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Apple CEO Tim Cook receives Human Rights Campaign award

At a Human Rights Campaign dinner, Apple CEO Tim Cook was recognized for his public efforts to promote equality with a Visibility Award.

In his acceptance speech, Cook discussed the human rights progress made in the U.S. over the last few years, such as the Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage earlier this year. His speech was met with much applause and generally carried a very positive tone, although he made sure to note that there is still a long way to go to achieve true equal treatment for LGBT people in America.

Cook also discussed the “humbling” response to last year’s open letter in which he came out as gay. He says that he’s a private person who decided to come out publicly to show that “being gay does not give you limitations in life.” You can watch the ten-minute speech in full below.

As a key donor to the Human Rights Campaign, Cook has done his best to ensure that Apple as a company uses its heft to support LGBT causes. He says that Apple is dedicated to “leaving the world better than we found it,” through its products, policies and partnerships. It backed the Equality Act earlier this year and consistently scores highly on the HRC’s Corporate Equality Index.

Cook also took the opportunity to thank the rest of the staff at Apple, and couldn’t resist mentioning how his company makes “the best products in the world.” We think he’s probably earned that quick gloat after his anti-discrimination efforts since becoming Apple CEO.