“I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.”

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, today spoke publicly for the first time about being gay. Cook is joining an increasing number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) business leaders, athletes, musicians and politicians who are willing and proud to share a core part of who they are publically. They do this to inspire others, advocate for equality, and dispel stereotypes.

They also do this to be authentic. But there is something about Cook’s words that makes him particularly inspiring.

Tim Cook is 53 and at the top of his career, he is out at work and generally, just not publicly, until today. He is not coming out for himself; he is sharing his story, a success story with the world to inspire others. Cook says he is a CEO, an engineer, a man of faith, a fitness nut, a son of the South, a sports fanatic and he is gay. His words resonate from the boardroom to the football pitch.

One might also ask why he hasn not taken this step before? Why was he not open and authentic about who he was in a public sphere before now? This points to one of the key challenges for LGBT people in the workplace whether in positions of enormous power and wealth or not.

In his book The Glass Closet, Lord Browne, former Chief Executive of BP when he came out said: “I wish I had been brave enough to come out earlier during my tenure as chief executive of BP. I regret it to this day.” Coming out in the workplace requires bravery to divulge a core part of yourself where there may or may not be acceptance or career consequences.

For many people the place where you work, your family and the community you live in is as much a part of who you are as your sexual orientation or gender identity. We know that workplace equality is a critical priority for LGBT people in Ireland.

47% of LGBT people in Ireland are rarely or never out at work. One in four LGBT employees has experienced bullying at work because of who they are. This is why openly LGBT role models like Tim Cook, and an increasing number of Irish people across business and the public sector are important and serve as models for younger LGBT people.

“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” - Cook.

Cook’s words have come at an exciting time in Ireland. More and more LGBT people are out in their workplaces. More and more employers are realising that it is important that their workplaces are fully inclusive of their LGBT staff. From a business perspective they know it is the right thing to do and the smart thing to do. Increasingly, employers are working with GLEN through our Diversity Champions Programme to build better and more inclusive businesses. These employers recognise the value in the diversity of their workforce. 

Tim Cook rightly points out: “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.”

Irish employers can ensure that all their employees flourish by recognising a portion of their workforce is LGBT; by creating a workplace culture that enables people to be fully open about who they are; and by finding and supporting role models like Tim Cook within their own businesses.

Brian Sheehan is the Executive Director of GLEN since 2007. Eimear O’Reilly, Programme Officer, Diversity Champions, GLEN and conducted additional research for this article