In a moving open letter published on the Bloomberg Businessweek, he writes that he is “proud to be gay” and considers 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,” he writes.
“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.”
Tim Cook clearly didn’t have to do this; after all, he’s extremely successful, wealthy and content in life. But by doing so, he’s going to save lives, reduce suicides and bullying rates in the gay community, and help those who have been brainwashed to believe they are depraved sinners and are gulping anti-depressants see themselves in a new light. Tim Cook, like many other well-known and openly gay people, sends a message to the young adult and others living in fear that it’s ok to love yourself for who you are, and that you’re not weird, different or suffering from some kind of illness.
Imagine just 20 years ago if the CEO of one of the largest companies in the world publicly admitted he was gay. It would never happen. He would have faced an enormous amount of backlash, hatred, discrimination and quite possibly it would have cost him his job. The gay rights movement is in full swing and it’s only a matter of time before every state in the nation legalizes gay marriage. Equality for all is the right thing to do. There will be absolutely no backlash to Apple as a company, and in fact, this can only help them. It’s time for all companies to take a stand and support inclusion and diversity programs for LGBT employees.
It’s time for America to grow up and recognize that homosexuality is neither a choice nor a disease, any more than being a heterosexual is. Homosexuality is a natural predisposition that exists throughout the animal kingdom. It’s time America welcomed everyone into our culture as an equal and allowed people to their live lives on their own terms.
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