Apple CEO Tim Cook says that being gay is 'God's greatest gift to me'
According to media reports, Apple CEO, Tim Cook said in a statement that being gay has been God's greatest gift to him.
Tim Cook on October 30, 2014, happened to be the first CEO of a major company to come out as gay.
Cook's sexual orientation was publicly rumoured beforehand until he confirmed it publicly.
He then went on to say that he was happy about that distinction as well as his decision.
"I'm very proud of it," the Apple CEO was quoted as saying to Christiane Amanpour on Wednesday in an exclusive interview for her programme on CNN International and PBS.
Tim Cook went on to say that Being gay is "God's greatest gift to me".
Cook also said he chose to be public about it after he received letters from children who were "going through being bullied, being pushed out of their homes and were very close to suicide".
"My strong view is that everyone should be treated with respect... I was public because I started to receive stories from kids who read online that I was gay," he said.
He has said that he, in general, was a private person but then decided on not being selfish by keeping quiet, as could have helped many people by coming out publicly about it.
"I needed to do something for them," Cook said. He wanted to demonstrate to gay children that they "can be gay and still go on and do some big jobs in life".
Tim Cook said that by coming out as gay gave him empathy to those who were not in the majority, which has also helped him as a leader.
"I learned what it was like to be a minority," Cook told CNN.
"The feeling of being in a minority gives you a level of empathy for other people who are not in the majority."
Cook also said that Prejudicial comments had given him a thick skin.
"That turns out to be pretty beneficial from this role as well."
With IANS inputs.
