Alabama bill against LGBT discrimination to be named after Apple CEO Tim Cook
A bill aimed at barring discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) employee discrimination in Alabama is set to be named after Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Cook is a native of the state who is openly gay, just like the proponent of the bill, Democratic state Representative Patricia Todd. Cook and Todd are, respectively, the first CEO of a Fortune 500 company and the first elected official in Alabama to publicly identify as gay.
Cook publicly came out as gay in October just days after being inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor at the Alabama State Capitol. In his acceptance speech, he mentioned the state’s slow progress in promoting equality for the LGBT community, noting that, “Under the law, citizens of Alabama can still be fired based on their sexual orientation.”
According to Todd, Apple initially expressed concern over having its CEO’s name attached to the bill, but later extended its support. In a statement provided to Reuters, Apple said:
Tim was honored to hear that State Rep. Todd wanted to name an antidiscrimination bill after him, and we’re sorry if there was any miscommunication about it. We have a long history of support for LGBT rights and we hope every state will embrace workplace equality for all.
See also: Tim Cook visits Apple retail store with (RED) CEO Deborah Dugan for World AIDS Day, You can now watch the full video of Apple CEO Tim Cook’s WSJD Live interview, and Russia takes down a monument honoring Steve Jobs because Tim Cook is gay.