Last week, Apple Inc.’s Tim Cook became the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 company when he came out in Bloomberg Businessweek.

Holding one of the highest positions in one of the most dominant tech companies makes Cook an influential figure. By coming out, he could help people who have been afraid to come forward with their sexual orientation. But while Cook will be an inspirational figure for those who have ever struggled to come out, there is another conversation that he should — and can — inspire. There are still 29 states that allow an employer to fire an employee based on their sexual orientation according to Policy Mic.

While an openly gay CEO might seem progressive, but until those 29 states no longer allow employees to be fired based on sexual orientation, there is still a long way to go.

Having a face to the cause gives the public someone to rally for. Though as a high-profile CEO it’s unlikely Cook would be fired, there are thousands of employees that could be fired. As more and more states are allowing gay marriage, this needs to be another point of focus. It is simply outdated and homophobic to allow more than half the states in the country to let this law stand.

Currently, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 is sitting in the House waiting to be passed. This would make it unlawful for employers to discriminate against someone for their “actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity” in the hiring and firing process.

In his statement in Bloomberg Businessweek, Cook said: “I don’t consider myself an activist, but I realize how much I’ve benefited from the sacrifice of others. So if hearing that the CEO of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to insist on their equality, then it’s worth the trade-off with my own privacy.”

Though he doesn’t consider himself an activist, his words could inspire activism that could make pushing forward this bill a priority.

If it got out that someone was fired for being gay — even in one of the states where it is legal — there would likely be public and media outrage. This bill that is waiting to be passed seems like a no-brainer. The fact that there were overwhelmingly positive responses to Cook coming out shows that many people in our society would likely commend Congress for finally taking the obvious step toward equal rights for gay people in the workplace.

In his statement, Cook said our culture is becoming more tolerant and that as a country, we are moving toward marriage equality. He’s right about that, which is why this is an important next step.

As a high-profile CEO, Cook coming out is positive for many obvious reasons. He will inspire many to not be afraid to come out, as he said, and could help some feel less alone. But him coming out could have a much larger influence if it fuels conversation and spurs action regarding gay rights in the workplace.

Julia Smith is a junior newspaper and online journalism and sociology dual major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @jcsmith711.

Published on November 4, 2014 at 1:25 am