights for gay workers, and while he says he does not see himself as an activist, that is how many will now see him.”
Will this affect Apple’s sales? Most people believe it won’t hurt Apple, definitely not in the United States where the tide is shifting in favor of the gay community, and not even in conservative countries such as Russia or China. Mae Anderson, a business writer for the Associated Press, wrote that “Cook’s coming out is unlikely to affect Apple’s sales in Russia, where most people don’t mix ideology with consumption.”
Ian Schafer, the founder and CEO of Deep Focus, said that Cook’s actions may actually work to “humanize” Apple’s brand even more.
“Apple has done a great job with humanizing the brand,” Schafer told International Business Times. “It has a lot to do with people feeling a kinship with the company. I think it does have a reputation for doing things that are good for its customers. That’s a very human characteristic.”
Tim Cook is one of seven openly gay former and current CEOs, according to Fortune, including CEOs from Urban Outfitters, BP, Amerian Eagle Outfitters, and Abercrombie and Fitch.
