库克为什么现在才出柜

 

Apple's Tim Cook is the first publicly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Amid the din¹ of applause, one might also ask: What took so long?

 

Public confirmations² of sexuality have increased in Hollywood, and have started to appear in the sports world, including that of football player Michael Sam, who came out right before this year's NFL draft. But it's rare to see in the traditionally conservative business world, let alone at one of the world's most profitable tech companies.

 

The ripple³ effect of Cook's essay in Bloomberg Businessweek magazine Thursday was immediate⁴, generating tweets from the likes of Virgin⁵ Group founder⁶ Richard Branson ("Inspirational words") and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella ("Inspired by @tim_cook").

 

 

Before Cook, the most senior exec identified as gay was British Petroleum's John Browne, who resigned in 2007 after his sexuality was revealed by a British tabloid⁹. He has since lobbied for more openness in the workplace, particularly in his June book, The Glass Closet: Why Coming Out Is Good for Business.

 

One reason why being gay in business may remain relatively¹⁰ taboo¹¹ has "to do with perception of strength, which it shouldn't," says Daryl Lee, global CEO of media agency UM. "You don't want to take any risks in business and you don't want to be seen as weak."

 

But if you're gay and come out, he says, "it can be a source of strength."

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