Apple CEO Tim Cook is Gay

Apple CEO Tim Cook, left, announced his homosexuality in an opinion piece in Bloomberg Businessweek on Thursday. Cook said he was inspired to come out of the closet by the late civil rights icon Martin Luther King.

Cook, 53, took the helm at Apple, Inc. when co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs died of cancer in 2011 at age 56.

From USA Today:

In an essay published by Bloomberg Businessweek advocating for human rights and equality, Cook says he was inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King to set aside his desire for privacy to do something “more important.”
“While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven’t publicly acknowledged it either, until now,” writes Cook. “So let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.”
Cook says he’s been open with others about being gay, but felt compelled to publicly come out to help others. “I don’t consider myself an activist, but I realize how much I’ve benefited from the sacrifice of others,” writes Cook. “So if hearing that the CEO of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to insist on their equality, then it’s worth the trade-off with my own privacy.”