Tim Cook and the SF Gay Pride Parade

Background

This is one of my favorite really bizarre stories. In June of 2014, Apple had its first official presence at the Gay Pride Parade in San Francisco. In prior years, Apple employees marched, but it was never endorsed by Apple.

To fill out the timeline, Tim Cook did not come out until October of the same year, although it was widely rumored he was gay. Within Apple, it was just assumed.

Staging

Prior to the parade, all the employees were staged in a plaza next to the bay, waiting our turn to enter the parade.

Tim Cook stated that there were more than 5,000 Apple employees present. When I started at Apple in 1999, there weren’t that many more employees in the entire company! It was surreal to look around at the sea of people, knowing that fact.

Bathroom

Since the parade is at least 4 hours long, it was important to go to the bathroom first! Since everyone had the same idea, there was a massive line to the men’s bathroom in the hotel lobby that Apple had rented out for the occasion.

As …