Apple chief Tim Cook: 'I'm proud to be gay'

[Martinus]

Told you this was a lagging indicator and there would be plenty of gay CEOs soon.  All your angst and hand-wringing looks silly now eh Mart

You sound like those folk who claim that Obama being elected means there is no more racism.

[Barrister]

I had no idea one picture of Boo-Keun Yoon would generate so much conversation!

Depending on how next weeks interview goes he might soon be my lord and master.

  Good luck.

He's only the CEO of Samsung Electronics.  I thought you were looking at working for power companies though.

[derspiess]

Was Tim Cook's homosexuality an impediment to him becoming Apple CEO?

[Martinus]

Was Tim Cook's homosexuality an impediment to him becoming Apple CEO?

We don't know because he came out after he became the CEO.

[derspiess]

I'm sure people at Apple knew.  You knew, didn't you?

[Martinus]

I'm sure people at Apple knew.  You knew, didn't you?

I didn't know Apple is so leftist that employees elect the CEO. :|

And I didn't know until long after he was elected. Still not sure what your angle is here.

[Admiral Yi]

And I didn't know until long after he was elected. Still not sure what your angle is here.

Did you have a chance to evaluate his gayness before he became CEO?

[derspiess]

Seems like you're acting like his gayness was an obstacle to his success.  But maybe I'm reading that wrong.

[Martinus]

And I didn't know until long after he was elected. Still not sure what your angle is here.

Did you have a chance to evaluate his gayness before he became CEO?

What does it have to do with anything? derspiess claimed I knew he was gay before he became a CEO.

[Valmy]

Was Tim Cook's homosexuality an impediment to him becoming Apple CEO?

We don't know because he came out after he became the CEO.

Well I would be shocked if the Board of Directors was not aware of it.  In any case as I said I bet we have more gay people in the pipeline (did you ever look that up btw?), we just have to wait until the Old Guard steps aside.

[Admiral Yi]

What does it have to do with anything? derspiess claimed I knew he was gay before he became a CEO.

He's from West Virginia.  The relevant question is whether you knew he was gay before he announced it.

[Valmy]

Told you this was a lagging indicator and there would be plenty of gay CEOs soon.  All your angst and hand-wringing looks silly now eh Mart

You sound like those folk who claim that Obama being elected means there is no more racism.

Oh sure, evidence I am right shortly after I made the claim and you move the goal posts on me

'Gay people are becoming CEOs?  NO MORE HOMOPHOBIA ANYWHERE!!111'

[Valmy]

I had no idea one picture of Boo-Keun Yoon would generate so much conversation!

Depending on how next weeks interview goes he might soon be my lord and master.

  Good luck.

He's only the CEO of Samsung Electronics.  I thought you were looking at working for power companies though.

I am looking to work at Power Companies but there are only so many local power companies.  There are tons of Semi-conductor and IC companies around here though so I am also applying to work in hardware for them as well.  As a backup career if you will.  I am going down to the Samsung plant to interview next Friday.

[Martinus]

Seems like you're acting like his gayness was an obstacle to his success.  But maybe I'm reading that wrong.

That would require me to make a number of assumptions about his particular situation that I have no knowledge about. I don't even know whether people making a decision about him becoming the CEO had knowledge of his homosexuality and if so, whether it counted against him or was perceived neutral. Apple is quite a unique company with a unique culture so if he faced obstacles there because of his homosexuality, it would have been probably less than the average.

You are also forgetting that he did not come to Apple as a CEO but went there through the entire hierarchy ladder before that. I don't think it is inconceivable that somewhere along the line he faced some obstacles because of his homosexuality (or would have faced had he been open about it), as even Apple, I would imagine, was not that accepting of gays in the 90s.

Finally, you have to remember that absence of privilege is also an obstacle - I have seen the fact "oh, he has a stable life, has wife and kids" used as an advantage in deciding on someone's promotion. So obviously this puts a gay man at a disadvantage even if he is not actively discriminated against because of his sexuality. Or that it is easier to network if you have kids who are of the same age or going to the same school as your coworker's/client's kids. Or the fact that if you are closeted/private, you do not take your partner to many public occasions with you. There are many little things like that that seem invisible to straight males but that, when added together, give a substantial edge.

[garbon]

Seems like you're acting like his gayness was an obstacle to his success.  But maybe I'm reading that wrong.

That was Languish's take not so recently in a discussion about a general lack of gay ceos in top companies.