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

[Martinus]

Marty has learned how to laugh about gay issues.

Well you can't be too anal about it. There will always be idiots who hate you because you are gay. But then there will also be idiots who hate you because you married a foreigner, or have brown eyes, or follow a wrong religion. So in a sense it all eventually evens out.

But I think you can be proud to be gay in the same way you can be proud to be Asian, or be a son of hard working immigrants, or be proud to have clever kids.

[Barrister]

I figure you should always try to be proud of who you are.  I mean - I'm proud of my Ukrainian heritage, but it's not like pyrogies and being dominated by Russia is much of a heritage to write home about.

[Martinus]

I figure you should always try to be proud of who you are.  I mean - I'm proud of my Ukrainian heritage, but it's not like pyrogies and being dominated by Russia is much of a heritage to write home about.

Well, the way I see it, 14 years ago or so, I was dead scared someone I know would find out I am gay. And I am glad ("proud") I managed to find enough courage since then to eventually come out to my parents, my friends, my boss, go to a bunch of gay prides marches and take my boyfriend/partner to a black time work-related event. Even if it means that some people may not like me as a result. 

All of this could be summarised in an awfully imprecise and perhaps somewhat self-congratulatory "I'm proud to be gay".

[Sheilbh]

On the single vs married thing, surely a lot of that is to do with class?

[Martinus]

On the single vs married thing, surely a lot of that is to do with class?

For you Brits everything has a lot to do with class.

But then, I would say being a CEO has a lot to do with class in the first place.

[Berkut]

Marty has learned how to laugh about gay issues.

Well you can't be too anal about it.

Good one.

[Martinus]

Marty has learned how to laugh about gay issues.

Well you can't be too anal about it.

Good one.

[Jacob]

I figure you should always try to be proud of who you are.  I mean - I'm proud of my Ukrainian heritage, but it's not like pyrogies and being dominated by Russia is much of a heritage to write home about.

Well, the way I see it, 14 years ago or so, I was dead scared someone I know would find out I am gay. And I am glad ("proud") I managed to find enough courage since then to eventually come out to my parents, my friends, my boss, go to a bunch of gay prides marches and take my boyfriend/partner to a black time work-related event. Even if it means that some people may not like me as a result. 

All of this could be summarised in an awfully imprecise and perhaps somewhat self-congratulatory "I'm proud to be gay".

That sounds legit

[Razgovory]

Can change his mind and won't change the subject.


I am shocked, SHOCKED to find another thread where whatever the subject might be, it has turned into another foaming mouth rant about the injustice of capitalism.

Pretty soon, I'll be held in higher esteem then Seedy is.  I think I'm getting close!

[alfred russel]

Fuck that.  Less excuses?  How about it's my scheduled day off?  Volunteering me to work on holidays so you don't because you have kids makes me 1) hate my employer, and 2) hate your kids.

Man, you are doing it wrong. As a single person, being the guy who covers on holidays rocks.

1) holidays with the family suck anyhow. Excuses to spend only half of the week of christmas with the family instead of every god forsaken day is a godsend.
2) The rest of the office appreciates you for covering. You are: a team player. Bonus points for telling people how glad you are that everyone else got to spend christmas with their kids, as you look at their pictures that you asked to see.
3) Since no one else is working, no one will bring you problems so you can come in late, go home early, take long lunches, and primarily spend the workday convincing Berkut that the officials blew some call in a game from 10 years ago.
4) You can get make up vacation during a period of the year the rest of the office is working hard and you aren't expected to spend it with your family.

[CountDeMoney]

Fuck that.  Less excuses?  How about it's my scheduled day off?  Volunteering me to work on holidays so you don't because you have kids makes me 1) hate my employer, and 2) hate your kids.

Man, you are doing it wrong. As a single person, being the guy who covers on holidays rocks.

1) holidays with the family suck anyhow. Excuses to spend only half of the week of christmas with the family instead of every god forsaken day is a godsend.
2) The rest of the office appreciates you for covering. You are: a team player. Bonus points for telling people how glad you are that everyone else got to spend christmas with their kids, as you look at their pictures that you asked to see.
3) Since no one else is working, no one will bring you problems so you can come in late, go home early, take long lunches, and primarily spend the workday convincing Berkut that the officials blew some call in a game from 10 years ago.
4) You can get make up vacation during a period of the year the rest of the office is working hard and you aren't expected to spend it with your family.

You've never been one for points, so I'll forgive you for missing this one.

[CountDeMoney]

Pretty soon, I'll be held in higher esteem then Seedy is.  I think I'm getting close!

Not until you get married and have kids.  Until then, you're just a second-rate human being.

[Sheilbh]

For you Brits everything has a lot to do with class.

True

But what I mean is that middle class people are more likely to get married, or more married people are middle class in general. So it would hardly be surprising if they earned more. Though they may have adjusted for that.

Which is why, while I'm generally supportive of pro-family policies, I'm always a bit dubious of conservatives talking about all of the benefits of marriage without also acknowledging that.

Because he never publically acknowledged it people were still stumbling about what they could or could not say.

But he was on the front cover of Out magazine almost five years ago

He's known as a gay man, who supports gay rights publicly and whose company takes an active stance in those campaigns. I really struggle to see the difference a public statement that he is gay makes. The problem with what you could say is with the speakers. If there's a gay man then call him a gay man. There's nothing performative about coming out.

[Martinus]

Well, many straight people were on the cover of Out. And you would be surprised how few people out of the straight public really read or are aware of these things - most straight people I talked to were not aware Tim Cook is or might be gay - now they know because this news is being reported by all major agencies. Most people are clueless about reality (especially if it does not concern the part of it they are particularly concerned with). That is why something like "glass closet" can work and Liberace's fans were convinced he is straight.

[The Brain]

I had never heard about Tim Cook until this thread.