SUDBURY, Mass. — A Massachusetts teen received a quick response from Apple after she wrote the company a letter, troubled about one of the definitions her Apple dictionary listed for the word ‘gay’.
Becca Gorman, 15, was writing an essay on gay rights for school, when she looked up the word ‘gay’ in her Apple dictionary in her Macbook.
“It was just insulting and kind of like, I couldn’t even understand why that would be there,” Gorman said.
She said she stared blankly as she read all three definitions.
“The first two were normal; They were ‘happy’ and ‘attracted to one’s own sex, and then the third one was informal, ‘stupid foolish,'” she said.
Gorman said she took it personally, and as the daughter of lesbian parents, she decided to let Apple know.
Gorman wrote a letter to Tim Cook, Apple’s Chief Executive Officer.
“I told him that I found the definition horrifying, and I’m sure he did too, being a gay-friendly company.”
To her surprise, Apple responded within minutes, not with an email but with a phone call. The representative that spoke to Becca told her Apple would look into the definition.
Becca said so far, though, the definition has not changed.
“Be yourself and others will have to deal with you being yourself and if you see something that’s unjust, don’t be afraid to fight it.”
