Hailed by some as the "world's most powerful gay man," Tim Cook was announced Wednesday to replace Apple founder, Steve Jobs, as CEO of the American multinational corporation. Jobs is stepping down from the role to face continuing health problems.
Does it matter that Cook happens to be gay? If the world were truly everyone's oyster, and if everyone truly meant everyone, regardless of what gender they love, then no, it wouldn't matter. But, in our current, unequal global context, it does, especially for those in the corporate world needing to look up to someone who might just be a minority like them, at least in terms of sexual orientation.
Tim Cook is a gay role model, and has been for quite a while for those in the know. Now, however, thanks to a hierarchical system of professional titles that most of us seem to value and use to define ourselves, the potential of Cook's power to influence other gay people across the globe has increased exponentially.
I'm just happy Mr. Cook breaks many of the stereotypes of gay people as historically constructed by ignoramuses basing their general assessments of "ho-mo-sexuals" on a number of limited non-encounters via television and movies. Sure, we all form opinions of people we have never actually come into personal contact with. I have never met Mr. Cook, but I definitely would like to, and therein lies the difference...
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