Apple CEO Tim Cook: 'I'm proud to be gay'

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Apple has been among the top American companies for embracing equality. Fred Sainz, vice president of communications at Human Rights Campaign, says Apple has achieved the top rating in their Corporate Equality Index every year since it was introduced in 2002.Apple CEO Tim Cook publicly confirmed he is gay in an opinion piece published Thursday, making him the highest-profile chief executive to come out.
In an essay published by Bloomberg Businessweekadvocating for human rights and equality, Cook says he was inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King to set aside his desire for privacy to do something "more important."
"While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven't publicly acknowledged it either, until now," writes Cook. "So let me be clear: I'm proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me."
Cook says he's been open with others about being gay, but felt compelled to publicly come out to help others. "I don't consider myself an activist, but I realize how much I've benefited from the sacrifice of others," writes Cook. "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."
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In a statement released Thursday, gay rights group the Human Rights Campaign praised Cook's "courageous" decision. The organization says Cook becomes the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 company."Tim Cook's announcement today will save countless lives," says HRC President Chad Griffin. "He has always been a role model, but today millions across the globe will draw inspiration from a different aspect of his life."
Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, applauded Cook and Apple's "long history" in demanding equality. "As a person of faith, a son of the south, and the CEO of one of the world's largest companies, Tim Cook's story reaches from church pews to the C-Suite, sending a powerful message to countless people that anyone can live the life they love," says Ellis.
                                                                                                                           


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