海角大神

In the rough and tumble world of global capitalism, cultural debates about social equality often take a back seat to the proverbial bottom line.

So when Tim Cook confirmed he was 鈥減roud to be gay鈥� on Thursday, the head of Apple, Inc., the profit-making American juggernaut, cautiously stepped into a symbolic role unusual for a chief executive officer running one of the most cash-happy corporations on the planet.

In a deeply personal piece published Thursday morning, Mr. Cook invoked the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., said he considered 鈥渂eing gay among the greatest gifts God has given me,鈥� and mused about the lines between personal privacy and social responsibility.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 consider myself an activist, but I realize how much I鈥檝e benefited from the sacrifice of others,鈥� . 鈥淪o 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鈥檚 worth the trade-off with my own privacy.鈥�

While Cook is hardly the first gay corporate executive within a Fortune 500 company 鈥� and his sexual orientation has long been something of an open secret in the business world 鈥� his public confirmation Thursday, and the larger social reasons he gave for doing so, could signal a shift in a generally conservative capitalist landscape.听

Most LGBT workers still hide this aspect of their identity at work,听听

Moreover, ideologically speaking, a corporation is formed to pursue shareholder profits, not necessarily make the world a better place or take stands that could alienate potential customers.听

But a growing number of corporate executives are challenging this notion. Earlier this month, a number of prominent business leaders gathered for the 8th Annual in Austin, Texas, a group that bills itself as 鈥渁 transformational movement dedicated to elevating humanity through business.鈥� Speakers included executives from the companies Unilever Global, Chipotle, and others.

The movement鈥檚 co-founder, John Mackey, who鈥檚 also the co-CEO of Whole Foods Market, has said he wants to 鈥渞e-imagine capitalism, and encourage a way of doing business that is grounded in ethical consciousness.鈥�

鈥淚 describe [conscious capitalism] as a way of thinking about business to ensure that it is grounded in a higher purpose to enhance its positive impact on the world,鈥� . 鈥淲hen reinvented in this way, capitalism is an extraordinarily powerful system of value creation mutually benefiting all stakeholders.鈥�

Earlier this year, too, Cook lashed out against criticisms of Apple鈥檚 investments in green technology and the company鈥檚 attempts to tackle climate change. The , a conservative group skeptical of climate science, questioned whether such investments increased Apple鈥檚 bottom line, or provided shareholders with a 鈥渞eturn on investment,鈥� or ROI.

鈥淲hen we work on making our devices accessible by the blind, I don鈥檛 consider the bloody ROI,鈥� , adding that health and safety issues also come before. Then he bluntly told skeptics, 鈥淚f you want me to do things only for ROI reasons, you should get out of this stock.鈥�

On Thursday, too, as he confirmed that he was gay, Cook outlined a strong social vision for his company 鈥� the most profitable in the US and the second most on the planet 鈥� noting that Apple has long advocated for workplace and marriage equality, and stood against bills the company felt discriminated against gay people. 听

鈥淭he company I am so fortunate to lead has long advocated for human rights and equality for all,鈥� he said.

"We鈥檒l continue to fight for our values, and I believe that any CEO of this incredible company, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation, would do the same," he added. "And I will personally continue to advocate for equality for all people until my toes point up.鈥�