Throughout my professional life, I’ve tried to maintain a basic level of privacy. I come from humble roots, and I don’t seek to draw attention to myself. Apple is already one of the most closely watched companies in the world, and I like keeping the focus on our products and the incredible things our customers achieve with them.
At the same time, I believe deeply in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, who said: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’ ” I often challenge myself with that question, and I’ve come to realize that my desire for personal privacy has been holding me back from doing something more important. That’s what has led me to today.
For years, I’ve been open with many people about my sexual orientation. Plenty of colleagues at Apple know I’m gay, and it doesn’t seem to make a difference in the way they treat me. Of course, I’ve had the good fortune to work at a company that loves creativity and innovation and knows it can only flourish when you embrace people’s differences. Not everyone is so lucky.
While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven’t publicly acknowledged it either, until now. So let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.
Being gay has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to be in the minority and provided a window into the challenges that people in other minority groups deal with every day. It’s made me more empathetic, which has led to a richer life. It’s been tough and uncomfortable at times, but it has given me the confidence to be myself, to follow my own path, and to rise above adversity and bigotry. It’s also given me the skin of a rhinoceros, which comes in handy when you’re the CEO of Apple.
The world has changed so much since I was a kid. America is moving toward marriage equality, and the public figures who have bravely come out have helped change perceptions and made our culture more tolerant. Still, there are laws on the books in a majority of states that allow employers to fire people based solely on their sexual orientation. There are many places where landlords can evict tenants for being gay, or where we can be barred from visiting sick partners and sharing in their legacies. Countless people, particularly kids, face fear and abuse every day because of their sexual orientation.
I don’t consider myself an activist, but I realize how much I’ve benefited from the sacrifice of others. So if hearing that the CEO of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to insist on their equality, then it’s worth the trade-off with my own privacy.
I’ll admit that this wasn’t an easy choice. Privacy remains important to me, and I’d like to hold on to a small amount of it. I’ve made Apple my life’s work, and I will continue to spend virtually all of my waking time focused on being the best CEO I can be. That’s what our employees deserve—and our customers, developers, shareholders, and supplier partners deserve it, too. Part of social progress is understanding that a person is not defined only by one’s sexuality, race, or gender. I’m an engineer, an uncle, a nature lover, a fitness nut, a son of the South, a sports fanatic, and many other things. I hope that people will respect my desire to focus on the things I’m best suited for and the work that brings me joy.
The company I am so fortunate to lead has long advocated for human rights and equality for all. We’ve taken a strong stand in support of a workplace equality bill before Congress, just as we stood for marriage equality in our home state of California. And we spoke up in Arizona when that state’s legislature passed a discriminatory bill targeting the gay community. We’ll continue to fight for our values, and I believe that any CEO of this incredible company, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation, would do the same. And I will personally continue to advocate for equality for all people until my toes point up.
每天早上进入办公室后，我都会看到马丁•路德和罗伯特•肯尼迪(Robert F. Kennedy)的相框。我写这篇文章，不是想把自己列入他们阵营。只是为了让我在看到他们照片时，知道自己应该做什么来帮助他人，即使是微不足道的小 事。让我们一起铺平走向(同性恋)司法公平的大道，一步一步。而这就是我迈出的一步。
When I arrive in my office each morning, I’m greeted by framed photos of Dr. King and Robert F. Kennedy. I don’t pretend that writing this puts me in their league. All it does is allow me to look at those pictures and know that I’m doing my part, however small, to help others. We pave the sunlit path toward justice together, brick by brick. This is my brick. 作者: govycm 时间: 14-11-1 17:38
前排学习作者: 小戒 时间: 14-11-1 21:41
如果这是考研英语我会很感动，基本能看懂。我只好奇他爱人是谁，好幸福呀。作者: 范老师 时间: 14-11-2 13:27
学到2个单词
minority
/ maɪˈnɔrətɪ; US -ˈnɔːr-; maɪ`nɔrətɪ/ n
(a) [CGp] (usu sing 通常作单数) smaller number or part (esp of people voting or of votes cast) 少数（尤指投票者或票数）:
• Only a minority of British households do/does not have a car. 英国只有少数家庭没有汽车.
• A small minority voted against the motion. 投票反对该动议的人占少数.
• [attrib 作定语] a minority vote, opinion, point of view, etc, ie one cast, held, etc by a smaller number of people 少数人的票﹑ 意见﹑ 观点等.
(b) [C] small group in a community, nation, etc, differing from others in race, religion, language, etc （一社区﹑ 国家等, 其中种族﹑ 宗教, 语言等异於他人的）小团体, 少数:
• the rights of ethnic minorities 少数民族的权利
• [attrib 作定语] belong to a minority group 属於少数人团体的
• minority rights 少数派的权利. Cf 参看 majority.
[U] (law 律) state or period of being a minor 未成年:
• be in one's minority, eg under 18 in the UK 尚未成年（如在英国为18岁以下）.
(idm 习语) be in a/the minority be in the smaller of esp two voting groups 是少数派（尤指在投票的两部分人中）:
• We're in the minority, ie More people are against us than with us. 我们是少数派.
• I'm in a minority of one, ie No one agrees with me. 我是唯一的少数派.
■ mi,nority `government government that has fewer seats in a legislative assembly than the total number held by the opposition parties 在立法议会占少数席位的党派组成的政府.
trade-off
◙noun [C]
1. a balance between two opposing things, that you are willing to accept in order to achieve something
• 〔两种对立事物之间的〕平衡，妥协，协调:
»a trade-off between sth and sth
»There has to be a trade-off between quality and quantity if we want to keep prices low.
如果我们想要保持低价，必须在质量和数量之间求得平衡。 作者: liuce0307 时间: 14-11-2 15:18
我记得我看过一个短篇 片中人的主流世界观是同性交往结婚是正常行为，而异性恋是不能被接受的，而主人公就是个异性恋者。但忘记是什么短篇了作者: 水中月绕云 时间: 14-11-2 15:54
提示: 作者被禁止或删除 内容自动屏蔽作者: iris__shen 时间: 14-11-4 22:24
它在第二页啊
