Media on Apple CEO Tim Cook’s Sexuality: ‘Come Out, Come Out…’

With Cook atop the world’s largest public company, the cry has begun for the tech exec to comment on his orientation

Like it or not, Tim Cook has been outed.

As with Anderson Cooper, consensus seems to be that Apple's new chief executive officer is gay — though he's never commented on his sexuality.

Now, with Cook atop the world's largest public company, the media has begun to wring its hands about whether he should step farther out of his Silicon closet.

It all started last January, when Gawker took it upon itself to declare Cook “The Most Powerful Gay Man in Silicon Valley,” after he took over as interim head for an ailing Jobs.

Also read: Apple's Steve Jobs Is Thomas Edison? Walt Disney? Nope, Jesus

A few months later, Out Magazine placed Cook atop its annual list of the most powerful gays and lesbians. Cook, a man who’s often described as “intensely private,” didn’t show up for the photo shoot.

And many in the press want the rainbow tour to continue — with or without Cook’s cooperation.

Over at the Atlantic, Nicholas Jackson writes that the Apple chief should acknowledge his sexual orientation.

“Cook is one of those at the high levels who is afraid to publicly confirm his homosexuality," Jackson writes. "And he won't be a role model for the LGBT community until he confirms the rumors and comes out of the glass closet he is assumed to be living in.”

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Queerty's Daniel Villarreal urged Cook to use his new platform at Apple to advocate for queer issues, pushing manufacturers it works with to extend benefits to same sex partners and inserting itself into the gay marriage debate.

“Bust open that Silicon closet and change the world, Tim!,” Villarreal writes.

Felix Salmon at Reuters writes that the press does a disservice to the gay rights movement by refusing to write openly about Cook’s homosexuality.

“There’s no ethical dilemma when it comes to reporting on Cook’s sexuality: rather, the ethical dilemma comes in not reporting it, thereby perpetuating the idea that there’s some kind of stigma associated with being gay,” Salmon writes. “Yes, the stigma does still exist in much of society. But it’s not the job of the press to perpetuate it. Quite the opposite.”

Not everyone in the media bubble was drinking the outing Kool-Aid.

On Twitter, the Business Insider’s Henry Blodget wrote: “ Actually, sorry Felix, I want to ignore it.”

Based on Thursday’s coverage, you might not have a choice, Henry.  

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