Apple CEO Tim Cook says he’s proud to be gay: But how does sexuality affect how people are treated in the work place?

According to USA TODAY, Apple CEO Tim Cook publicly confirmed he is gay in an opinion piece published Thursday, making him the highest-profile chief executive to come out. Cook becomes the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 company, according to gays rights group Human Rights Campaign, who applauded the Apple chief's essay. Cook says he's been open with others about being gay, but felt compelled to publicly come out to help others. "I don't consider myself an activist, but I realize how much I've benefited from the sacrifice of others," writes Cook. "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."

Clearly a lot of gay people are finding it difficult coming to terms with their sexuality for fear of how the society will treat them. For example, the owner of a bridal shop once asked if it was right to fire a genetic male who she had hired as a receptionist for her bridal shop. He had been living as a woman for 5 years and had requested to continue working for his boss as a man even though she had hired him to do the job as a woman. According to her statement: “ I made it clear to her that I do not employ men and that she would be expected to dress like a woman and behave like one at all times while at work. I told her that, as a man, she would lack the qualifications to perform her job to my expectations and would be violating our agreement concerning her attire and behavior”.  Whilst it is wrong to discriminate based on gender, employers all over the world still hire based on gender depending on what the employee is required to do and which country the job is located. It is a fact that same sex marriages and unions are still unacceptable in some parts of the world and even out rightly banned in others. Everyone has a right to any gender they choose but must respect the laws applicable where they reside and work. Religious beliefs, cultures and traditions in geographical locations are still strong determinants in how people live and express sexuality. As an employer, it is important to ensure you do not run fowl of the laws applicable to sexuality where your business is located.