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Russia's Apple monument dismantled after Tim Cook comes out as gay


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Posted by difenbaker
Russia's Apple monument dismantled after Tim Cook comes out as gay

By Sam Rigby
Monday, Nov 3 2014, 22:09 GMT



An iPhone monument erected in memory of Steve Jobs has been taken down in Russia after Apple's current CEO Tim Cook came out as gay.

The St. Petersburg memorial was dismantled on Friday (October 31), just one day after Cook stated that he is "proud to be gay". A group of companies known as ZEFS erected the statue in January 2013, but have said that it now goes against the country's "gay propaganda" laws.

"In Russia, gay propaganda and other sexual perversions among minors are prohibited by law," ZEFS explained, adding that the monument was "in an area of direct access for young students and scholars".

"After Apple CEO Tim Cook publicly called for sodomy, the monument was taken down to abide to the Russian federal law protecting children from information promoting denial of traditional family values."

One of the politicians behind Russia's "gay propaganda" laws, Vitaly Milonov, has campaigned for Cook to be barred from entering the country over his sexuality.




link:
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/t[....]#~oUCsDnLFkTfkKi#ixzz3I4bXvSq1

related:
http://in.reuters.com/video/2[....]TopNews&rpc=401&videoChannel=1
http://mashable.com/2014/11/0[....]ium=feed&utm_source=feedburner
http://www.theregister.co.uk/[....]_steve_jobs_memorial_tim_cook/
http://metro.co.uk/2014/11/03[....]cause-tim-cook-is-gay-4933602/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ne[....]pple-CEO-comes-out-as-gay.html
http://www.itv.com/news/2014-[....]ismantled-after-ceo-comes-out/
http://www.independent.co.uk/[....]-comes-out-as-gay-9836630.html

Apple chief executive Tim Cook: 'I'm proud to be gay'
http://www.itv.com/news/2014-[....]e-tim-cook-im-proud-to-be-gay/

Call for Apple CEO Tim Cook to be banned from Russia after saying he is gay
http://www.itv.com/news/2014-[....]russia-after-saying-he-is-gay/



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[ This Message was edited by: difenbaker on 2014-11-04 05:11 ]



Posted by hihihans
He came out last year. Guess the Russians don't read the glossies.

Posted by difenbaker
I think there were rumors in the past?... but it's just now that its been formalized.

Some questions remain though...
Like "why is he proud?" and "why come out now and not before?"
Also, since the iPhone is popular with children... "how will their values be affected by this?"

Some very interesting discussions here:
Tim Cook's 'rhino skin' tested by a rash of angry flies as Apple investors shrug off concerns
http://appleinsider.com/artic[....]c-investors-shrug-off-concerns

after reading that... I was surprised to find out that Russia is not the only country with anti-gay laws.


cheers!
[ This Message was edited by: difenbaker on 2014-11-04 07:19 ]


Posted by goldenface
Oh dear!

What about those Russians who have already purchased an Apple product? They'll never look at their device the same way again.

By keeping their device they could only be seen as supporting Tim Cook and his gayness.



Posted by Tsepz_GP
Goldenface.


But Tim Cook being gay has been a well known fact since the day he became CEO of Apple, people were saying 'how forward thinking' Apple and Steve Jobs were for taking a COO who was also gay and making him CEO, way back when the iPhone4S was arriving.

Gay or not, the dude has done a fantastic job at Apple, despite the hard times in the mobile industry, the hype remains and profits continue to flow in.

Posted by itsjustJOH
Aaaaaaand it's banned...

Report: Apple iPhone banned in Russia starting January 1st, 2015

Posted by chunkybeats
Ha this is very funny and thus may bring war again between America & Russia!! LOL



Posted by Bonovox
Bloody Putin he's an idiot

Posted by AbuBasim
It's curios how the worst homophobes themselves often turn out to be gay.



Posted by hihihans


Posted by XperiaJunkie
This is absolute madness. Russia needs to wake up to the 21st century and drop all this "propaganda" about homosexual law, as Bono said those that are homophobic are trying to hide something. It makes me sick to thing that people could and will go to prison just for being gay or even support gay rights. All credit to Tim Cook for coming out maybe this will lead to more high profile people doing the same and maybe even the odd Russian celebrity/politician will do the same.

Posted by goldenface
Good luck to Tim Cook yes, he's a brave and inspirational fella.

I wonder what is going on in Russia now and whether there really is a backlash. Pretty funny if you ask me.

Posted by Bonovox
The funny thing is sometime ago Putin was showing his bare chest off in the Russian wilderness & he looked gay himself



He looks like someone from the Village People
[ This Message was edited by: Bonovox on 2014-11-05 21:25 ]


Posted by goldenface
Ha ha.

Posted by Supa_Fly

On 2014-11-05 10:48:23, XperiaJunkie wrote:
This is absolute madness. Russia needs to wake up to the 21st century and drop all this "propaganda" about homosexual law, as Bono said those that are homophobic are trying to hide something. It makes me sick to thing that people could and will go to prison just for being gay or even support gay rights. All credit to Tim Cook for coming out maybe this will lead to more high profile people doing the same and maybe even the odd Russian celebrity/politician will do the same.



Seems to be very fashionable the last few years. This whole 'coming out' thing is getting needlessly overplayed. While I agree the hype machine is unaffected, mostly due to Apple's rainbow original logo (public original, not THE real-original logo which was really solid Black - like it was briefly in 2001-2003), This should NOT have HAD to be a public statement.

- does the end user of Apple products REALLY at the core of it give a rats SHI*E about the CEO being /not-being gay?
- does it increase the stock price?
- does it really affect how HE will be treated by his company, investors, company partners etc?
- I'm VERY curious to see Dre's reaction if any ... then again he's not loosing ANY street-cred on this ... anywaaaay!

So why the NEED for Tim to make this public? Really what does it benefit him if his life is so - so damn healthy & private?! Who gives a real FAK?! I'd say 'because it's fashionable' ... to shock or be in the "IN" crowd, being gay is like being the new emmo, or sorry better yet yuppy!

You're shocked in some places being gay leads you to going to jail?!

Come to my side of life where trying to get on a bus having no fare and being kicked off leads you to be chased not by one, but 4 cops, gunned down, and KILLED in your own 'hood (not a ghetto) ... yeah that's right! 2014. In all places, San Francisco - predominantly high population that relates to this threads top, coincedentally.

^ Video taped.

http://www.examiner.com/artic[....]mes-back-and-while-laying-down

http://beforeitsnews.com/alte[....]s-fare-live-video-3015928.html

Whatever the truth may be in regards to after-the-fact claims that Kenneth Harding was a murder suspect, it has no relevance to the on-the-spot decision by police to fire (multiple times) on a bus fare scofflaw. Murderers are entitled to a trial, not execution in the streets. This extreme excessive force completely undermines community relations with police, is racially divisive, and is all too reminiscent of the BART Cop shooting of the unarmed Oscar Grant (officer released after serving 1 year) and numerous other cases of seemingly unjustified deadly force.

Angry crowd shouts ‘Where’s the gun’ after a man [Kenneth Harding] fleeing police was shot 5 times for allegedly not paying bus fare… police now claim man was person of interest in murder case.


So while Tim dares the status quo to go public about being gay - good for him for finally being honest, non-fearful, and well most likely making his lover happy, as he claims Tim himself is happy ... there are a LOT bigger issues going on in this world than worrying about one's sexual preference. The way I move in this world, is VERY carefully - even in Canada I'm a potential suspect of any crime reported as comitted by a black male ... because in GTA, GHA, Vancouver, etc .... police carry high contract pictures of black suspects - which is the equivalent of having a picture taken in various shades of red and try to determine which red-rose is the brightest. Like colour printers don't exist to have better quality photos. I was halted on my way to work several years ago in Hamilton, ON on the main street because I looked like the part. I couldn't even tell what their black suspect looked like and I'm Black.

Being opprossed due to being gay in any country is not so large an issue ... Canada, in fact Toronto alone has officially seen more gay marriages than any country and offer for freedom has been successful for many country's.

[RANT OFF]

Posted by difenbaker
So why the NEED for Tim to make this public? Really what does it benefit him if his life is so - so damn healthy & private?! Who gives a real FAK?! I'd say 'because it's fashionable' ... to shock or be in the "IN" crowd, being gay is like being the new emmo, or sorry better yet yuppy!


I think this is exactly why its getting controversial. Why would he come out now? And why is he so proud? In one of the articles posted above..... there's nothin wrong with being gay, but does he have to brag about it?

Like it or not, Tim is a very public figure, he's like a celebrity in the tech world. Even if he doesn't want it (or he does?) ... children look up to him, he's like a 'mentor' or something like it. And just like any mentor - he has a responsibility to his followers. Which is why Russia thinks... he is sending the "wrong message" to children, by saying he is "proud" to be gay.

a quote from the article above.
"After Apple CEO Tim Cook publicly called for sodomy, the monument was taken down to abide to the Russian federal law protecting children from information promoting denial of traditional family values."


.......

Another thing, I also saw in one of the articles, ........" If a child sees a man kissing another man on the lips... will Tim say to that child that it's wrong?" Will he still lead by example, and say its wrong, when its clearly something he's okay with?

I think this is one of the roots of the controversy. And is maybe the same reason Saudi Arabia and other middle eastern countries has the same anti-gay laws... they want to preserve their traditional values?


cheers!


Posted by Bonovox
I am not shocked by any of the treatment gay people get these days because there will always be people out there whom are prejudice. I just think it's wrong how they get treated I just live & let live with gay people I have nothing against them(as long as they don't touch me) Although I also do not get why it's so cool and fashionable to 'come out' as I don't go around celebrating me being straight. I never understand the need to tell the world

Posted by goldenface
I wouldn't say it was 'cool' as such. From his point of view, from what I've read, a big part of it was to help others who might be in the same situation.

In Russia, it's a big problem for gays. I've watched some horrific documentaries on the issues some face in Russia. It's like the worst form or racism, people being battered in the streets, ostracised, disowned, beaten to death etc.

In the West, the EU, the US etc, because we live in a liberal democracy, the message to people from all backgrounds is that as long as your not harming anyone else then you should be free to live your life. Sure, not everyone will agree with your lifestyle, your religion or whatever but you should be able to feel safe and live your life as a productive member of society, CEO's included.

How this affects Apple's business, well it's early to say because their products are hugely popular in countries where you can be killed for being gay. However, there is news blackouts and such so this news might not even make a ripple in the news.

To a lot, this isn't news worth mentioning. The fact that it's Apple makes it news. I would certainly be more surprised if the head of Sony came out as being gayer than a box of ribbons ha ha ha.

Posted by chunkybeats
If we want to talk politics then this is probably a move from Russia to curb out western influence i.e. America.

Apple is the symbol of America and a very successful one, using this as bait is just a small snowball waiting to get bigger.

Its like Americans banning Smirnoff Vodka and claiming Russia are full of alcoholics.

Posted by goldenface
Ha ha. Please let's not ban Smirnoff!

Yeah, but I agree, the whole issue will probably become a political football for Russian politicians to score points with.

Posted by Bonovox
I think it's wrong if it effects their business. Putin is a dangerous man in my view I don't trust him he's very shifty looking

Posted by Supa_Fly

On 2014-11-06 19:33:15, difenbaker wrote:
So why the NEED for Tim to make this public? Really what does it benefit him if his life is so - so damn healthy & private?! Who gives a real FAK?! I'd say 'because it's fashionable' ... to shock or be in the "IN" crowd, being gay is like being the new emmo, or sorry better yet yuppy!


I think this is exactly why its getting controversial. Why would he come out now? And why is he so proud? In one of the articles posted above..... there's nothin wrong with being gay, but does he have to brag about it?

Like it or not, Tim is a very public figure, he's like a celebrity in the tech world. Even if he doesn't want it (or he does?) ... children look up to him, he's like a 'mentor' or something like it. And just like any mentor - he has a responsibility to his followers. Which is why Russia thinks... he is sending the "wrong message" to children, by saying he is "proud" to be gay.

a quote from the article above.
"After Apple CEO Tim Cook publicly called for sodomy, the monument was taken down to abide to the Russian federal law protecting children from information promoting denial of traditional family values."


.......

Another thing, I also saw in one of the articles, ........" If a child sees a man kissing another man on the lips... will Tim say to that child that it's wrong?" Will he still lead by example, and say its wrong, when its clearly something he's okay with?

I think this is one of the roots of the controversy. And is maybe the same reason Saudi Arabia and other middle eastern countries has the same anti-gay laws... they want to preserve their traditional values?


cheers!




Well said!

I'm glad to participant in an intelligent conversation with the lot of you. Most impressed seeing the different views and comments laid here intelligently.

Posted by Boinng
Genuinely surprised at some of the comments in this thread. Why is he "proud"? Because people like Putin and many other homophobes around the world want him to feel ashamed, that's why. Why is he making public statements about this? Because others like him in other parts of the world are having to hide away and risk their lives just to be who they are - and if someone as successful as TC living in a supposedly free country like the US can't talk about it then what hope do others have.

It's very easy to be straight. The vast majority of the world's population are straight. I don't think there are any countries in the world where you get beaten or imprisoned just for being straight. If you happen on the other hand to be gay, and yet despite all the abuse, all the barriers, all the ferocious discrimination and fear that gets put your way, you remain true to yourself, and you take the more difficult road of actually being yourself and encouraging others in the same situation to do the same well, I think that's something to be proud of actually. And I say that as an entirely straight man.

Posted by chunkybeats
@Boinng - Unfortunately the big old US of A aint a free country anymore and the term that its the land of opportunity is pretty much well and truly outdated. I mean look at those hardcore religious groups who hate everyone except themselves and even if you were a foreigner looking to start a new life in America, if your not a so called first class citizen then you are dirt to them. Don't even get me started on having a gun as an essential item in your home lol

P.S. Sorry to go off on another direction but this stuff annoys me.......


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