“Apple is once again celebrating the LGBT Pride parade in San Francisco with employees (including Apple CEO Tim Cook) joining the march,” Benjamin Mayo reports for 9to5Mac. “”
“For the first time, Apple is gifting limited edition Pride Apple Watch bands to employees who take part, with rainbow colored nylon strap and red lugs,” Mayo reports. “[The Apple Watch band] includes a pamphlet that reads: ‘This limited-edition band is a symbol of our commitment to equality and we hope you’ll wear it with pride.'”
Some images of the event via Instagram:
Read more in the full article here.
SEE ALSO:
Tim Cook leads over 8,000 Apple employees in San Francisco Gay Pride Parade – June 29, 2015
Apple CEO Tim Cook celebrates gay marriage ruling: ‘Here’s to the crazy ones’ – June 26, 2015
Apple breaks ties with Alabama lobbyist who opposes same-sex marriage – February 17, 2015
Apple CEO Cook makes ‘substantial’ donation for gay rights activists in U.S. South – December 19, 2014
Alabama sexual orientation anti-discrimination bill to be named after Apple’s Tim Cook – December 4, 2014
Russian memorial to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs dismantled after CEO Tim Cook announces he’s gay – November 3, 2014
Apple investors don’t care that Tim Cook is gay – October 31, 2014\
Goldman Sachs CEO: Apple’s Tim Cook coming out as gay ‘will resonate powerfully’ – October 31, 2014
Human Rights Campaign: Tim Cook’s announcement that he is gay will save countless lives – October 30, 2014
Apple CEO Tim Cook: ‘I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me’ – October 30, 2014
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 lauds U.S. Supreme Court rulings on gay marriage – June 26, 2013
Apple among 60 companies to back gay marriage in U.S. Supreme Court amicus brief – February 27, 2013
National Organization for Marriage to Steve Jobs: You’ve become Big Brother (with video) – December 17, 2010
Christian Group asks Apple to reinstate pulled ‘Manhattan Declaration’ iPhone app – November 30, 2010
California’s ‘No on 8’ same-sex marriage campaign models ads on Apple’s ‘Get a Mac’ commercials – November 01, 2008
Apple donates $100,000 to fight same-sex marriage ban in California (Proposition 8) – October 24, 2008
They can make gay watch bands, but not a new Mac Pro (introduced on December 19, 2013).
Apple needs a major priority adjustment and CEO who’s focused on Apple products and services, not one who wants to be a social justice crusader. I bet Tim really, really, really loves the whole idea of Batman and Robin, if you catch my drift.
Too much gayness and tree-hugging and not enough focus on products, services, and quality control.
Frankly, I’m getting very tired of Apple’s politics. Steve Job’s may have supported the same liberal causes, but he did it in the background and without notoriety. Cook on the other hand pushes his gayness to the front and uses Apple’s leadership to support his liberal causes. There are many of us socially conservative’s who have been supporting Apple long before gay rights was even an idea in the minds of the LGBT but I really have to think twice about continuing to support Apple in the future. I have been a Mac user since the early Apple II day’s and have used nothing but Apple since 1979. But Cook’s blatant use of Apple’s company marketing maxims for his own liberal agenda makes me sick.
Most who know Cook would tell you that he’s pretty private about his life and relationships.
As a former Apple employee, I assure you that it’s the internal community at Apple that pushes the agenda very very hard. It’s part of why I left. The company culture forces employees to adhere and adopt ways of thinking or suffer from a lack of promotion and recognition. So, I believe Cook is more vocal than he wants to be because the company demands it.
Apple is not a very friendly place for Christians or Conservatives to work, unless ironically enough, you STAY IN THE CLOSET.
Well said, Michael S.
Clearly, only the right-wing owners of corporations have a right to express their “free speech” by donating hundreds of millions of dollars to their lap-dog politicians.
Google, Facebook and the rest are all rather active in politics. It’s just no one, including you, are reading about it.
Apple is rather low key. It’s just that everyone writes about them whenever they sneeze.
Actually the FB crowd are especially welcomed to the White House as is Google. Even more than our favorite person to hate: Al Sharpton. The funny thing about it is that they are not even doing it quietly but proudly. Cook was another invitee several times but the FB and Google crowd have an open door. I will hand it to Cook with his stance on customer privacy, he has lead the industry in securing the Apple product line to prevent outsiders to disrupt our privacy. SJ was also protective of Apple’s brand and customers privacy and it was his superior vision that allowed Cook to take all the credit and the heat, whichever was/is in vogue at the time.
If you can’t stand for equality as a company or a person sit down and STFU. So if this stance on equality bothers you go buy some other companies products. I gladly support companies that stand for equality with their dollars please continue to sit down with yours it’s truly an act of cowardice. The shame is yours to own not theirs. Way to go Apple!
This is not a question of equality, this is a question of using a company to further an agenda of certain group of people. I don’t care if the LGBT lifestyle is supported by a company, just don’t make an public issue out of it. Equality is a much overused term. We will all never be equal, except in the eyes of God.
I love it when commenters tell other people to STFU. That tells me that you are not willing to listen to other’s comments. So does that make us un-equal, or do you still think that equality is only in your mind?
To treat all citizens of a country equally should be natural, but obviously still isn’t. This shouldn’t be considered “an agenda of a certain group of people”, but an “agenda of every thinking, compassionate being”. Noone in his right mind would argue that segregation has ever led to anything good. So why not let Apple do, what they have always done: Give a simple, right and natural answer to something that has gone wrong way too long. Anyone who cannot see that should probably reconsider if he really shares the values, that this company is all about.
Is that why only certain groups of sexual identity get their own parades, so they can feel normal?
There is no group more demanding of special public attention than the minority LGBT activists. When they don’t get it, they act like they’re being actively persecuted.
All this from a group that represents less than 5% of the population overall.
For the record, the far more numerous left-handed people are far more actively and passively discriminated against all the time, yet they don’t go on parades and demand special privileges.
1. The LGBT community having a parade does not mean that anyone is denied to do his own one.
2. They don’t want attention, they want to be treated equally – (sure…in order to get that, they will have to get attention first)
3. Less than 5%… so what? Even if there was just one person, who isn’t granted every single right that most people have, there would be no reason not to support his fight for equality.
4. To be treated like everyone else is not a privilege, but a basic civil right.
5. As far as I know, left-handed people actually don’t have to fear being bullied, avoided or segregated if they tell anyone who they are in love with. And I guess every gay person would love to pay a little more for a special can opener, instead of having to parade for a future, where he might be considered as “normal”, just like everyone else.
Showing favoritism is in its own way a form of segregation. If you look at the people who support Apple and Apple products most are heterosexuals, who may or may not support the gay agenda and who may or may not be miffed at Apple’s agenda, but, I will support Apple despite its agenda because I believe in Apple’s products and quality and refuse to use a Droid or a Microsoft computer. I will overlook Apple’s transgressions even though I don’t follow their agenda, unlike some who may drop Apple as a supplier to their lives who will not use them. I consider myself open minded, but closed minded when people “push” agenda’s at me, but will separate my personal use decisions from my anger at the company only because I don’t wish to change my equipment.
This is basically the same argument as when someone says “Well, nice, you are donating for that children cancer thing in your neighborhood – but how can you ignore what’s going on in Somalia?!??” Fighting for something that’s right is never a bad thing, and you simply cannot address every single problem out there.
If Apple is so equal, then why do they continue to do business with countries that actively promote killing gays? Where is the equality and/or moral outrage in that? It’s because Apple can’t say no to the almighty dollar.
What’s the point of basically branding yourself the “Gay Company” when less than 4 percent self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender? Why risk turning off over 96% of your potential market?
NOT SMART BUSINESS.
There’s a reason why Steve Jobs killed the rainbow Apple logo. The rainbow was co-opted by the gays.
FIRE TIM COOK.
It’s not about money it’s about what’s right. Blacks are about 13% of America but you don’t see companies puting profits over principle. To truly embrace America you have to live the creed, live the pledge, not just wave a flag. Good luck to all the phobes out there and welcome to the new truer America. Diversity will always be the reflection in America’s mirror even if it’s not what you want to see.
If I had known this, I would’ve picked my own damn cotton.
You weren’t there to pick the cotton so your racist humor is worthless and highlights the problems with reconciling the past with the present. Read a book and grow up. It’s a Nee Day and Apple is in the lead amongst corporations not just part of the pack.
New* Day
OK, if they’re really serious, just give these bands away to anyone, anywhere, who has an Apple Watch.
Once again, the lack of an MDN take speaks volumes.
I guess you’ll leave it up to the knuckle-dragging homophobes to do your dirty work for you.
MDN. The Fox News of the Mac World. How very sad…
What a horribly unfair comment. Just because someone, a news channel, or website is conservative doesn’t mean we are homophobes. You’re stereotyping, which I believe, is exactly what minorities rail against, no?
You sir are spending too much time imbedded the far left message machine… news channels that quote websites run by the left. Liberal politicians who feed those websites. And kids coming out of college who’ve been brainwashed by their professors into believing that anyone who doesn’t lean left is a homophobic bigoted xenophobe who must not be allowed to speak on social media or in public without being attacked verbally, physically, psychologically or otherwise.
Meanwhile, while the left has you spinning circles of hate to carry their banner of intolerance for anything that doesn’t jive with their agenda, you miss the fact that they’re the lawmakers who keep blacks enslaved and woman oppressed to ensure their vote next election cycle. Wake up.
I wonder if Apple would consider making a special edition LGBTS watch band or one to support bisexual marriages. Oh wait there are no such things….yet.
Come on Tim, there is a lot of work ahead.
They should be marching with limited edition AK-47s and signs that say, TRY IT AGAIN, YOU COWARDLY ISIS LOVING PRICKS!
How can you say this supports equality when one segment of society is being favored over all others. Only if Apple creates a watch band for every other segment can it be classified as supporting equality. Will we ever stop this insane dividing everyone into social groups?
You never see straight people have a parade Christians and Catholics don’t match in some parade. They don’t get a special day at Disney world.
The Homosexual Agenda is a self-centered set of beliefs and objectives designed to promote and even mandate approval of homosexuality and homosexual ideology, along with the strategies used to implement such. The goals and means of this movement include indoctrinating students in public school, restricting the free speech of opposition, obtaining special treatment for homosexuals, distorting Biblical teaching and science, and interfering with freedom of association. Advocates of the homosexual agenda seek special rights for homosexuals that other people don’t have, such as immunity from criticism (i.e. hate speech, hate crimes). Such special rights will necessarily come at the expense of the rights of broader society. The homosexual agenda is the biggest threat to the right of free speech today.
In fact In 2014, one of the top priorities of the Homosexual Agenda is to prohibit and outlaw conversion therapy, particularly for teenagers.
I see no equality in their agenda it’s 100% one sided. How dare Christians and others say anything against them but they can do anything they want.
Wow, how did you manage to post a comment straight out of the 19th century? I thought it was only pen and paper back then… I hope you are okay with women’s right to vote, because if not, you probably have a very busy life, pointing out how insane the world has become. People who call for conversion therapies should really have their own mental issues resolved before suggesting that everybody, who is not like them, is flawed.
I was hoping they would use the old apple rainbow color pattern. Green on top with yellow, orange, red, purple then blue on bottom.