Alabama lawmaker naming new anti-discrimination bill for Apple CEO Tim Cook
Tim Cook has been making waves with his recent increased focus on civil rights issues, specifically with regards to the LGBTQ community. In October, the CEO spoke out about his home state of Alabama's slow progress with regards to LGBTQ rights. Now the only openly gay lawmaker in the state is naming a new discrimination bill after him.
Rep. Patricia Todd, a Democrat from Birmingham, has announced the "Tim Cook Economic Development Act" banning workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation. Todd tried to get a similar bill passed in 2011 but it never made it out of committee discussions. In an interview with the Anniston Star, Todd explained that despite claims from Alabama's governor Robert Bentley that LGBTQ citizens are protected under the federal Civil Rights Act, many Alabamans live in fear.
"I hear from teachers all the time who are terrified that they'll be fired because someone will find out that they're gay," she said.
Todd said she hasn't spoken to Cook about her decision to name a bill after him. She said she plans to call her bill an "economic development act" because anti-gay attitudes and policies in the state are driving high-tech companies away from Alabama.
"Most big fortune 500 companies have already put anti-discrimination policies in place," she said. "It's a question of recruiting. Workers want to know they're coming to a place where they're protected."
Cook has yet to comment on Todd naming the bill after him.
