Financial whiz Suze Orman has called
for federal recognition of the marriages of gay and lesbian couples.
In an interview with E! News, Orman,
61, explained that she never felt compelled to publicly discuss her
sexuality.
“What was funny is that I never
really felt I had to come out,” Orman said. “You know, I'm one
of those ones who knew that I was gay from the day I was born.”
However, in 2007, Orman did come out.
And three years later, she married her longtime partner, Kathy Travis
– whom she refers to simply as KT – in South Africa. Their
marriage is only recognized in New York, one of the three states
where the couple resides, the other two being Florida and California.
“What really needs to evolve when it
comes to marriage and marriage equality really is where it's not just
on the state level. It's got be on the federal level and recognized
throughout every single state,” Orman said.
Orman noted that married gay couples
are denied more than 1,100 federal benefits and protections,
including tax equality.
“There's something radically wrong
with that,” she said. “And that has got to change. And it's got
to change now.” (The video is embedded on this page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)