Former Congressman Barney Frank on
Thursday said that he's grateful Apple CEO Tim Cook announced he's
gay.
Cook, long rumored to be gay, broke his
silence on his sexuality on Thursday in an essay published in
Bloomberg
Businessweek.
“I'm proud to be gay, and I consider
being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me,” Cook, 53,
wrote.
(Related: Tim
Cook: Being gay “among the greatest gifts God has given me.”)
Appearing on CNBC's Squawk Box,
Frank, who became the first openly gay member of Congress when he
came out publicly in 1987, said that Cook's coming out will help
others struggling with their own sexuality.
“When the man who has been the leader
for several years with great success of one of the most important …
businesses in America, says, 'Oh by the way, you know those people
about whom you have these negative feelings, well I'm one of them.'
That does such an enormous amount to diminish the negative feelings,”
Frank said.
“I am very grateful for him doing
it,” he
said.
Frank added that the modern gay rights
movement was aided by the coming outs of millions of Americans.
“The progress we've made in 50 years
is enormous,” he said. “It's been the process of millions of
Americans telling their friends, their relatives, their customers,
their patients, etc., who we are. That we're gay.”