Breaking news: There are gay people in positions of power in Silicon Valley in 2026.
That not-so-surprising fact is the center of Wired‘s latest cover story, which hit the internet Thursday. The internet immediately reacted, in part thanks to some, uh, unusual imagery that accompanied the article.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
The handshake cover wasn’t the only bizarre choice. Inside, the magazine used an image of a musclebound man with San Francisco’s Salesforce Tower between his legs. California state senator Scott Weiner, a leader on LGBTQ issues, took issue with the whole premise.
Mashable Light Speed
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
One Silicon Valley investor, a gay man who said he refused multiple requests to be interviewed, felt justified by the “gross” result:
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
He wasn’t the only one. Many LGBTQ tech employees felt the article could be described as “homophobic.”
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Other readers noted that the article itself is, to use the magazine’s lingo, tired rather than wired:
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Meanwhile, social media did what it does best: Skewering with satire.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
