What you need to know
- Tim Cook has shared his thoughts on diversity, sexuality, DREAMers and more in an interview with People en Español.
- This is the first time Cook has spoken to a Spanish-language outlet in the U.S.
- Cook said his decision to come out publicly was driven in part by notes he was receiving from kids struggling with their own sexual orientation.
Tim Cook has spoken about the power of diversity, his own sexuality, DREAMers and more in an interview with People en Español. The interview is the first time that Cook has sat down with a Spanish-language outlet in the U.S. Speaking with editor-in-chief Armando Correa, he discussed several issues around diversity including his own coming out.
When asked about his decision to publicly come out, Cook says he was driven by notes he received from kids struggling with their sexual orientation:
They were depressed. Some said they had suicidal thoughts. Some had been banished by their own parents and family. It weighed on me in terms of what I could do. Obviously I couldn't talk to each one individually that reached out, but you always know if you have people reaching out to you that there's many more that don't, that are just out there wondering whether they have a future or not, wondering whether life gets better … From there I really decided.
Cook says that he didn't really have any fear about coming out, but that he did think about the company and the impact it might have. He states that it probably took him a year, "between getting the words exactly like I wanted and picking the right time for the company, because I didn't want it to be a distraction and so forth." Cook also says he went to the board of directors to tell them he wanted to come out publicly, and that they unanimously supported him, which he says wasn't surprising. Cook also disussed the importance of educating both children and parents about sexuality, especially against the idea that being gay is somehow a limitation.
Away from sexuality, Cook and Correa also talked about minorities, and Apple's recent support for DREAMers, young immigrants protected from deportation. Apple recently signed a petition for the U.S Supreme Court, staying that "DREAMers embody Apple's innovation strategy."
They also touched on the environment, and Cook reiterated Apple's commitment to pushing its supply chain to running on 100% renewable energy. On recycling Cook said:
Our ultimate objective is not to take anything from the Earth, or trees or anything, but use all recycled material to build our products. We're certainly not there yet, but it's our next crazy objective along the line. And I think we can do it.
Cook closed the interview with a message of encouragement to kids who want to be out, saying:
Well, it's that life gets better, that you can have a great life filled with joy. Gay is not a limitation. It's a characteristic that I hope they view, like I do, that it's God's greatest gift.
You can read the full interview here.
