The company recently came out against an Arizona bill that would permit businesses to refuse service on religious grounds, a measure that critics said could allow discrimination against gay people. The San Francisco event was one of many Gay Pride parades held across the United States on Sunday.Īpple Chief Executive Tim Cook made a surprise appearance at the San Francisco event to greet employees and their families early in the morning, but did not march in the parade himself.Īpple has a long history of supporting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. This year's turnout was largest in the company's history, several Apple employees told Reuters. Thousands of Apple employees donned specially designed T-shirts at the festival and marched in unison.
Apple, Facebook and other prominent Silicon Valley technology companies flew the flag for gay rights at the San Francisco Pride Festival on Sunday as they sought to boost morale among employees and reflect a corporate culture of diversity.
