Ellen DeGeneres.
(Kevin Winter - Getty Images)
Ellen DeGeneres publicly responded to One Million Moms, the self-described “conservative, pro-family” group who opposes her new role as JC Penney spokeswoman, on the day that California’s ban on same-sex marriage, Proposition 8, was ruled unconstitutional.
On an episode of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” taped Tuesday and airing Wednesday, the host said, “Normally I try not to pay attention to my haters, but this time I’d like to talk about it ’cause my haters are motivators.”
“This organization doesn’t think that I should be the spokesperson because I’m gay. For those of you are just tuning in for the first time, it’s true. I’m gay. I hope you were sitting down,” DeGeneres joked.
In a statement on its Web site, One Million Moms, who have previously objected to Chaz Bono’s inclusion on “DWTS” and Ben & Jerry’s Schweddy Balls ice cream, said, “By jumping on the pro-gay bandwagon, JC Penney is attempting to gain a new target market and in the process will lose customers with traditional values that have been faithful to them over all these years.”
DeGeneres responded, “Being gay or pro-gay isn’t a bandwagon. You don’t get a free ride anywhere. There’s no music. ... Occasionally we’ll sing ‘We Are Family,’ but that’s about it.”
As the comedienne pointed out, she had received an outpouring of support in the comments section on the One Million Moms’s Facebook page. DeGeneres was also defended by JC Penney, which said in a statement they “stand behind [the] partnership,” and by Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly, who called the boycott “a witch hunt.”
The daytime host concluded her response by laying out her values: “I stand for honesty, equality, kindness, compassion, treating people they way you want to be treated and helping those in need. To me, those are traditional values.”
She added, “Oh — also I believe in dance.”
Watch the segment below.
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