He said he acted now in the hopes that his words could make a difference to others. In a country where more major-league athletes have come out than top CEOs, business leaders said Cook’s disclosure was an important step toward easing anti-gay stigma, particularly for employees in the many states where people can still be fired for their sexual orientation.Ĭook, who led Out magazine’s top 50 most powerful people for three years, said in the essay that while he never denied his sexuality, he never openly acknowledged it, either. business executive to publicly acknowledge that he’s gay. The 53-year-old successor to Steve Jobs made the announcement in an essay published Thursday by Bloomberg Businessweek. But advocates say that given Apple’s immense reach and visibility, his coming-out could help change attitudes in workplaces across America. NEW YORK (AP) - Apple CEO Tim Cook’s declaration that he’s “proud to be gay” wasn’t exactly news in Silicon Valley, where his sexual orientation was no secret.