Alanna Petroff, writing for CNN.com:

It's a landmark moment for both the gay community and the business world. Tim Cook is now the first and only openly gay chief executive in the Fortune 500.

Of course, many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered employees still struggle with discrimination at work. The executive suite also remains extremely closeted, but there are a few high-ranking openly gay businesspeople.

Not to detract from their accomplishments or their struggles, but none of these examples come close to Tim Cook in terms of power or visibility. It's like pointing out the US had prominent black politicians before Obama; not to take away from any of them, but there is a clear difference. Cook is the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 company, and it's a company with a track record the other 499 would kill to have.

I remember when "Apple is so gay" was a common juvenile taunt. For all I know, it still is. Regardless, times have changed, and we should all be comfortable responding to that taunt with "You say that like it's a bad thing."