Well June is Gay Pride month: CNBC Host Accidentally "Outs" Apple CEO Tim Cook As Gay

[telemann.livejournal.com]

On Friday morning, a CNBC segment of “Squawk on the Street” turned awkward after co-anchor Simon Hobbs accidentally “ outed” Apple (AAPL +1.18%) CEO Tim Cook as being openly gay. “I think Tim Cook is fairly open about the fact that he’s gay at the head of Apple isn’t he?” asked Hobbs to columnist Jim Stewart. During the segment, The New York Times journalist was discussing his upcoming column on John Browne, the former CEO of oil giant BP whose book, The Glass Closet: Why Coming Out Is Good For Business, details his life as a closeted executive. “No,” Stewart answered after an awkward silence. “I don’t want to comment on anybody who might or might not be,” he added. “I’m not going to out anybody. I called a lot of people and no one at any major company would allow their names to be used.” Cook has never confirmed nor denied his sexual orientation.

More here, with video of the segment.

I think it's one thing to out a closeted politician who is consistently hurting people in their day-to-day lives by the legislation they're advocating and enacting into law (Charlie Crist was horrible in that regard in Florida, when he was governor). But I'm not sure about businessmen or executives. If their company's business policies are fair, sane, and not hurting anyone, I think outing them is unfair and a breach of their privacy.

Comments

[deborahkla.livejournal.com]

I think you're unclear on the definition of "hypocrisy". If a man is a closeted gay and speaks out repeatedly against gay rights as well as actively works against granting human rights to gays he is a hypocrite, plain and simple.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

I don't agree. That implies that he's a perfect individual who is happy with what he is and would like to see it protected, for example.

[deborahkla.livejournal.com]

In your mind perhaps, but in reality it doesn't imply anything of the sort. I know people who are gay and have decided not to act on it and are married with children, but they don't go around persecuting gays who do. To be a closeted gay and go around persecuting gays or speaking up against them is to be a hypocrite, plain and simple. Whether or not that person is happy or unhappy with being gay has nothing whatsoever to do with whether he's a hypocrite or not. He's still a fucking hypocrite for treating other gay people who are happy as though they shouldn't be. If anything his personal psychology is what brings about the hypocrisy. You have an extremely limited view of what hypocrisy actually is.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

To be a closeted gay and go around persecuting gays or speaking up against them is to be a hypocrite, plain and simple.

I disagree. You first need to surmise that they want their gay activity to be okay, but no one else's, before you can call them a hypocrite.

[deborahkla.livejournal.com]

You can disagree all you want; that doesn't make you right. The hypocrisy is in the behavior, not the motivations. Your mind is so way out there you'll make up anything rather than admit you're dead wrong.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

It's all about motivation in this case. To simply assume "anti-gay gay person = hypocrite" assumes you know more about them than you do.

This is the sort of simplistic thinking that makes you believe in things like the pay gap.