“It’s pretty startling that among the chief executives of the 500 biggest US companies only one, Tim Cook of Apple, is openly gay,” Ben Morris reports for BBC News. “His declaration this week that he is “proud to be gay” was hailed as an important moment for the gay community.”
“Campaigners say they know of bosses of other big firms who are gay, but are reluctant to be open about it. They hope Mr Cook’s public acknowledgement will spur them to come ou,” Morris reports. “So what is holding them back?”
“‘Societal views have changed considerably, but that has only really been in the past 10 years,’ says Suki Sandhu, founder of professional network Outstanding,” Morris reports. “Gay people now in their 50s and 60s could have been keeping their sexuality a secret from colleagues for years, perhaps decades. That lengthy secrecy is another reason to maintain their silence. Most business people are ‘squeamish’ about speaking about their personal lives, says Jan Gooding, group brand director of insurance giant Aviva and chair of Stonewall. They would rather be known for their work as professionals than for their sexual orientation, she says.”
Read more in the full article here.
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