Apple CEO Tim Cook's reason for coming out involves 'bullied kids'

Tim Cook has revealed his reason for coming out last year during a guest appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”. The CEO of technology giant Apple said on Tuesday his decision came after he thought long and hard about the welfare of the children who could be bullied over their sexuality.

In the video below, Cook is asked by Colbert whether his decision to come out as gay was influenced by his being a resident outsider in Alabama growing up with his sexuality, and if it was his way of “trying to help people who are in hardship around the world.”

“It did in all honesty,” Cook replied. He recounted that moment when he finally decided to come out as gay:

“I have right in front of my desk, a photo of Robert Kennedy and a photo of Dr. Martin Luther King. Everyday I sort of ask myself – it was Dr. King’s quote that said, ‘Life’s most persistent and urgent question is what are you doing for others.’ It became so clear to me that kids were getting bullied in school – kids were getting basically discriminated against – kids were even being disclaimed by their own parents, and that I needed to do something. Where I valued my privacy significantly, I felt that I was valuing it too far above what I could do for other people. So I wanted to tell everyone my truth.”

His statements echo what he wrote for his piece on Bloomberg Business in October last year where he also credited Dr. Martin Luther King on his decision to come out. On his “Tim Cook Speaks Up” column, Tim wrote that he is proud to be gay and considers his sexuality one of his greatest gifts from God.

Cook said his coming out was no revelation since many people already knew about his sexuality. In jest, he related his coming out to Apple and said, “It’s like discovering something in your iPhone; it’s always done but you didn’t quite know it.”

Jokes aside, the 54-year-old told Colbert that his coming out as gay last year was not a revelation to the people he worked with. However, it was different to the broader world where he says he “felt a tremendous responsibility” to reveal his sexuality.

Contact the writer at feedback@ibtimes.com.au, or let us know what you think below.

Source:YouTube/Colberrr