Brand and sexuality are two completely different things

[sustento]

Anyhow, if I was that teenager, I think I'd benefit more from a guy like Tim Cook - the successful leader of the worlds most successful company - standing up and explaining that he is, in some ways, like me, than I would from 100 eccentric celebrities doing the same. Or from some symbolic victory surrounding marriage certificates.

I think that if you were the average teenager you'd probably have no idea who Tim Cook actually is.

If Justin Bieber or Harry Styles came out as gay you'd probably feel a little more validated than if Cook came out.

[Scott]

If you are an average teenager you probably know what a CEO is and you probably know what Apple is. If you were a gay teen and struggling with a lot of issues it might make a difference.

[h90]

It's news because Apple is one of the most important companies in the world and gay people are a small, often discriminated against, minority group. When Hillary Clinton becomes the first U.S. female president, it will be a similar thing, a barrier will be broken.

"Coming out" as a PROUD GAY PERSON has been a very important factor in advancing CIVIL RIGHTS progress for gay people internationally. Although it is not safe to come out in many countries and in some countries coming out can actually be suicidal.

Russia being so horribly homophobic, I do wonder if this is going to impact on the brand image in Russia. I am presuming yes. But not worried about Apple ... even if it is hurt a little bit in places like homophobic Russia.

It is two sided: "proud to be gay" is strange. proud to be straight, proud to prefer slim women over fat women, proud to like fetish???

It is like it is, no reason to be either proud or ashamed.....And the majority of people just don't care what other people do in their bedrooms.

And I think 99% of the consumer don't care the CEO, at all. I have a Samsung phone, but no idea who is the CEO and if he is straight or gay.

I don't understand that mixing of private things with business.

For me it is just a cheap attention seeking. And it is just a question of time till someone who doesn't like Apple products is called homophobic.

[Jingthing]

It is two sided: "proud to be gay" is strange. proud to be straight, proud to prefer slim women over fat women, proud to like fetish???

...

[A1Str8]

Who would have thought.

[robertthebruce]

I

I LOVE all Apple products and I could not give a Rats Ass, what his tendencies are...

APPLE is the best in my eyes.

[Scott]

I am glad it was someone from Apple. Somehow I don't envy anybody coming out from a company that has Micro and Soft in the name.

[sustento]

If you are an average teenager you probably know what a CEO is and you probably know what Apple is. If you were a gay teen and struggling with a lot of issues it might make a difference.

Depends where you live. In the UK we have Managing Directors rather than CEOs.

[ToddWeston]

It's news because Apple is one of the most important companies in the world and gay people are a small, often discriminated against, minority group. When Hillary Clinton becomes the first U.S. female president, it will be a similar thing, a barrier will be broken.

"Coming out" as a PROUD GAY PERSON has been a very important factor in advancing CIVIL RIGHTS progress for gay people internationally. Although it is not safe to come out in many countries and in some countries coming out can actually be suicidal.

Russia being so horribly homophobic, I do wonder if this is going to impact on the brand image in Russia. I am presuming yes. But not worried about Apple ... even if it is hurt a little bit in places like homophobic Russia.

It is two sided: "proud to be gay" is strange. proud to be straight, proud to prefer slim women over fat women, proud to like fetish???

It is like it is, no reason to be either proud or ashamed.....And the majority of people just don't care what other people do in their bedrooms.

And I think 99% of the consumer don't care the CEO, at all. I have a Samsung phone, but no idea who is the CEO and if he is straight or gay.

I don't understand that mixing of private things with business.

For me it is just a cheap attention seeking. And it is just a question of time till someone who doesn't like Apple products is called homophobic.

Spot on - I own lots of Apple products and love them, didnt know who he was before his publicity stunt and could care less now.

Strange how some people get excited over nothing.

[h90]

It is two sided: "proud to be gay" is strange. proud to be straight, proud to prefer slim women over fat women, proud to like fetish???

...

dont-feed-the-troll.jpg

See posting #15, Krataiboy: "I don't see anything for Tim Cook to be proud about when it comes to his sexuality. Being gay is not an achievement, any more than is being heterosexual or bisexual."

That brings it to the point....

[Jingthing]

Coming out in the workplace is still often no picnic:

http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/still-hard-come-work?int-cid=mod-latest

But the news about Cook has also renewed discussions on the challenges of being openly gay at work, not only for C.E.O.s but for rank-and-file workers whose personal lives aren’t nearly as closely scrutinized—and who are also not nearly as powerful or as financially secure.

...

Tim Cook—he only just came out, and he’s the C.E.O. of one of the most powerful companies in the world, in a state where he actually has employment protections,” Mushovic said. “Think about L.G.B.T. workers that are lower down in the organization and in states where they can be fired for being gay.” For them, the decision to come out at work might be more fraught, she said. “For many workers, it is a very affirming experience, but for others it can be really difficult.”

Edited November 2, 2014 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

It is two sided: "proud to be gay" is strange. proud to be straight, proud to prefer slim women over fat women, proud to like fetish???

...

dont-feed-the-troll.jpg

See posting #15, Krataiboy: "I don't see anything for Tim Cook to be proud about when it comes to his sexuality. Being gay is not an achievement, any more than is being heterosexual or bisexual."

That brings it to the point....

You don't need to bother to respond to me. As far I'm concerned anti-gay posts insinuating that having a gay identity is equivalent to having a sexual fetish have no place on a forum for gay people. It's like the bigots saying let gays marry, what's next marrying your dog?

On a Jewish forum, if a poster came on and said being proud of being a Jew was as senseless as being proud of having an anal wart, the Jews there would be very angry. But here, bizarrely, there are other gay people supporting this total lack of comprehension about what GAY IDENTITY means in the totality of people's lives. No it is not just what makes your dick hard.

Sorry, I know, I ignored my own advice. Your baiting worked. I still wonder why these kinds of total attacks on the legitimacy of people having a GAY IDENTITY are even tolerated as acceptable in any way on a gay forum?

Maybe the forum needs to be renamed:

The Anti-gay forum (anti-gay gays also welcome)

Then nobody will get the silly idea that this is as another poster mentioned on another thread intended to be A QUEER SPACE.

Edited November 2, 2014 by Jingthing

[ToddWeston]

It is two sided: "proud to be gay" is strange. proud to be straight, proud to prefer slim women over fat women, proud to like fetish???

...

dont-feed-the-troll.jpg

See posting #15, Krataiboy: "I don't see anything for Tim Cook to be proud about when it comes to his sexuality. Being gay is not an achievement, any more than is being heterosexual or bisexual."

That brings it to the point....

You don't need to bother to respond to me. As far I'm concerned anti-gay posts insinuating that having a gay identity is equivalent to having a sexual fetish have no place on a forum for gay people. It's like the bigots saying let gays marry, what's next marrying your dog?

On a Jewish forum, if a poster came on and said being proud of being a Jew was as senseless as being proud of having an anal wart, the Jews there would be very angry. But here, bizarrely, there are other gay people supporting this total lack of comprehension about what GAY IDENTITY means in the totality of people's lives. No it is not just what makes your dick hard.

Sorry, I know, I ignored my own advice. Your baiting worked. I still wonder why these kinds of total attacks on the legitimacy of people having a GAY IDENTITY are even tolerated as acceptable in any way on a gay forum?

dont-feed-the-troll.jpg

Maybe the forum needs to be renamed:

The Anti-gay forum (anti-gay gays also welcome)

Then nobody will get the silly idea that this is as another poster mentioned on another thread intended to be A QUEER SPACE.

And flaming and calling someone a troll is acceptable ?

Your opinion is only your opinion dude and it's not always shared by other gay or straight members, there is no need to scream and be so negative all the time. This space is for gay topics not gay members exclusively.

Edit - sent from my apple product with the gay ceo

Edited November 2, 2014 by ToddWeston

[Jingthing]

I agree not only for gay posters though sometimes I wonder about the wisdom of that too. You don't see many male posters on the women's forum. This forum sometimes seems dominated by straight people often obviously just TROLLING. That's weird for a gay forum.

But I thought this forum had different rules and that it was explicitly not cool to DISRESPECT gay people on this gay forum, and to make us defend our identity as gay people as having VALUE. For a poster, gay or straight, to come on here, the GAY FORUM, and suggest being gay is equivalent to having a sexual fetish is hate speech, pure and simple.

Yes that is my OPINION, but really my impression is that the design of this GAY FORUM was to explicitly not tolerate anti-gay hate speech. Yes, people saying gay marriage is like marrying dogs is hate speech, and again, so is asserting being proud of being gay is like being proud of having a sexual fetish.

Edited November 2, 2014 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

Any time someone says they want a straight parade, we know from history they don't really want a straight parade, what they REALLY are expressing is anti-gay bigotry. It's not the same. Gays are a MINORITY group and do not enjoy equal civil rights in most of the world.

If someone says that being proud of being gay is the same as being proud of having a sexual fetish, that speech is anti-gay speech without any doubt. What you are as person is another matter ... all we can see is the speech, and that is hate speech.

You know, before I get into trouble with this, given that in my view the intent of the gay forum (in my view it should be a GAY SUPPORTIVE SPACE and anti-gay speech not allowed, even from so called gays) is NOT being respected

...

I am now voluntarily withdrawing from posting on the gay forum.

I will of course refer to gay issues on the GENERAL FORUM when such discussion is apt, but THERE I expect more of a hostile anti-gay environment and won't be objecting to it there except to debate the CONTENT of it.

To come here on a supposedly "GAY FORUM", and find that tolerated is not acceptable to me.

I doubt I am the only one who has found the tone of this "GAY FORUM" really odd for a gay forum. Witness the new blood Queer person recently who was basically MOCKED by gay people for suggesting this was a Queer Space.

But clearly it's not.

You can applaud now.

Edited November 2, 2014 by Jingthing

[Zooheekock]

To come here on a supposedly "GAY FORUM", and find that tolerated is not acceptable to me.

Got to agree with this. Posters get told off for using the wrong font or crappy punctuation but trolling a gay sub-forum is allowed? <deleted> to that.

[Scott]

Off-topic, inflammatory, troll posts and replies removed.

[ProThaiExpat]

jingthing: I watched the Barney Frank clip and identified with his comment regarding Tim Cook coming out only after some time on the job. Those who work in a profession that relies on clients or customers or patients will tell you that after some time, the clients learn you are gay and that is fine with them. as they have already been helped by your professionalism and skill. If you are introduced or recommended as a gay professional, chances are the client will look elsewhere or come to you for the wrong reason.

It is an old truism that being a physician who happens to be gay is far more preferable than being a gay physician. Thus, avoiding the label in the profession is to not come out publicly, but come out on an individual basis when you feel it is appropriate to the relationship you have with the client.

Clearly, if you are in part responsible for the manufacture of a product, the customer has the product to judge his like or dislike as opposed to one who sells a service. such as someone in a profession, who is in effect is selling himself and thus avoids labels other than his professional one and the quality of his service.

I think Tim Cook's use of the word "proud" is meant in the context that he is not ashamed of being gay rather than use it in the context of achievement, as prior posters have suggested.

[Scott]

Steve Jobs Memorial in Russia Dismantled After Tim Cook Comes Out as Gay

Sean Martin, IB Times

November 4, 2014

A memorial dedicated to the late Apple founder Steve Jobs, who lost his battle with cancer in 2011, has been torn down in Russia after the company’s current CEO Tim Cook revealed that he is gay.

Cook publicly revealed that he is gay last week, writing in Businessweek: “Let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.”

However, it seems that some people in Russia have taken issue with Cook’s homosexuality and released their frustration on a statue dedicated to Jobs, although they say they were simply abiding by Russian law.

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/steve-jobs-memorial-in-russia-dismantled-after-tim-cook-101685884074.html