Human Rights Campaign to Honor Tim Cook

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) will honor Apple CEO Tim Cook during its 19th annual HRC National Dinner on Saturday.

The nation's leading lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization announced that Cook will receive the organization's Visibility Award for his personal and professional contributions to equality.

Cook came out in October 2014 in an editorial penned for Bloomberg Businessweek. "I'm proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me," he wrote.

He has since spoken out on LBGT issues, fighting recent anti-LGBT legislation in Arkansas and Indiana. He also challenged his home state of Arkansas to do more to protect the rights of its LGBT community.

"Tim Cook is a visionary whose leadership of Apple has been nothing short of remarkable," HRC President Chad Griffin said in a statement. "His willingness to bravely and directly speak his truth has not only given hope to countless people around the world, it has saved lives."

In 2002, with co-founder Steve Jobs still at the helm, Apple was one of only 13 companies to earn a perfect 100 percent in HRC's Corporate Equality Index, which measures LGBT inclusion in the workplace. Cupertino has maintained a perfect score every year since.

"Through his example and Apple's commitment to equality, LGBT young people in particular can look to Tim Cook's incredible career and know that there is nothing holding them back," Griffin said. "They can dream as big as their minds allow them to, even if they want to be the CEO of one of the world's largest companies."

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The 19th annual HRC National Dinner will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., where Vice President Joe Biden is set to give the keynote speech. Retired NBA athlete Jason Collins and transgender woman Blossom Brown are also slated to speak.

Singer Carly Rae Jepsen, as well as A Great Big World and Futurist will perform for the evening's 3,000-plus attendees.