Apple CEO Tim Cook urges Congress to support Employment Nondiscrimination Act

When it comes to banning discrimination against workers based on their gender and sexual orientation, Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook argues the U.S. should be more like Apple.

“As we see it, embracing people’s individuality is a matter of basic human dignity and civil rights,” Cook wrote in an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal. ” It also turns out to be great for the creativity that drives our business. We’ve found that when people feel valued for who they are, they have the comfort and confidence to do the best work of their lives.”

Cook points out that Apple currently goes further than national anti-discrimination laws — which don’t protect gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender employees — but that could change if we get the Employee Nondiscrimination Act passed. In his op-ed, Cook pushed for the House of Representatives to bring the bill to a vote, after several failed attempts to pass the bill.

“Those who have suffered discrimination have paid the greatest price for this lack of legal protection,” Cook wrote. “But ultimately we all pay a price. If our coworkers cannot be themselves in the workplace, they certainly cannot be their best selves. When that happens, we undermine people’s potential and deny ourselves and our society the full benefits of those individuals’ talents.”