Apple CEO Tim Cook to Receive 'Champion Award' for His Ongoing Commitment to LGBTQ Rights - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple CEO Tim Cook to Receive 'Champion Award' for His Ongoing Commitment to LGBTQ Rights

by

GLSEN, an organization dedicated to creating safe and inclusive K-12 schools for LGBTQ youth, has announced that Apple CEO Tim Cook will receive its "Champion Award" for his ongoing commitment to fighting for LGBTQ rights. The awards ceremony will take place on October 25 at the Beverly Wilshire hotel in Los Angeles.

tim cook wwdc19
Cook provided the following statement:

I am grateful to GLSEN for this honor and for all their work to ensure the LGBTQ community is treated with dignity and respect. At Apple, our commitment to inclusion helps us do our best work, each and every day. Innovation depends on openness to new ideas, a culture of curiosity and a climate free from shame and stigma — that's true not only true for Apple, I believe it's true for everyone.

Since becoming CEO, Cook has strongly pushed for inclusion and diversity, which Apple refers to as its "greatest strength" on its website. "To create products that serve everyone, we believe in including everyone."

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Top Rated Comments

91 months ago
Might as well turn off this comment section now before the train wreck
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
oldmacs Avatar
91 months ago
I don't admire everything about Tim, but I was an 18 year old in a dark place struggling with a lot of self hatred over my sexuality when he first started really openly talking about his - It helped me. To see another person who was Gay but still successful and in a small but important way told me that things might be ok and get better.. Don't understate the power of role models for struggling LGBTQ+ youth.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
radiology Avatar
91 months ago
Well deserved.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
91 months ago
This is in no way a troll post, I'm genuinely curious what Tim Cook has done to "fighting for LGBTQ rights". I know he talks about it in interviews and I'm sure he donates to organizations but I'm not exactly sure what that quantifies as. Sounds like he's an activist by proxy and not really on the ground. But hey it's a great headline.
Just him coming out was a huge step in advocacy. Any well known person who is respected in their field who comes out and says “This is who I am, I’m not ashamed” is going to have a positive impact on the people struggling with hostile attitudes in their families, their faiths, their communities.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
91 months ago
Wish I could down vote this :(
Me too. Sick and tired of Lsgtz and their agenda shoved in our faces every day. Go do your thing in private like the rest of us.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ipedro Avatar
91 months ago
Wish I could down vote this :(
Why? If you hold that much of a grudge for someone helping the gay community, perhaps you're trying to suppress something in yourself. Just saying...
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

tim cook macbook pro

Apple's Tim Cook Among CEOs Invited on Trump's Trip to China

Thursday May 7, 2026 12:46 pm PDT by
The Trump administration plans to invite Apple CEO Tim Cook and CEOs from other companies like Nvidia, Qualcomm, Exxon, and Boeing on a trip to China next week, reports Semafor. Trump will apparently focus on building his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the May 14 and May 15 meetings. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer,...
Apple Announces 2026 Pride Band Watch Face and iPhone Wallpaper Feature

Apple Announces 2026 Pride Band, Watch Face, and iPhone Wallpaper

Monday May 4, 2026 6:05 am PDT by
Apple today introduced its 2026 Pride Collection, including a new Apple Watch band, watch face, and a matching wallpaper for the iPhone and iPad. Apple said its Pride Collection celebrates LGBTQ+ communities around the world during Pride Month in June and beyond. In addition, the company noted that it is proud to financially support organizations that serve LGBTQ+ communities. The new Pri...
iphone 17 pro black feature

iPhone 18 Pro's Camera Upgrade Will Cost Apple 50% More

Friday May 29, 2026 3:44 am PDT by
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max's all-new variable aperture lens will cost Apple 50% more than the camera unit used in current models, according to supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Variable aperture has been one of the most persistent iPhone camera rumors of the past few years. Kuo first flagged the feature in late 2024, and it has since been corroborated by multiple reports and...