Apple CEO Tim Cook comes out and reveals he's gay

Apple chief executive Tim Cook has come out of the closet.

The public declaration, in an essay written for Bloomberg Businessweek magazine, makes public what had been widely known in some corporate circles. And more it likely makes Cook the highest-profile gay person in corporate America.

"Plenty of colleagues at Apple know I’m gay, and it doesn’t seem to make a difference in the way they treat me," Cook wrote. "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."

Cook said that he had never denied his sexuality, but never publicly acknowledged it, either. Cook wrote in the column published Thursday that it wasn't an easy choice to publicly disclose that he is gay, but that he felt the acknowledgement could help others.

"I've come to realize that my desire for personal privacy has been holding me back from doing something more important," he wrote.

The announcement is a "huge deal," said Richard Metheny of executive search firm Witt/Kieffer.

"This really sets the stage for `It's OK,'" he said. "Anything CEOs do is very magnified, very complicated, and it affects a lot of people.… There's no taking away that he has become a role model and will have a positive influence on lots of people that would like to be comfortable being out in the world of business."

No legal protections

Three days ago, Cook spoke out publicly against his home state of Alabama regarding the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Alabama is among the states that do not recognize same-sex marriage, and it doesn't offer legal protections on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Cook is a native of Robertsdale, Ala., and attended Auburn University.

Apple has taken numerous other progressive steps under Cook's tenure, adding its name to a closely watched Supreme Court case that would grant same-sex couples benefits under the law. Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and various Silicon Valley titans all backed the proposal.

The company has trumpeted the phrase, "Inclusion inspires innovation." Cook has reinforced that message on his Twitter account with periodic posts supporting gay rights in the workplace.

"So let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me," Cook said.

The 53-year-old Cook succeeded Apple founder Steve Jobs as chief executive officer of Apple Inc. in 2011.