Apple's Tim Cook accepts Visibility Award at Human Rights Campaign dinner

Posted:
in General Discussion edited October 2015
In accepting his Visibility Award at a Human Rights Campaign dinner on Saturday night, Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke about his coming out as gay and argued that there are still obstacles to LGBT acceptance even if much progress has been made.




Making reference to things like this summer's Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage, Cook suggested that the U.S. was closer than ever to achieving Martin Luther King Jr.'s goal of people being judged solely on their character. He noted however that that the country isn't there yet, and that LGBT people are still sometimes bullied, seen as defective, or even sent off for "reparative" treatment.

"People need to hear that being gay does not give you limitations in life," he commented in an NBC video of the event.

Cook also received positive words from people like HRC President Chad Griffin, and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, who said that Cook serves as an inspiration for kids worried about being different and what they can achieve.

Although Cook's sexuality was rumored for some time, the CEO only officially came out in October 2014, hoping to inspire others. During his tenure Apple has been been more assertive than ever in supporting LGBT causes, for instance by backing the Equality Act meant to end discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation.

Cook himself has spoken regularly on the topic, and been a major HRC donor. Apple has regularly won perfect scores on the pro-LGBT organization's Corporate Equality Index.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 17
    clemynxclemynx Posts: 1,552member
    I agree with what he's doing but at the same time understand the people who say that he shouldn't involve Apple in such matters. It's a difficult balance to find and I think this battle deserves to be fought under the name of Apple. After all it's surprising to see people who don't see that Apple is liberal at the root.
  • Reply 2 of 17
    clemynx wrote: »
    I agree with what he's doing but at the same time understand the people who say that he shouldn't involve Apple in such matters. It's a difficult balance to find and I think this battle deserves to be fought under the name of Apple. After all it's surprising to see people who don't see that Apple is liberal at the root.

    Jobs was a lot more libertarian than liberal.
  • Reply 3 of 17
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    Jobs was a lot more libertarian than liberal.
    And Apple is a far better company in every way for that shift.
  • Reply 4 of 17
    jessijessi Posts: 302member

    I think Tim Cook may be libertarian as well.

     

    Years ago, Steve Wozniak said that Jobs read Atlas Shrugged and it changed his worldview-- did the same thing for me. Was a liberal, became a libertarian after reading that book.  (It pretty much demolishes liberalism, which is why liberal media is constantly bashing Ayn Rand)

     

    Strictly speaking, Apple isn't too libertarian- discrimination is the nature of freedom of association.  EG: If you don't want to associate with someone because they are gay or christian, that's your right.  It might be stupid-- and personally I think it is-- but that's what freedom of association is.   Gay Marriage is merely saying you have the right to marry who you want-- also freedom of association. 

     

    Tim is representing Tim Cook here.  I've got nothing wrong with him being a leading light for gay people everywhere.

     

    In the past, gay kids often committed suicide, in part because they had no role models, and believed they were the only ones like that.  Tim Cook dispels that perception, and I commend him for that. 

  • Reply 5 of 17
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,056member
    "Today,I'm thrilled to announce that..."
  • Reply 6 of 17
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member

    I read Atlas Shrugged.  It was a comedy, right?

  • Reply 7 of 17
    richlrichl Posts: 2,213member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Crowley View Post

     

    I read Atlas Shrugged.  It was a comedy, right?


     

    Judging by what happened in Chile, yes.

  • Reply 8 of 17
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    richl wrote: »
    Judging by what happened in Chile, yes.

    What does a story about a bunch of possible land-scammers have to do with Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Scammers come in all shapes, sizes and philosophical clothing. Their game is to scam people out of money by appealing to their beliefs, which these alleged crooks did. So what?

    Need proof that people of every political and philosophical stripe have tricked, stolen, misrepresented, etc.? Try looking at a history book or the news sometime. Most fraud is committed by people who are not Objectivists or Libertarians. What does that tell you?:

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_corruption

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swampland_in_Florida

    http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-charges/fraud-financial-crimes.html

    http://www.forbes.com/pictures/efik45ekdjl/our-take-on-the-10-biggest-frauds-in-recent-u-s-history-2/

    Also, both you and the Vice author confuse Objectivism for Libertarianism. They're not the same. Learn the difference by doing five minutes worth of your own research (which I doubt you will do, based on the intellectually lazy comment and response which prompted me to reply).
  • Reply 9 of 17
    Entirely speaking, Apple isn't excessively libertarian-segregation is the way of opportunity of affiliation. EG: If you would prefer not to take up with somebody in light of the fact that they are gay or christian, that is you're correct. It may be idiotic - and actually I think it is- - yet that is the thing that opportunity of affiliation is. Gay Marriage is only saying you have the privilege to wed who you need - additionally opportunity of affiliation.
  • Reply 10 of 17
    frankiefrankie Posts: 381member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by paxman View Post





    And Apple is a far better company in every way for that shift.



    Far more 'profitable' you could say, but better?  Nah

  • Reply 11 of 17
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    frankie wrote: »

    Far more 'profitable' you could say, but better?  Nah

    No, I meant better. But the fact that Apple is no longer the underdog, and is very much part of the 'establishment' makes a difference, of course. Apple was definitely 'cooler' then but you can no longer be cool when you are as big as Apple is today. You have to look at today's Apple for what it is and not what it was. The 'golden' era of Apple against the world with a confrontational, take no prisoners visionary at the helm have gone forever. And personally I see the 'new' socially responsible, visually 'inclusive' and more transparent Apple as 'better' though I'd concede that the Jobs era was more exciting and fun.
  • Reply 12 of 17
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    Philip Elmer-DeWitt has an HRC/Apple tribute video embedded that features Laurene Jobs a little bit, very touching, which starts at the 2:59 mark:

    http://fortune.com/2015/10/04/apple-cook-jobs-gay/
  • Reply 13 of 17
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    flaneur wrote: »
    Philip Elmer-DeWitt has an HRC/Apple tribute video embedded that features Laurene Jobs a little bit, very touching, which starts at the 2:59 mark:

    http://fortune.com/2015/10/04/apple-cook-jobs-gay/

    Nice - thanks
  • Reply 14 of 17
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    clemynx wrote: »
    I agree with what he's doing but at the same time understand the people who say that he shouldn't involve Apple in such matters. It's a difficult balance to find and I think this battle deserves to be fought under the name of Apple. After all it's surprising to see people who don't see that Apple is liberal at the root.

    You know, I'm starting to think he's not involving Apple at all. This is all him.

    But the fact he's the CEO of Apple makes people correlate everything about him with with Apple.

    I do remember the gay pride parade thing where he heavily involved Apple.
  • Reply 15 of 17
    richlrichl Posts: 2,213member
    Scammers come in all shapes, sizes and philosophical clothing. Their game is to scam people out of money by appealing to their beliefs, which these alleged crooks did. So what?

    Anti-workers' rights, anti-consumer rights, anti-regulation. Libertarianism is a scammer's paradise.
  • Reply 16 of 17
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    richl wrote: »
    Anti-workers' rights, anti-consumer rights, anti-regulation. Libertarianism is a scammer's paradise.

    That comment is completely in line with your other uninformed comments. At least you're consistent.
  • Reply 17 of 17

    John Rogers' quote always tickles me when I read it:

     

    "There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs."

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