Apple CEO Tim Cook has come out as gay, saying that fighting for equality is at the core of his personal
and business ethos.
The head of the tech giant said his sexuality has never been a secret at his company, but acknowledging his homosexuality as a public statement about equality was "more important" than his privacy.
"Let me be clear: I'm proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me," Cook said in a statement in Bloomberg Businessweek on Thursday.
"I've had the good fortune to work at a company that loves creativity and innovation and knows it can only flourish when you embrace people's differences. Not everyone is so lucky," he said.
The Apple CEO said coming out was part of his personal fight to stand up for minorities, a value he said his company also embraces.
"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.
"And I will personally continue to advocate for equality for all people until my toes point up."
Cook, who took over as the head of Apple in 2011 after the death of former CEO Steve Jobs, being gay was only part of his identity.
He described himself as a "an engineer, an uncle, a nature lover, a fitness nut, a son of the South, a sports fanatic, and many other things".
Share
