Suze Orman

Thursday, May 1st saw the release of the TOP 100 Most Influential People Around the World. And, while certainly not mentioned in the magazine, one is a lesbian, one is asexual, and many are strong supporters of queer rights. Here, we include the queer people who have daringly come out, or allies who have strongly supported queer individuals and communities in their lifetime.

Suze Orman, Lesbian. Suze Orman is known for her hardcore quip when discussing finances on the Suze Orman Show, Oprah, & Dr. Phil. Orman came out in The New York Times magazine in February 2007 as a lesbian. Her partner of seven years is Kathy Travis, a co-producer on The Suze Orman Show. In the interview, Orman said that she wishes she could marry her partner partly because it would save them both a lot of money. She then says, “It’s killing me that upon death, K.T. is going to lose 50 percent of everything I have to estate taxes. Or vice versa.”

In Time Magazine, Donny Deutsch, an advertising executive and the host of CNBC’s The Big Idea, says of Orman, “A fantastic energy follows Suze Orman wherever she goes, and it’s contagious. The scene is always the same: people firing off money questions and Suze answering them with as much passion as a single human being can muster. She loves knowing that her advice will save people from getting deeper into financial trouble. That’s her mission.”

Karl Lagerfeld, Asexual. Lagerfeld is widely recognized as one of the most influential fashion designers of the late 20th century. He has collaborated with a variety of different fashion labels, most notably Chanel but also Chloé and Fendi.

Allies:

Dalai Lama, Spiritual Leader. The Dalai Lama, world-revered leader of millions of Buddhists and leader of the Tibetan people, spoke out strongly against discrimination and violence against lesbians and gays during a June 11, 2007, meeting in San Francisco with lesbian and gay Buddhists, clergy, and human rights activists.

Barack Obama, Democratic Nominee Hopeful. Obama is a strong supporter of civil unions, and often mentions queer rights in his speeches. “t is my strong belief that the government has to treat all citizens equally. I don’t think that the church should be making these determinations when it comes to legal rights conferred by the state. I do think that individual denominations have the right to make their own decisions as to whether they recognize same sex couples. My denomination, United Church of Christ, does. Other denominations may make a decision, and obviously, part of keeping a separation of churches and state is also to make sure that churches have the right to exercise their freedom of religion.”

Hilary Clinton, Democratic Nominee Hopeful. Clinton has also strongly supported equality. In October 2006 Hillary Clinton was quoted by 365gay.com as saying,”I believe in full equality of benefits, nothing left out. From my perspective there is a greater likelihood of us getting to that point in civil unions or domestic partnerships and that is my very considered assessment.”

Kevin Rudd, Australian Prime Minister. While heavily criticized from all sides, Paul Rudd’s party has identified around 100 laws where gay couples faced discrimination, and has introduced legislation to correct these problems. Changes are to be implemented between mid-2008 and mid-2009 to remove these laws, which will assist in reducing inequality, though there still won’t be adoption or marriage privileges.

Ma Ying-jeou, President-Elect for Taiwan. He said, at a recent Taipei queer parade, “Homosexuality is a natural phenomenon. It can’t be restrained and it can’t be extended with force.”

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Actors, Activists. Brad told Esquire, “Angie and I will consider tying the knot when everyone else in the country who wants to be married is legally able.”

Oprah Winfrey, Day-Time TV Celebrity. There are numerous examples of Oprah’s queer support. From her shows in the 80’s featuring men dying of AIDS to her most recent show on “Gays Around the World,” Oprah has proven to be a huge proponent of equality.

Sonia Gandhi, Indian Politician. Gandhi is the President of the Indian National Congress and the widow of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi. During a United Nation’s UNGASS meeting in 2001, Gandhi specifically stated that gay and lesbian persons need to have their human and fundamental rights protected.

Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York. “I think anybody should be allowed to marry anybody”

Tony Blair, Ex-Prime Minister of England. Blair supported changing age of consent for ‘gay’ sex to 16, equalizing it with ‘hetero’ sex.

There are certainly more allies from the Times 100 Most Influential list, and possibly more (closeted) queers. Yet, this list seems the most comprehensive based on positions people have taken in the press.