Apple CEO Tim Cook Says He is “Proud to Be Gay”

[Josh]

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-10-30/tim-cook-im-proud-to-be-gay

While pretty much everyone that follows the tech industry already knew he was gay, this is the first time he has declared it in a public manner, making him the first CEO of a major American company to come out of the closet.

[RMHoward]

Good for him.  Another oddity in nature.

[finehoe]

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-10-30/tim-cook-im-proud-to-be-gay

While pretty much everyone that follows the tech industry already knew he was gay, this is the first time he has declared it in a public manner, making him the first CEO of a major American company to come out of the closet.

I thought this was already common knowledge.  But good for him.

[WarDamJagFan]

Meanwhile, the CEO of Mozilla was forced to resign for being proud of being straight. Except it was only a tiny donation, not a public statement which forced him out.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/03/us-mozilla-ceo-resignation-idUSBREA321Y320140403

[RMHoward]

Meanwhile, the CEO of Mozilla was forced to resign for being proud of being straight. Except it was only a tiny donation, not a public statement which forced him out.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/03/us-mozilla-ceo-resignation-idUSBREA321Y320140403

Sure, bring facts into it.  Prepare to be skewered.

[AaroniusLives]

Meanwhile, the CEO of Mozilla was forced to resign for being proud of being straight. Except it was only a tiny donation, not a public statement which forced him out.

Way to distort, dude.

[WarDamJagFan]

Meanwhile, the CEO of Mozilla was forced to resign for being proud of being straight. Except it was only a tiny donation, not a public statement which forced him out.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/03/us-mozilla-ceo-resignation-idUSBREA321Y320140403

Sure, bring facts into it.  Prepare to be skewered.

Why yes. A $1000 donation isn't exactly breaking the bank. It was also on an amendment which was even passed by the people of California themselves. There is no condemnation here towards Mr. Howard. Just presenting the "other side", if you will.

[finehoe]

Meanwhile, the CEO of Mozilla was forced to resign for being proud of being straight. Except it was only a tiny donation, not a public statement which forced him out.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/03/us-mozilla-ceo-resignation-idUSBREA321Y320140403

Feel free to boycott Apple if it makes you feel better.

[WarDamJagFan]

I won't be boycotting. Mr Howard is also a proud Auburn alumni. I don't care what his orientation is. Auburn alumn + good businessman = good in my book.

[KenFSU]

Good for Tim Cook.

Can't get much bigger than the most recognizable (living) face of the most valuable publicly traded company in the world coming out officially.

Should and will be a real inspiration to the LGBT community.

Though there's obviously still much work to do, it's pretty amazing how much progress has been made in these last few years.

[Gunnar]

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-10-30/tim-cook-im-proud-to-be-gay

While pretty much everyone that follows the tech industry already knew he was gay, this is the first time he has declared it in a public manner, making him the first CEO of a major American company to come out of the closet.

Should that even matter ? I'd say the true test is when news like this is no longer newsworthy.

[spuwho]

Should that even matter ? I'd say the true test is when news like this is no longer newsworthy.

+ Infinity

[finehoe]

Sure, bring facts into it.  Prepare to be skewered.

Speaking of facts...

Tim Cook said he's gay. In 29 states, you could be fired for doing the same

http://fortune.com/2014/10/30/tim-cook-said-hes-gay-in-29-states-you-could-be-fired-for-doing-the-same/

[simms3]

Good for him.  Another oddity in nature.

Are you serious?  I didn't know people as narrow-minded as you even existed still in the free/educated world.

Meanwhile, the CEO of Mozilla was forced to resign for being proud of being straight. Except it was only a tiny donation, not a public statement which forced him out.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/03/us-mozilla-ceo-resignation-idUSBREA321Y320140403

If you are touching the tech industry in anyway, and/or if you are living/doing business in the Bay Area, you better be gay friendly.  That's a little too obvious for some, though.  When your employee base is so gay that it's not so much an

oddity of nature

, you shouldn't alienate them by donating to causes that restrict their personal freedoms and basic human rights, and that enhance discrimination towards them both in and out of the workplace.  I wouldn't call that being

good businessman

.

I'm still confused by your quotes, though - are you referring to RMHoward or Brendan Eich?

[ronchamblin]

The pressure for society as a whole to accept gay individuals and gay "couples" is gaining in momentum.  And I cannot imagine a reversal of the process unless an entity -- such as a renewed and powerful church or dictatorial state -- pressures for, or forces the banning of, gay acceptance and freedoms.  I cannot imagine the emergence of a renewed all-powerful church, nor a powerful dictatorial government, run by an individual or class who might have an agenda eliminating the freedoms recently gained by the gay community. 

Recent years finds more individuals, who consider themselves to be something other than gay, increasingly obliged to accept, to support, and to live with the openly gay individuals and couples.  Realizing that humans must have the freedom to do as they wish as long as their behavior does no harm to other individuals, or to society as a whole, we find more reasonable non-gay individuals accepting and accommodating the trend.  Can we call it common sense?     

Although some might adopt and raise children, gay couples, if their population spreads to other countries and increases significantly, might provide a small measure of benefit to the health of the earth by causing a small decrease in the earth's population.  Our small and fragile home, which we call the earth -- and the animals upon it -- would be much better off if we allowed the population of humans -- as they have proven toxic to any natural ecological system -- to drop below one billion.

In any case, there will always be the proud and perhaps insecure individuals who contend that its good and best to be straight.  And some, perhaps those who have less confidence in their "manhood", or "womanhood", will continue to offer subtle offense and condescension to the gay individuals or couples so as to buttress the opinion that their own existence offers proof that each individual should project only the classic traits that give manliness to the man, and the female / feminine to the woman.

Whereas I, along with most other simple boys of long ago, used to view "queers" as rare oddities, beings to which one would not wish contact, I now look upon the gay individuals as being much the same as me, only perhaps with some different preferences, such as would be the case with beer or music.

A balance, or comfort in the mind, regarding the idea of the gay/lesbian thing, at least from my perspective, seems to boil down to understanding the predicament placed upon humans by nature ... experience in living, the wish to respect and love others, and the idea of the necessity of freedom for individuals.

And there is that saying again. ... something like ... Do unto others as you would have them do unto you?