Apple CEO Tim Cook to be namesake of Alabama anti-discrimination bill
Following initial hesitation on the part of Apple, an Alabama state representative is moving forward with plans to name a proposed anti-discrimination bill after CEO Tim Cook after receiving full support from the company this week.
The only openly gay legislator in Alabama, state Representative Patricia Todd, is planning to attach Cook's name to a years-old bill introduced to ban discrimination against LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) teachers and state employees, reports Reuters. Todd has brought the issue to the floor multiple times, and will do so again next March.
Todd said the idea was hatched after Cook, an Alabama native, was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor. During his acceptance speech, Cook called for action on rights for the LGBT community, likening his home state's slow progress to the country's long struggle with racial and gender equality.
Just three days later, in an essay published by Bloomberg, Cook publicly announced that he is "proud to be gay." Though he is open about his sexuality with close ones and friends, Cook said coming out publicly was a difficult decision.
Todd told reporters that she would put Cook's name on her anti-discrimination document when Alabama legislative sessions begin next year. After hearing word of Todd's plan, it seemed Apple was not completely on board, as a company representative reached out to express concern over the matter. Todd agreed to drop Cook's name, but was ultimately given the green light this week.
"Tim was honored to hear that State Rep. Todd wanted to name an antidiscrimination bill after him, and we're sorry if there was any miscommunication about it. We have a long history of support for LGBT rights and we hope every state will embrace workplace equality for all," Apple said in a prepared statement.
Local publication AL.com separately reported that Apple legal chief Bruce Sewell made the call himself.
"He apologized profusely and said there was an employee that was trying to protect Apple from controversy," Todd said. "He said 'I'm here to assure you we support this 100 percent."
The only openly gay legislator in Alabama, state Representative Patricia Todd, is planning to attach Cook's name to a years-old bill introduced to ban discrimination against LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) teachers and state employees, reports Reuters. Todd has brought the issue to the floor multiple times, and will do so again next March.
Todd said the idea was hatched after Cook, an Alabama native, was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor. During his acceptance speech, Cook called for action on rights for the LGBT community, likening his home state's slow progress to the country's long struggle with racial and gender equality.
Just three days later, in an essay published by Bloomberg, Cook publicly announced that he is "proud to be gay." Though he is open about his sexuality with close ones and friends, Cook said coming out publicly was a difficult decision.
Todd told reporters that she would put Cook's name on her anti-discrimination document when Alabama legislative sessions begin next year. After hearing word of Todd's plan, it seemed Apple was not completely on board, as a company representative reached out to express concern over the matter. Todd agreed to drop Cook's name, but was ultimately given the green light this week.
"Tim was honored to hear that State Rep. Todd wanted to name an antidiscrimination bill after him, and we're sorry if there was any miscommunication about it. We have a long history of support for LGBT rights and we hope every state will embrace workplace equality for all," Apple said in a prepared statement.
Local publication AL.com separately reported that Apple legal chief Bruce Sewell made the call himself.
"He apologized profusely and said there was an employee that was trying to protect Apple from controversy," Todd said. "He said 'I'm here to assure you we support this 100 percent."
Comments
The world will unquestionably be a better place. Thanks for thinking different, TC.
Thinking different? As opposed to the thousands of other that have come out?
I only hope that the bill can bring about real change in Alabama, which sorely needs to become more tolerant.
Tolerant is not the word.
Intelligent, is the word. We live in an age of science reasoning.
Tolerant sounds patronising. I have n o right in dictating how anyones should live their live.
What is liberty after all?
He'll be chuffed about that. I'm sure he wants to go down in history as much as possible for those kind of efforts (remember who his heroes are).
How do you determine that someone was discriminated against because of their sexual orientation? it's not like when you apply for a job you check a box saying you're gay. I don't know how anyone can prove they weren't hired for a job because they are gay.
I had a friend who was gay and was not hired by the company.What is this called?
How do you know he/she was not hired because he/she was gay? Did the employer say sorry I'm not hiring you because of your sexual orientation? How would the employer even know what their sexual orientation was?
Tolerant is not the word.
Intelligent, is the word. We live in an age of science reasoning.
Tolerant sounds patronising. I have n o right in dictating how anyones should live their live.
What is liberty after all?
I agree with you, but human populations tend not to change in sudden jumps. Reaching a place of general tolerance is needed before we can go beyond it.
Without seeing the language of the bill, I don't know if I support it or not, but I wouldn't associate the word "liberty" to this under any circumstances. Having the government force a person to hire someone who they otherwise would choose not to hire (perhaps for odious reasons), is not liberty. One could be in favor of this for other good reasons, but not for that one (without completely distorting the meaning of the word).
How is a law like this enforced? How does someone prove they were not hired because of their sexual preference?
The thousands of other CEOs of Fortune 500 companies?
I really hope you're exaggerating. You do realize that the Fortune 500 would only have 500 CEO's, right?
I love the people crying for tolerance. Tolerance in this case evidently equals "You believe what I do or you're wrong and intolerant".
http://www.hrc.org/files/assets/resources/HRC_Foundation_State_of_the_Workplace_2007-2008.pdf
I really hope you're exaggerating. You do realize that the Fortune 500 would only have 500 CEO's, right?
I love the people crying for tolerance. Tolerance in this case evidently equals "You believe what I do or you're wrong and intolerant".
Tolerance means not being a douchebag because someone was born different or has a different culture.
For example, you, Apple ][, Spam Sandwich, and Rogifan are social conservatives, but we tolerate you here, and want you to feel comfortable with your feeling that white men are victimized whenever some "other" wants a level playing field.
I don't ask to get you guys banned because you think differently, and act like there's no problem with banning you.
Tolerance can only begin to occur when you notice your personal prejudices and if some change in your circumstances cause those prejudices to change.
If however, a chinese man murders my family, odds are that my prejudice against the next chinese guy I see may actually be amplified. A civilization will get the prejudices against it that it deserves generally speaking. I dont have enough space in my brain to catalogue the behaviors of every human being, so my brain lumps groups of people into catergories for expediency.
The human condition is very strange indeed. We are the way we are because it was required to make it to where we are and to handle the circimstances we are in. Don't get to prejudiced against the prejudiced, since you are also prejudiced.