Cook: “Proud to Be Gay”

Tim Cook, CEO of the technology giant Apple, has announced to the world through an article published in Bloomberg Business Week that he is gay, and proud of it. Because he is the first CEO of a Fortune 500 company to come out as openly homosexual, Cook’s statement surprised the world.

There is much to be learned from Cook’s life and his announcement to the world.

First, he explains that his sexuality was no secret to his friends and colleagues, and that many others knew about his homosexuality. But having some people know is one thing; publishing it in a global medium for the world to see is another. “So let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.”

It’s important to note that Cook is not apologizing or asking for approval, much less making this announcement to gain notoriety. In fact, he explains in his article that Apple is one of the most visible companies in the world, so notoriety is not his motive.

So what is his motivation? Simple. It is to help others, to tell them that he understands exactly what they feel being in a minority. In fact, as he concludes, not having hidden his sexuality from those close to him was not enough to have an impact on the lives of many homosexuals who still protect themselves with the argument of privacy.

Second, it’s important to note that he recognizes that being gay is a gift, a talent, a knack that God has given him, and it is among the “greatest.” I suppose that this shocks many extreme moralists, but the question that these people have to answer according to their own logic is this: if God made everything, how has he not also made gay people?

The debate is not religious, but in areas full of hypocrisy and widespread moralizing like Latin America, is this not one of the most powerful and relevant questions?

Third, we are again seeing the argument of those who say that “gays are bad, so what they do is bad.” Wrong beyond wrong. There is no correlation between sexuality and professional performance, and those who want to establish and support this fallacy always return to the false dichotomy between good/bad, white/black and cold/hot that does so much damage in the world.

Fourth, Cook aims to use his announcement to fight for equality before the law. He made this very clear in his article. He is not calling for privileges for a group, but for the elimination of legal barriers that prevent these citizens, male and female, from equality in status and rights. “I will personally continue to advocate for equality for all people until my toes point up.”

According to the libertarian point of view, the quest for equality for all before the law, without coercion or privilege but also without prejudice, is the great objective of the fight for liberty.