Tim Cook, the CEO of tech giant Apple, said he was “deeply concerned” about the laws that were being imposed on vulnerable youth, cryptically slamming the new controversial LBGT legislations in multiple US states. Cook, 61, came out as gay in October 2014.

Tim Cook’s social media post read, “As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, I am deeply concerned about laws being enacted across the country, particularly those focused on our vulnerable youth. I stand with them and the families, loved ones, and allies who support them.”

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Florida and Tennessee, both traditionally Republican states, passed laws that limit education and conversation on sexual orientation.

Tennessee advanced legislation on Tuesday that would ban public schools from using textbooks or materials that “promote, normalize, support or address LGBT issues or lifestyles.”. 

Bruce Griffey, a member of the Republican party, said, “I think most parents would like the sexuality of our children to be left to our parents in the home and not part of a curriculum”, according to reports from Associated Press.

Parental Rights in Education bill, a legislation that crossed Florida’s GOP-dominated chambers, restricted the discussion of sexual orientations and gender identity. The legislation, which was passed on March 8, is unofficially known as the “Don’t say gay” bill.

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According to reports from NDTV, the recent legislation reads, “Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”

Kerry Washington, an American actor, also denounced the new law. “Horrified by what is happening in Florida. Children deserve to be who they want to be. To be their true selves. If there was ever a time to register to vote, it is now”, she wrote in a social media post.