“For years, I’ve been open with many people about my sexual orientation. Plenty of colleagues at Apple know I’m gay, and it doesn’t seem to make a difference in the way they treat me,” Tim Cook writes for Businessweek. “Of course, 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.”
“While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven’t publicly acknowledged it either, until now,” Cook writes. “So let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.”
“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,” Cook writes. “We pave the sunlit path toward justice together, brick by brick. This is my brick.”
Much more in the full article here.
Related articles:
Apple joins Gay Pride parade in Austin, Texas – September 21, 2014
Apple releases video highlighting employee participation in San Francisco’s LGBT Pride Parade – July 8, 2014
Tim Cook, Apple employees march in LGBT Pride Parade in San Francisco – June 30, 2014
Apple inviting employees to march in annual San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade – May 7, 2014
Apple donates $100,000 to fight same-sex marriage ban in California (Proposition 8) – October 24, 2008
I’m proud to be heterosexual, and I consider being heterosexual among the greatest gifts God has given me.
Nothing wrong with that. You should be proud of what and who you are. Unless you are a d-bag, then you shouldn’t be so proud.
I am replying here so my comments are near the top.
Obviously, Mr. Cook understands and has a proper attitude about God and the challenges He gives each one of us. There are many that have been given what seems to be, and many times is, unfair circumstances and good for those that can overcome those challenges and persevere.
Keep up the good work, Mr. Cook.
Well said. i wonder if anyone understands the blinding pressure a prominent CEO experiences. My father tried to explain it to me. He said leadership is either of the Chamberlain variety, or of the Churchill variety. You either cave in to outsiders, or hold to a principle you were born with.
Why deuce bag comment? Bigot!
I don’t consider being black a gift. I consider it highly educational. I consider living in this country the greatest “gift” I’ve ever been given. Though being an atheist, it’s all just accidental. There was no “giving.”
Thelonius… I agree with 90+% of your postings, but we sometimes don’t see eye to eye. But in this case, I would give you 6 STARS if MDN allowed!! So much spoken in such short comment.
In spite of everything I have to like you. & for me, and i am certain many others, it is Life itself that is the gift, and none other.
hey, congratulations to your San Francisco Giants on their World Series victory…was a nail-biter to the last out.
For me the tension was so extreme i could not bear to witness that contest at all. Still can not believe the outcome, and that man — Madison is a girl’s name but he doesn’t throw like one. 🙂
All children are born agnostic and are indoctrinated into the faith of their parents. Atheists and agnostics just rediscover what is apparent to any thinking person.
Being an American is certainly better than living in some other countries- but not all by any means. I wish America would live up to it’s potential and not down to the lowest common denominator.
I had the great fortune to have a Gay roommate my Freshman year of college and a Gay roommate during my time in the Army. Living with someone informs you in a way you cannot read in a book, and it showed me the bullshit church taught about GLBTQ people is nonsense.
Cannot speak to being African-American or Black as I am not a person of color. Sadly, I am the descendant of slave holders in South Carolina- the old Plantation house was a B&B the last time I checked online.
Then how does your little theory explain people who were raised atheists becoming religious or theists later in life?
Your narrative isn’t that accurate.
Desire for conformity
You mean rocking fedoras and claiming intellectual superiority isn’t enough?
Hey! Easy on the fedoras there, buster!
I don’t really claim to know the personal reasons for someone to turn to organised religion, but I can say that at least some of the people who were for a good part of their atheists end up turning to some religion is do this as they grow older and begin to experience the basic fear of death. In a way, they are hedging their bets; the reality that you cease to exist at the moment of death becomes scarier and scarier as that moment approaches, and faith provides a narrative that allows you to mitigate those fears by allowing for a possibility that your consciousness may continue to exist beyond the physical death of your body. I have personally met several older adults who were quite comfortable atheists for the whole of their adult life, and have slowly been turning to organised religion (in all those cases, the predominant one of their community, be it Christianity or Islam, as was the case), with the sole casual explanation: “What if there IS afterlife?”
Afterlife insurance….
Also, we have to remember that evolution, as a theory itself, is evolving and changing. The methods and specifics of even major mechanisms of evolution are debated and agreed on. It’s not this universal theory of oneness and unity that all scientists agree on. When you consider this, and when you personally see personal agendas and hypocrisy in the ranks of science over a lifetime, it’s not hard to imagine why some choose to eschew the popular opinion that the universe came about by chance. Perhaps they are the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes…
Nah. 70% of the world believes some magic person did it.
We atheists have more to worry about than Gays!!!!
http://atheism.about.com/b/2006/03/24/atheists-hated-more-than-gays-muslims-all-other-groups.htm
If they need the sense of security, then that’s fine.
But I hope fear of death will never be a reason for me changing my view of the universe.
To use a war-time analogy, in a situation where death may come at any time, I believe there have been many atheists in foxholes.
How is it that married people with children later come out as Gay? Same answer applies- they were gay all along and it took them some time to figure things out.
To put things in a Christian context:
1 John 2:19King James Version (KJV)
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
“Sadly, I am the descendant of slave holders…” LMFAO. Dude, seriously how brainwashed can anyone possibly be! You are wallowing in a past that is only relevant in your mind because you make it so. GET OVER IT. YOU ARE NOT A SLAVE OWNER and that is all that matters to any rational human being. No one, absolutely no one cares about your ancestors. As a black person, I sure as hell don’t. Big whoop.
And while you’re at it, drop the trite, insulting, nauseating “person of color” BS because it makes you sound like a complete ass.
Don’t you see? That crap is a round about way of ascribing importance to yourself. “Oh look at me and all my white guilt. I’m so ‘evolved.’ ”
It’s comical!!
And BTW, Let me explain what makes this country so great.
This country has the unique distinction of being the only country that was designed, literally from the ground up. It is the greatest experiment in social engineering that has ever existed. It didn’t simply come into existence. It was designed, engineered, created, and built. The revolution did not start with the first soldier to die, it started in the minds of great men, long long before the 1770s.
The founders, acting more like programmers, built a “machine” and incorporated into it algorithms from great minds like John Locke and Plato. As far as I am concerned, John Locke was the Steve Jobs of country design! America is indeed the invention of great British thinkers!
This country is above all else, a system.
Like any other system it had and still has bugs. Designed into the country, though, was a debugger. A debugger so effective, that this country, in a mere fraction of the time that it took other great countries, has eliminated serious flaws like institutional and actionable racism and sexism. Sure there are racists and sexists still out there but they are irrelevant. They are nothing but remnants, echoes of bugs that have been eliminated. Residual errors.
The debugging system is manifested in the Constitution, which empowers the people and protects the people from themselves in the form of The Government! It even fixes itself if need be! The country is phenomenal.
Now we as special interest groups have tried to break it throughout history, but it continues to fix itself. We keep trying to break it, and it keeps fixing itself, in favor of the characteristics the founders thought vital, most importantly, freedom. In particular, individual freedoms, and natural rights to life, liberty, property, and prosperity.
That is what is astonishing to me. America is the Macintosh of countries! Others have imitated her, but they’ve only achieved Windows or Android like similarity.
Pointing out that you are descended of slave owners is like pointing out that there were bugs in Mac OS version 1. Who cares?
You are who you are and that is all that is important! You’re obviously not a hater, you obviously care a lot about justice and equality, and to that end, whatever your great, great, great grand pappy did is his effin’ problem. Not yours. Welcome to the 21st century!
I think Darwin Evolved was just being polite and its generally good writing to use synonyms for the same concept when referred to twice, just to not be boring. I.e. “Black” then “person of color” in the same sentence.
But your comment on Locke and Constitutional programming was great. I have thought about the Constitution like a country OS for sometime.
If I were to upgrade the constitution, the only two things I would change are:
(1) Balanced budget amendment. Get rid of 90% of the damage of misspent money. I.e. less money misspent and what was at least would not result in debt. Also, less money for anyone from left or right, individual or corporation, to fight over, so less interest-group oriented politics and corruption.
(2) Give term limits to parties as the Constitution limited power between branches, but never addressed parties so they have become the place where power consolidates, giving individuals very little real choice. Say any party can only take 25% of Senate/House seats, and only hold onto the same seat for 3 terms or as long as the incumbent wins (to allow quality people to stay in office).
Then like any OS programmer I would not make any further changes for 100 years to let those improvements play out.
I agree with the need for some limited OS upgrades, but balanced budget would not be one of them, for a couple of reasons. It would be very hard to fight a war on a pay-as-you-go basis. You just have to go all out and get it done, like the first Gulf war. The wars of empire should not happen anyway.
I would modify the party term limit idea to individual term limits. The US is not set up for a parliamentary system with coalition governments. Parties can’t be created out of thin air and the existing ones change over time. There are about five major versions of the GOP, Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Reagan and today. I could go for the right individual in three out of five eras. Today is not one of them. Structuring the rule to protect incumbents seems unwise
A change to the OS I would make would be to systemize the establishment of Congressional District boundaries. The current safe-seat gerrymandering system subverts the will of the people, IMHO.
I would also bring back the original Constitutional Congressional pay scale. It was limited to reimbursement for travel and lodging expenses while Congress was in session. The current bunch of bandits get immediate elevation to the top decile of US income upon election. For most of them its the best job they’ll ever hope to get and its no wonder they’re willing to do anything to keep it. And there is no process for the American people to call them on it. Talk about welfare queens. It starts at the top.
While we’re at it, lets limit the time Congress is in session to no more than 90 days per year. They’ve proven they don’t do anything anyway and they don’t need much time to do it.
I can see Im headed down a slippery slope here. Back to the topic, I’m glad MrCook decided to go public. Best way to disarm the back-stabbing whisperers.
Anyway, good thoughts.
Don’t think a balanced budget can happen. That’s why it is not in the Constitution. With a balanced budget there would be no growth and there would be less money in the system as the U.S. population increases. That’s why we are off the gold standard. We could not mine enough gold to keep up with our population.
Think about it. Where did the money in your savings account come from? It came from government over-spending. That is the mechanism to infuse cash into the system, aka the market.
Very well stated (as usual for you).
Just to use myself as an example. I am mixed race (mostly black/white).
My white ancestors not only owned slaves, but at least one of them was arrested and convicted for horrible abuse and atrocities against slaves. Given the time and place this occurred, means this guy was really a bad guy.
My girlfriend is a direct descendent of a famous southern civil war figure. The fame of which ran in the family all the way to her generation (she used to get contacted by historians and civil war re-en-actors).
Heck, even the home I live in has a very racist past. The home owners association contract that I had to sign banned all non-white racists from living in anything but a servant’s house. This was later changed via amendment to the contract, but only because of (and well after) the civil rights act.
The point is… I am who I am. The people of the past are history.
No bleeding heart here, I am not ashamed for what my ancestors did. I am ashamed that our country was built on stolen labor (indentured servants, slaves), stolen land (the bulk of North America was stolen from native peoples), genocide (the systemic destruction of native peoples) and that we are in active denial of those facts.
The America we have today is far different from what the founders wished and that is both a good and a bad thing.
I guess I’m trying to say, you are not to blame for what ancient morons did.
Great words! Thank you!
TLM.
No reason for such harsh comeback. It only make you look like an Angry person and contradicts what you are preaching !
Darwin E was being polite and stating his opinion and perspective !
America is the invention of British thinkers?
Guess the Revolutionary War, Washington crossing the Delaware and the authors of the U.S. Constitution meant nothing in the formation of this country?
I THINK NOT!
Thelonius, we think much alike. Even if I am a true believer in Christ and you are an atheist. We need to drop the past, judge the present, and plan for the future (personal future, societal future, environmental future). Whether you are a believer or not – it is the same.
I also agree with Cook, that diversity makes us stronger, however as long as we have some basic common morals. Like “all men/women are created equal.”
Every single one of us started with an egg and a sperm, and we developed in a womb. The genes that we share in common are so close to 100% that it is mind boggling. From science, we are all family.
From my faith: we are all sons and daughters of God, in short we are family – all of us!
It’s a damn shame Obama is our first black President and not you Theionious Mac! So many brilliant Black men (and women) in this country and we got stuck with him in “The House.”
You cast a pretty wide net of intolerance making blanket statements like that. Some very ‘thinking’ people have come to the conclusion that evidence points to a creator. There are, in fact, a number of scientists that don’t “come out” openly and express their conclusions on the origins of life, for reasons that should be obvious.
Get real. Drink just one more.
There are two issues being raised in your comment, Thelonious, and I think it is worth keeping them separate. First, is his sexual orientation something that Tim Cook should hide out of shame? You and I agree that it is not. It’s his personal business that only has a political dimension because society has made it so… like being a person of color.
Second, can he regard his orientation as a gift from God? We differ on that one. It seems as if most of the posters below agree with you that he can’t, either because homosexuality is a curse or because there is no God to give anyone a gift.
I—and I think an increasing number of Christians and other persons of faith—differ with either common response to that second question. We are as religious as anyone else (Cook, like me, grew up in the South, where it is hard to avoid absorbing the Bible into your bones). We believe that people are creatures of God (that is to say, we have been created by God and endowed by our Creator with many gifts). I regard my sexual orientation towards the opposite sex as a gift which has enabled me to share my life with a wonderful woman.
I find it hard to believe that it is not a gift for my gay and lesbian fellow believers when they find an equally rewarding relationship. Insofar as I understand Pope Francis, he seems to agree. As Genesis puts it, “It is not good for humans to live alone.” If someone does not have the gift of celibacy, it is better that they live in a loving relationship than suffer through a series of pointless encounters.
Like the Pope, I’m still not altogether happy calling state-sanctioned gay relationships “marriage,” since I think the government should have stayed out of the marriage business entirely and restrained itself to defining civil partnerships for gay and straight alike. That would let religious bodies exercise their constitutional freedom to define the marriage rules for their own members without state interference. Because of the entanglement of Church and State on this issue, it is impossible for the government to make policy about marriage without impacting religious institutions.
In any case, the opposition that many people seem to see between religion—and specifically traditional Christianity—and equal rights for LGBT folks is not written in stone like the tablets from Sinai. There are a lot of Christian denominations that welcome gay rights, and even more individual congregations, pastors, and believers. If important elements of the leadership in the Roman Catholic Church can develop their thinking on this, anyone can.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that non-Christians should not try to put all of us believers into the same box.
Oh believe me, I don’t put all believers in the same box, not by a long shot. I’m terribly happy, for instance, that we border Mexico and most of our illegal immigration is Catholic and not Islamic.
I’m in a funny position. I believe irrational thinking to be the greatest of all evils. The root of all evil if you will. I consider religions to be irrational thinking of the worst sort. There is, however, nothing I can do about it. People have the right to believe whatever they wish to believe. What they don’t necessarily have is the right to act upon others based upon those beliefs.
I also believe that government should not be making policy about marriage, but by the same token consenting adults should be allowed to marry whomever they wish. This also necessarily means I support polygamy. No way around that gotcha. Heh.
The beauty of this country is that we will try to support these sub-cultural ideas no matter how much introspective torment it causes us.
We just have to be careful to not lose track of who we are. And if we remember we are Americans and individuals first, then Christians, then sexual preferences, and so on, we’ll be fine.
Did you notice how mant times you used the word brlief ?
At the end of the day dont knock belief.
You dont know the answer .. Nor does anybody else!
Talking about irrationality … believing one belief is superior to another would qualify as one.
You also used the word evil… But there is no such thing according to what i have read from you. Things just are… No evil no good, no gifts etcc…. they just are ! Right?
It is not that simple T.
The Absoulte truth is unknowable. Beliefs are what we resort to when faced with the unknowable or the unknown ! Hence one of the most powerful forces in human nature and condition !
Dont knock belief
And be aware of the distinction between fact and brlief !
139 posts! Wow, coming out sure still does get a reaction. Tim has done unmeasurable good with this essay and this statement. The quantum effect of this essay will not be traceable.
For the Christians, the Muslims, the Hindus, etc. you are all in the same box of believers, that’s what belief is: accepting that what is irrational is truth. It is not. It is belief. IF you did not have a direct impact on the life you have now before you had this life, how could you possibly believe you have an impact on the next? Anyway, off topic.
For all the folks that started paragraphs with the word “I”, was this about you? No. It was about Tim. It is about all the future Tims. It is not a competition about how proud you are to be anything. It is about his awesome leadership. It is about his awesome level of caring about those who might suffer that he has never met. With this essay he seems to have really put into practice the words of Christ: use your talents, choose goodness.
The only regret I have is that this is news. Someday, one day, I hope this will become irrelevant. It seems to me he is saying don’t define yourself by your sexuality, embrace your sexuality and make it something wonderful. Is a marriage announcement in the near future for Tim? Hard to imagine why else he would do this now. Tim, if you are in love and want to get married, I couldn’t be happier for you. The day I married my husband at 55 years old was the happiest day of my life! May you have that, too. Way to go, Tim.
Ha! hole-in-one!
My only regret is the inevitability of every thread being hijacked by soapbox hacks.
This is Tim’s day.
Totally misinterpreted. But since you have never studied the bible you will believe…….whatever makes you feel good! Which actually is the first law in the book of Satan.
“Ther was no giving , all accidental”
Maybe better stated as an opinion rather than a fact since the truth is unkowable( at least for now and the foreseeable future)
Your beliefs render the perspective u have on your life and hence the quality of your life. Very personal and good on you !
But it is important to realize … Atheism is just another belief system!
Accidental is for those who won’t believe. Coincidental is for those who struggle to believe. Actual is for those who know of whom they have believed.
The best tweet of the day was from venture capitalist Hunter Walk:
“Samsung announces it’s gay, too.”
I just get so tired of people who are gay having to announce it to the world. DUDE Get on with your life. Only homosexual people feel the need to go have parades and anthems and other crap. Straight people don’t go around having a straight parade every year. We don’t take over Disney world and announce we are STRAIGHT and wear straight shirts.
Fine if your gay your gay or straight or half way in between or whatever. BUT WE DONT WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT. Just get on with being CEO and don’t screw it up. You as CEO of apple have allot more you need to be focused on.
I just don’t understand why gay people have to announce it to the world and the press eats it up. Anymore its just another day in earth. Years ago it was a big deal for someone to say something. Now its like oh yay another one who thinks they have to tell the world about it so they feel good.
GET ON WITH LIFE and live it and quit running around telling the world about what you do in the bedroom.
And we stand by you Tim Cook just the same.
The one line suck up Apple cheerleader wonder is here again. WooHoo!!! 71 five stars and a buck will buy you a large coffee.
OMG. But then again, it doesn’t change anything.
Together we stand
Divided we fall
One and All
We all fall eventually. Unless you REPENT!
Right on TC!
It is a good, common sense essay on a subject he had to speak to eventually. Well done.
Well considered. Well written. Laudable sentiment and goals. My kids are much more comfortable with LGBT people than mine were at the same point in life. There is greater integration and lesser consideration of superficial factors such as skin color that were sources of overt discrimination in previous decades. I am glad for Tim that he has found the strength and will to use his own situation as a catalyst for continued progress. I look forward to the day when this type of declaration is unnecessary, when it would not be “news,” when people embrace the differences among us rather than seeking to differentiate, categorize, and label.
Peace be with you, Tim Cook. Your compassion for others is a credit to you.
And your equally compassionate and articulate response brought tears to my eyes. Your kids have an awesome dad.
+1 kiss
And with so much class.
Just keep producing great products…who you love is your business
I don’t care if he’s gay or straight.
But don’t expect me to celebrate it. And I don’t want Apple’s CEO to become a vocal activist for anything other than Apple.
Corporations all over the world are often vocal activists about a variety of issues. Apple can walk and chew gum at the same time. Don’t sweat about it.
Actually it is really up to him if he chooses to be an “activist” on any matter.
Apple has always been socially very progressive and vocal about it, long before Cook became CEO. Clearly, Cook’s personal advocacy is in line with Apple’s. Who knows, perhaps together they even might change a few minds on the issue of minority rights, especially gays (since most other minorities have largely attained legal equality).
Nobody should have to limit their life to one role. He, and everyone else, should have as many roles in life as they choose.
If he is a great CEO, his other dimensions don’t matter. If he is a crappy CEO he should be sacked, regardless of the reasons that caused the craziness, distraction, poor judgement, etc., doesn’t really matter.
Don’t put limits on people, especially our best people.
Tim Cook for President! (Kind of joking, he couldn’t do worse than our last two.)
Not a surprise at all Tim. We should all be who we are.
Now get back to making great iphones, iPads, Macs and crushing this CurrentC nonsense.
He’s obviously a private person, but good for him for coming out and no doubt helping so many people.
Describing being gay as being a gift is unusual wording though, only because it kind of implies he thinks it’s better than not being gay. Your sexuality is your sexuality, one is not better than another. Sadly, we’re in a world where this is an issue and people do have to come out in order to help other people, if this helps one person in some way then great.
A great piece.
The article? Or Tim?
We all have our own personal “gifts” that help us be who we are. Cook obviously believes his being gay is beneficial to him. None of us should ever feel the need to be anything less than honest about ourselves. Now he’s doing the same.
And let’s face it. Although it’s the first time he’s said anything did anyone really not know already?
Oh boy, I bet Rush is turning over in his grave right now, oh wait….
One can hope…
Hey clueless, ignorant, stupid, not paying attention LIBTARD! The next time Rush and Elton John are at a party together, I bet Tim will be there!
You’d lose your bet. Your presumption of rhomophobia (and most likely racism) concerning Mr. Limbaugh is based on ignorance and the disinformation in the socio-political-cultural bubble you remain locked in, as is witnessed by the nature of your “bet” and that you would assume rather than listen. I suspect the extent of his feelings on the matter would range from nothing to “that’s very nice, you just keep on making great products,” as someone else here said earlier.
Now if Mr. Cook had said that his being gay entitled him to some special social or legal status, Mr. Limbaugh would have disagreed. He might have suggested that you cannot establish equality by first establishing inequality.
But what do I know. I just listen to the program periodically.
You and Rush are men born about 150 years too late. Where the only technology back then would have been a newspaper man within earshot of someone’s comments.
Today we have but to turn on the radio, view video or hear audio of Rush’s comments on life, happiness and everything in between. There is no “misinformation” only the actual words of the man showing who he is, as well as you, for defending him.
That’s correct, the only people entitled to “some special social or legal status” are the wealthy who create jobs alone with help from no one.
I bet you will find Rush being very gracious about this. I can pretty much guarantee he will not harsh on TC at all. I know that may surprise a lot of people who don’t listen to him. I can imagine him expressing surprise that TC opened that door into his life, but I can’t see him giving him a hard time….I guess we will see at noon eastern.
Tim and Rush are both part of the super-rich class. What they do is absolutely immaterial to each other…as long as Tim doesn’t want birth control, Rush is cool with it.
Right, because then that would make Tim a pimp and all women that use birth control whores.
Gay or straight, I just want iCloud to work seamlessly.
Pretty much sums it all up.
That is a very good way of coming out in what he said in the interview. I am straight and I have come to learn to embrace the differences of people. Race, color or sexual preference does not bother me. Once you take away our skin we all have the same flesh and bone. We are all human and we live on this tiny speck in the universe. We all have to learn to embrace these differences then this planet will be at peace. It is time for a change in everyones heart to get along with or fellow human for the common good of this planet or one day it will all go away. Kudos to you Tim Cook for coming out.
Even in 2014 America, Cook’s essay is a brave move. May we someday not require such public displays of what should be private matters.
This to me shows once again just what a powerful force Apple is in the business world. There aren’t many other companies where the CEO couldn’t do something like this.
The best reaction everyone should now give is “OK, thanks for your honesty” and then we all just get on with things. It shouldn’t be a big deal, as long as nobody has to hide something that is quite key to how they live their life.
Double-negative D’Oh!!
“There aren’t many other companies where the CEO could do something like this.”
Unless you’re Barack Obama…
It would be rare not to see a Presidential candidate or a CEO pay tribute to their wife / husband, publicly, for the help they have received from them. No-one complains about that being a public display of a private matter.
If Conservatards were not openly fighting it, LGBTQ people could have established equality a long time ago.
It is not the liberals who wish to put big government into your bedroom (sexuality) or doctor’s office (choice) – it is the Conservatives.
Wow.
Clueless is as clueless does.
Show me a Conservative actively opposed to LGBT issues and I will shoe you a closeted individual.
OMG. Firsty didn’t respond with the usual tea bagger verbal nonsense I’ve come to know and expect. Good for you, ya right-wing nutbag!
Conservatism at its best believes in strong individual rights.
Liberalism at its best believes in a fair society for all individuals.
Those values are compatible.
Although I understand his motivation and agree with his sentiment, alienating large portions of our potential customer pool is simply not smart business. Apple is not your activist plaything, Mr. Cook. Not for gays. Not for tree-huggers. Not for anything you personally deem to be important. May I remind you, Mr. Cook:
I shouldn’t get involved politically because probably half our customers are Republicans… But I do point out that there are more Democrats than Mac users so I’m going to just stay away from all that political stuff because that was just a personal thing. — Steve Jobs, August 2004
It’s not a large portion now, and it’s dwindling every year. Even on the political Right more and more people have gotten over this already.
And you shouldn’t split attitudes towards LGBT people down a Democrat vs. Republican line like Jobs did in his more general comments. There are people on both sides that don’t fall into their party’s expected stance.
The vast majority of shareholders just want to make money; they’re not going to sell their shares, or cease from buying shares because of Tim Cook’s article.
Of course the problem with you “point” is that you are saying whom he loves is a political issues. It’s not.
One relevant difference – equality is a moral issue, being Republican or Democrat is not (despite what each party will tell you).
Rush Limbaugh is going to blow a gasket.
Why is homosexuality political? Why is there a political aspect to — or agenda associated with — homosexuality, and why does heterosexuality have no political agenda at all?
Why is there a political agenda attached to and driven by homosexuality, and there is no corresponding heterosexual agenda? Forget minority versus majority. That not what I have in mind here, and it’s not “because a minority must do what it must do to overcome a majority,” because that’s not the answer.
Why is there a political agenda attached to homosexuality? Why is that political agenda hard, left-wing liberalism? Why is there no political agenda attached to heterosexuality, whatever ideology, whatever political agenda, there isn’t one.
It’s one of these things, if you come up with the answer to this on your own, all the better. You’ll remember it, rather than if I just tell you. The answers are readily available.
If Michael Sam, University of Missouri, announced homosexual, is courageous for coming out and joining the NFL, would a bisexual player be half courageous? Well, I’m just asking. It’s what I do here. I mean, I observe and I react. Would a bisexual player be half as courageous as a homosexual player coming out? — source
All that tells me is that Rush doesn’t get it, or at least is pretending not to in order to start a debate on his show.
Nobody is ever oppressed for being heterosexual, so there’s no need for a Streight Rights movement. One day, one that is beginning to look visible, there will be no need for a Gay Rights movement either. That would make Rush happy, but it would make me and other LGBTs people like me a lot happier.
As Dave H said it, Rush doesn’t get it (or is pretending not to). It wasn’t LGBT people who made it political (in the sense of republican vs. democrat). It is the politicians who did it. LGBT community has always been just about civil rights. American bi-polar political system turned it into R vs D. Elsewhere in the world, where you have true democracies (with multiple political parties across the spectrum), some parties support, others oppose LGBT rights movement, and it is not one party vs. the other when there are more than just two.
So, yes; when the platform of one political party includes support for minorities and other groups that are discriminated agains (in America of today, that might be people of colour, indigenous peoples, people of non- Judeo-Christian faith, non-heterosexuals, and to some extent, women as a whole group), and the other party prefers to preserve status-quo with respect to the rights and privileges available to these groups, then it clearly becomes political.
No doubt Rush knows this.
Why? Do you really think this is news to Rush?
Rush blows things- just not gaskets.
As I said to someone else above concerning Mr. Limbaugh:
Your presumption of homophobia (and most likely racism) concerning Mr. Limbaugh is based on ignorance and the disinformation in the socio-political-cultural bubble you remain locked in. I suspect the extent of his feelings on the matter would range from nothing to “that’s very nice, you just keep on making great products,” as someone else here said earlier.
Now if Mr. Cook had said that his being gay entitled him to some special social or legal status, Mr. Limbaugh would have disagreed. He might have suggested that you cannot establish equality by first establishing inequality.
Limbaugh “gets it” all right, but he sees a much bigger picture than LGBT civil rights. He sees the character, quality, and status of the nation as a whole to be of greater importance than that of a political identity group. Even more important he values the character, quality, and status of the INDIVIDUAL and feels that is more important to protect, as it contributes more to the nation than our artificial collectives.
I.e each of you is more important individually than any groups you may place yourselves in and your rights as an individual should be protected. There is no smaller minority than the individual.
It is when the rights of the individual are cast aside in deference to the preferences of the mob that we begin to truly lose the character of who we are as a nation. Mobs suck.
In other words, speaking as though I were Limbaugh, I don’t care about the LGBT community. I do however care about Tim Cook and his rights as an individual human being should not denied simply because he is gay.
If you extrapolate homophobia or hate from that, you need a long session in front of the mirror.
No. Rush is going to invite Tim to a private party and the band is Elton John.
Good for him!
Now, I can hear all the Apple-haters:
Buy OUR shit. Our CEO is straight!
Backwoods idiots.
Wow. General affirmation of Gay Rights on MDN – not what I was expecting. Maybe it’s a bit early for the ‘crucify and die’ religious bigots?
Classily done Tim.
+1.
I stopped by half expecting a river of bigoted filth, and am generally impressed by MDN’s stand and most of the comments. You guys have really grown.
Thanks Tim. Keep making the world better.
I don’t see an MDN take. Do you?
There wasn’t one. I’m very happy about that.
Smug writing does not negate you made a mistake. Admission and apology are the first steps on the road to recovery.
It is a little surprising that we haven’t yet seen a call for TC’s head from some of those who post frequently on this site. Mostly it’s been okay with everyone. The only discussion happening is in regard to the legitimacy of the “gift” and who the giver might or might not have been.
Agreed except not surprised.
who cares what you think, call 1-800-GIV-ASHT. Patronizing cow.
@Gotcha… Please see:
Better idea of what you see here on MDN. Let go of your prejudices.
I’m confused. Why do I need to suck eggs ré Classical Liberalism? – of which two tenets namely, Free Speech and Tolerance, you are bordering on trespassing no?
Here’s the grown-up version:
https://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Scie/ScieGiuc.htm
Oh…and spare me the obvious comeback :p
Wow, an intellect at work, every word dripping irony.
Made my day.
I wonder what ‘god’ he’s talking about. Certainly not the God of the bible……
That’s the thing about Gods. Everyone gets to decide which one is right.
The bible is the only book that references our creator as God. So Tim is referring to the God in the Christian Bible.
The Word of God clearly states life is a gift and you are to follow
God’s commandments. Consensual sex between a man/woman in marriage is condoned. The body is made that way. Otherwise is a sin. All humanity were born into sin, thanks to Satan’s mess he made and is still making on earth. He is the master of lies and deception. Tim stating being gay is a gift from God is actually blasphemy per God’s Word. To those who do not know God, his statement sounds nice and liberating but actually offends God. Stating being gay is a gift of God is simply not true. You cannot embrace any one sin and expect to have Gods blessing.
Let me explain. Tim considers being Gay god’s gift to him because it has made him into a more compassionate, more sensitive person and more acutely aware of what minority groups go through.
Careful. This is too much like the actual Jesus for Muggy to comprehend.
I thought being Gay made you more attracted, more into people of the same gender.
And are you implying other people in other groups can’t learn this?
Or Perhaps then the Christians and Muslims being killed by ISIS are several times more compassionate, more sensitive than Tim.
But please, go on with your noble victim narrative.
Are you truly absolutely clueless, or are you just pretending to be?
Let me try to get this in the simplest possible way (for those in the back row): Tim Cook’s statement about the “gift from God” implies that being a part of a minority group in America that has been consistently discriminated against throughout history (and in many places, and to this date, under a threat of physical violence) gave him a perspective, and a better understanding of what minorities go through in America that he, as a white American, otherwise would have never had a chance to personally experience. While we may not need to experience discrimination on our own skin to know that discrimination is not right, there is no doubt that such personal experience gives one much sharper perspective on it than if you’ve always been a part of a mainstream majority.
It is difficult to understand what this has to do with Christians and Muslims being killed by ISIS.
I’m not clueless, but you might just be.
Referee here: Uh wat, if you have something intelligible to say, please do what Predrag is doing and state it thoughtfully so its merits can be understand.
Unless you are one of the honestly clueless or pretending to be, in which case carry on, sir!
@ Muggy et. al.:
It’s people like you who lend credence to Diderot’s quote, “Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.”
There’s a fine line between ignorance and religion, and you have certainly crossed it.
I’m stating the facts from God’s Word. Tim was referring to God. You do not have to like the truth and are welcome to demonstrate your ignorance of God and his Word. The irony here is religion’s were created by man, not God. Man used their religions as an excuse to get what they wanted. Quoting a man (and believing in men) demonstrates what has led to the downfall of society, humanity etc…
I say let God have the final say, and we keep our noses out of things that are none of our business in the first place. I sure do not recall being appointed or anointed as the arbiter of what is right or wrong according to a God.
Your comments show a supreme irony: if man created religion—as you say—and religion revolves around God, then, ergo, man created God.
Regarding words, I’d rather use my own words—and use my own brain—than let “God” or any dogma, speak for me. My ignorance is not of the kind that you describe, but, rather, how one could so blindly believe, and so blindly judge another person, knowing nothing about him or her other than sexual orientation – or skin color, or nationality, or ethnic group, or anything that differentiates one person from another.
People have used such differences as justification for all sorts of vile, vicious behavior. The “downfall of society”—assuming society has truly fallen—is not due to belief in man, but to blind obedience to *any* authority, be it a dictator, a god, or whatever. The number of people killed and tortured in the name of religion throughout history is in the millions, each torturer, murderer, holy warrior… using God (each group believing his was the true god) as the justification. So please don’t preach to me about God’s word, or how Tim Cook is a sinner, a man whose only “sin” is to love another human being.
That’s an interesting quote. Actually the problem with the world is that no one is in charge. We’ve inherited this incredible planet without really understanding how to work with it without destroying it. Some day there will be someone in charge, and it won’t be a frail human, only then will the world truly be free.
Muggy,
If you were born in Iran would the one, true Gawd be Allah?
The funny/strange thing about gods is that most people accept whatever prevails in their family/culture and rarely inquire as to why one vs the others or why a god at all.
I was raised in the evangelical branch of Christianity and noticed though my young adult life that the atheists and agnostics had generally read and investigated the whole faith thing more fully than just about anyone else. Fortunately, all that sky gawd stuff is behind me- your mileage may vary.
People who are GLBTQ should be allowed to pursue their personal happiness and live their lives as fully as anyone else. I have GLBTQ co-workers, friends, family and neighbors and they are not really that different than anyone else. I wish the lesbian couple across the street would get rid of their yappy dog, but otherwise are wonderful people and good neighbors.
Tim, what took you so long?
No matter where you are in the world, you can believe in whatever you perceive as God. Whether it is correct or not, that will be answered someday.
I disagree that atheists and agnostics are well educated in the Bible. Reading and understanding are two different things. If they understood, they wouldn’t be labeled as they are.
I have gay friends and family. I love them and don’t judge them.
I am only pointing out what Tim said is not an accurate statement and it is very unfortunate and disappointing that it is blasphemous.
Blasphemous according to which Bronze Age deity?
Judging yourself by your own beliefs makes sense, but judging Tim by them does not.
Just because you believe something is 100% true doesn’t make it 100% true, which is why judging others by your beliefs is neither sensible or moral.
If you want to argue whether something is objectively, uncontroversially harmful or not with real evidence that is different. But as long as you are relying on your beliefs and evidence that takes faith to accept, you should not be judging others by it.
I’m really curious to know exactly how many people will now abandon Apple products because of this declaration. Of course it will be impossible to find out that number, but I believe some people just can’t deal with it.
Hope their selling stuff cheap, or giving it away. I would like to have one of the newer high-end units, please–whatever it is.
That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Are you that dumb that you think it will affect them? Man you must be so stupid!
???
As we have seen many times before on this forum, there are Apple fans who are deeply conservative and have very strong opinions about homosexuality. More importantly, while they may not really care if someone is homosexual or not, they may be fiercely against anyone advocating for LGBT issues. I have no doubt that there are people who are genuinely upset as a consequence of Tim Cook publicly declaring that he is a gay man. I’m just wondering if this will be enough for them to give up on Apple products, based on their personal principle.
It’s a valid question – I am heavily entrenched in the Apple ecosystem with my whole family using iOS and OS X. The last few reports of Tim Cooks political activism has me assessing how to get out.
It has happened at the same time as I have had a lot of issues with software updates on both platforms – multiple devices. It seems I wasn’t the only one.
Sad to say, I no longer not trust that Tim Cooks Apple has the customers best interest at heart – privacy, security, reliability are taking s back seat to political agendas.
Even if I agreed with those agendas I would be concerned, but knowing the tactics of the activists and repercussions of the ideals they are advocating I see it only as a matter of time now before I jump ship.
I have to say I am deeply disappointed and I do not see an alternative at the moment. Samsung are thrives, Android is insecure – Nokia?
Yes, by all means, switch to Nokia. You will be very happy with Nokia’s broad product offering and cutting-edge innovation.
Meanwhile, I will be happy to take all your Apple stuff off your hands (for fire-sale prices, of course).
I’m sure the same number of LGBTQ still go to Chik-Fil-A, Predrag as before they publicly announced their support for heterosexual marriages only.
I don’t know what is Chick-Fil-A, and what their stand is on gay/heterosexual marriage, but I’ll assume, from your statement, that they are some chain store (or restaurant) and they came out against gay marriage (can’t be bothered to google now).
I have no doubt that there will be plenty of LGBT people who will, out of principle, avoid this Chik-Fil-A. As members of a minority that is consistently discriminated against (and often under a threat of physical violence), they have every reason to feel emotional when a company publicly declares a discriminatory attitude towards their minority group.
I pity you, sir, for your ignorance. Chick-Fil-A makes the finest boneless, breaded deep-fried white-meat chicken products that humankind has ever known. And yes, the founder of the company opposed same-sex marriage. But I see no ethical dilemma for supporters of same-sex marriage in deciding whether to frequent these restaurants, for to my knowledge Chick-Fil-A has never questioned the sexual orientation of the fowl they use to create their delicious poultry patties and nuggets.
I doubt very seriously there are many people here upset about Tim Cook being gay. I’d be upset if he preferred Star Wars to Star Trek. Then we’d have an issue to discuss. You see, Star Wars is just fantasy and… dammit, communicator is going off again…
Agree on the star comparison.
In the 1990s I was a volunteer for the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum for the 25th Anniversary of Star Trek exhibit.
Don’t know if it still holds, but at the time it was the most popular exhibit in A&S history.
Growing up it was my favorite show. But I never realized until I worked for the exhibit that many shows dealt with societal issues of poverty, war, racism, overpopulation and much more.
A show light years ahead of its time …
Anybody who boycotts Apple products because the CEO is gay deserves to be Windows and Android afflicted. May they enjoy their Dell and Samsung products for ever and ever, amen.
Tim Cook could be a green skinned, pointy eared Vulcan for all I care as long as he does a good job at Apple. I am not super happy with all his decisions as a shareholder and customer, but I am but a small percentage of the owner class of Apple.
I think the stock buybacks were a total waste of money, the dividends the wasting of a huge financial opportunity, the general ugliness of iOS7/8 hideous and the castration of the Mac Pro into a Home Theater PC tragic. I know not everyone holds to that opinion, but I also know there are many who do.
Bottom Line: Steve told Tim Cook to run the company as he saw fit- not how he thought Steve would run it. Seems as if Tim Cook is following Steve’s charge.
Did Steve also tell Tim to wear his personal politics on the company sleeve?
Steve provided housing to Bill Clinton when Chelsea was attending Stanford. Does that tell you his politics?
Being Gay is not about politics- being opposed to equal rights for GLBTQ people is Conservatism. Republicans are all up in everybody’s private business- from the doctor’s office (choice) to their partners (sexuality).
Definitely proud of Tim Cook for coming out, and being proud of himself. He’s certainly one of the world’s best CEO’s if not the bravest. Reading his letter, as the CEO from the top of the company, definitely makes me feel pride in working for Apple, where the value of diversity is a strength.
I’m really stunned.
How can an intelligent man as Cook be religious?
You’re not as smart as you obviously think you are. Humility would serve you well. You think you know everything, but nothing could be further from the truth. There is a God. Just because you can’t or won’t see Him doesn’t mean that He doesn’t exist. Far smarter people than you or Tim Cook knew and know that God exists.
Please take a few moments to read the following. Doing so might begin to change your life for the better:
• How an athiest found God
• Is there a God?
• Beyond blind faith
“There is a God.”
————————————–
Which God? There have been hundreds.
The reality is that neither you nor I know if there is a god or not. Your statement at best is a hopeful opinion based on no evidence whatsoever.
Some know because they know the difference between good design and great design…and how long that takes. They look at the intricacies of life and planet and realise there has to be a God…
Others have studied the depths of the Bible (textual criticism, archeology, science, medicine etc) and discovered that it simply could not be written by man.
And still others have actually met God – hear His voice and experience His peace, healing, guidance and power.
Just because you don’t know if they is a God doesn’t mean others have the same lack of knowledge.
I urge you to look objectively at the evidence around you – search for God…
and apple products are the perfect example of “intelligent design” perhaps ?
Even Samsung products are evidence of design – poor but still intelligent design. There’s evidence everywhere!
Well, your comment proves I’m at least smarter than you are. You are indoctrinated and either not intellectual capable of thinking for yourself or just to lazy to think at all.
I read it as a figure of speech more than anything. English is ingrained with such phrases.
Although you probably mean religious because Tim used the word God – his letter actually shows his religious in another way just like most people. Especially those who say they don’t believe in God.
Religion is trying to earn ‘right-ness’ by doing good. Helping old ladies, going to church, beheading infidels – it looks different for lots of ppl but the underlying religious core is still evident. For Tim it’s ‘helping’ those who feel attracted to same sex…
Religion can’t help anyone and often leads to delusion – people believing they are good because of what they do. They only believe this because they have no idea who God is or how holy He is. If they knew that they would be horrified and they would realise that there is nothing they could do to earn their right-ness.
Fortunately, God in his love presented the perfect lamb – His only son – as a substitute so that those who believe in Him will be forgiven completely and be completely righteous because of what He did. Jesus saves from religion!
Suddenly, I’m no longer comfortable leaving my Mac Pro under my desk. ( jk, relax. I don’t GaS)
your joke stands out like a colour swatch in a confessional booth
Forgive me father, for I have sinned. It has been 44 years since my last confession.
The new Mac Pro stands proudly atop my desk, sleek and shining black as night, freeing my patent leather shoes from the nicks of the cheese grater now relegated to inactive duty in the loft
I lied a few times, I took the Lord’s name in vain a few Tims (godammit this autocorrect!) and I coveted my neighbor’s Mac Pro once.
What do you want for the grater? Lofts in Florida? Hmmm, thought if anything only crawl spaces existed.
I’m glad tim is proud. I’m glad he has no shame. I’m glad he’s happy and healthy and I support his causes, too. I have gay and transgender friends and I love and cherish them all and wish them bright futures but tim, the apple ceo platform is yours but for a period of time and then there’ll be another and though I support the same causes, I’m sad to see the both of you use it as a pulpit to champion personal social campaigns. good for the campaign, sure, good for apple, in the long run, I doubt. imo.