Apple boss Tim Cook has been bombarded with homophobic abuse after revealing his sexuality to the world on Thursday.

Cook spoke out yesterday to say he considered "being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me".

Trolls, religious nuts and plain old homophobes from the four corners of the internet immediately took to Twitter to attack Cook, telling him that homosexuality is "disgusting" and "a sin".

Forums with titles like "It's official, APPLE = "F*GGOT WARE" also popped up around the internet, with cowardly anonymous commentators slamming the Apple CEO for his decision to come out.

UK lesbian, gay and bisexual charity Stonewall said the abuse was "unsurprising" in a world where one in four gay men and women experience cyberbullying.

A homophobic Russian politician also called for Cook to be banned from entering the country. Vitaly Milonov asked: “What could he bring us? The Ebola virus, Aids, gonorrhoea? They all have unseemly ties over there. Ban him for life."

Here's a sample of the homophobic tweets – along with the sort of grammar, spelling and logic fails you'd expect:

#Apple CEO #Tim_Cook says he is "proud to be gay" That's the beginning of the extinction for the west civilization. Thanks Allah we r Muslims — Dr.mohammed alhakeem (@mahir55555) October 30, 2014 Tim Cook Apple CEO is only helping spread their satanic message. Homosexuality is evil and perverse. Those plagued by it need help thru love — OLUWAFEMI OGUNSEYE (@olufemisp) October 30, 2014

@iPhoneTeam @tim_cook God hates homsexuality. It's a sin. He loves you and wants you to repent of such evil. — Jason Dones (@MySaviorLovesMe) October 30, 2014

WBC’s not gonna stop using #Apple products just cuz @tim_cook is a fag. We must show him how to use ‘em right. pic.twitter.com/IPBMnZ9Dub — WBCSays (@WBCsigns) October 31, 2014

#Apple CEO #Tim_Cook says he is "proud to be gay" That's the beginning of the extinction for the west civilization.Thanks allah we r Muslims — Dr.mohammed alhakeem (@mahir55555) October 30, 2014

Although Tim Cook has only recently made a public announcement, he has never hidden his sexuality from staff or friends.

James Lawrence, spokesman for Stonewall, said: "While it’s disappointing that Tim Cook has received online abuse after coming out, it is sadly unsurprising. Even in Britain — where we’re lucky to now have legal equality for lesbian, gay and bisexual people — you don’t have to look far to encounter this kind of homophobia.

"One in four gay young people experience homophobic bullying online, making them unhappy and less likely to reach their full potential at school. In the worst cases, homophobic cyberbullying can devastate young people’s mental health and well-being, leading to self-harm and suicide. While we’ve made a lot of progress, the reaction to Tim’s coming out highlights just how much work remains to be done," said Lawrence.

With abuse like that, it's little wonder that he put off a public announcement for so long. ®