Ellen DeGeneres has finally done it!
After drawing fire for her allegedly lackluster support for gay marriage in California, the lesbian funny lady appeared on The Tonight Show and told right-wing activists not to “promote hate.” Still, some said that wasn’t enough. Well, the 50-year old’s most recent plea should quell the queer masses, for she today released a video urging her fellow Californians to vote “no” on Proposition 8, a ballot measure that would overturn the State Supreme court’s green light for gay marriage.
Says the recently wed DeGeneres:
Hi, I’m Ellen DeGeneres. I got to do something this year I never thought I’d ever be able to do: I got married. It was the happiest day of my life.
There are people out there raising millions of dollars to try and take that right away from me. You’ve seen their ads on TV. They’re twisting the truth, and they’re trying to scare you. I believe in fairness. I believe in compassion. I believe in equality for all people. Proposition 8 does not.
Please, please, vote NO on Prop. 8.
Those of you who want to help should head on over to the Vote No On 8 website. It’ll do you good and definitely brings good queer karma.
seitan-on-a-stick
Ellen is our Goddess!
emb
I’m afraid a shout-out on the Tonight Show and a YouTube video won’t cut it, Ellen. Please: You got to get married, which is nice. Now maybe pony up some of your hard-earned dollars to make sure others have the same opportunity next year.
DPR
I have to agree with EMB. Show me the money, Ellen. Stop saying “there are people out there raising millions” and start saying “WE are out there raising millions”. Why not use some of that American Express money to stand up for your American values.
crazylove
Ditto re money.
Miss Understood
Oh please, don’t treat her like an enemy. She’s doing a lot.
FORMER ELLEN FAN
She is such a tightwad! I can’t believe she hasn’t given a dime! What a cheapskate!
This is a very, very serious fight, and halfway gestures like hers are too risky. The Mormon’s have a LOT of money. Ellen lives in California, TR Knight does not. If Prop 8 wins let it be on her!
You know she has her staffers desperately seeking ways (Youtube video?) of placating her critics without her having to spend any of her megabucks. What’s $50 K to her? lol If Steven Spielberg could give in a big way, so can she.
She should do the right thing, step up with some money, and urge her fellow gay celebrities who also have been as lucky as she has and who have gotten rich as entertainers to be role models with their financial contributions.
Meanwhile, please note that Towleroad.com has frequent postings directing people to a site where they can contribute to “No on 8.” It seems like Ellen is beyond hope. Geez, what a tightwad!
Scooter
The older demographic who watch Ellen’s television program and who, coincidentally, are the same ones who generally favor Prop 8, will never see the U-tube clip. Ellen is arguably the most influential voice of the gay community to mainstream America. A loud and clear rejection of Prop 8 would be a significant boost.
judes
For those who keep saying that Ellen hasn’t given money…how do you know that? Maybe she’s given money anonymously. Regardless, she’s done SO MUCH for the gay community, my god, give her a break. She’s not the face of No on 8, but she’s lent her name and face. Former Fan, are you for real?! I’m ashamed of you.
FORMER ELLEN FAN
Judes=Ellen employee
Nik
How does anybody know she hasn’t donated money? Money may have been donated in a company name or something!
Ellen wouldn’t have bothered getting married in the first place if she wasn’t serious about it – why wouldn’t she do everything she possibly could to stay married?! People should not attack her when they don’t know the full story – and she has done more for acceptance than most!
judes
Former Ellen Fan = the woman she dumped for Portia?
But seriously. i wished i worked for Ellen, but alas, I’m just another commoner who thinks that we should be fighting the real enemy.
CHURCHILL-Y
Given California’s demographics, it looks like this is a sinking ship no matter what fair minded person comes out against it.
No wonder couples are rushing to get hitched before the November election:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2008/10/san-francisco-a.html
FORMER ELLEN FAN
The amount that individuals contribute is a matter of public record and as others have said if Ellen DeGeneres has indeed contributed financially she is not the type to keep it secret.
So, why isn’t she doing everything she can? I’ve concluded that she’s a tightwad. Why no reporter has just come out and asked her why she won’t contribute financially, I’ll never know…they stick microphones and cameras in people’s faces at accident scenes.
If Ellen DeGeneres has a reason why she can’t peel off a few K from her megabankroll, I’ll accept that. I wouldn’t criticize the average person for not contributing, but she is a leader and her halfway gestures are risky. Others hold back too, and we all wind up losing.
The majority of propositions lose in California because uninformed voters who don’t know about them vote “no” as a defense against the unknown. We have that going for us. Indeed, it takes extra effort to get a “yes” vote. Unfortunately, the Mormons and other religious haters are putting out that effort.
I also believe that Ellen is likely to have her staff online seeding these blogs with positive statements about her. How cheap is that!
There’s just no way of spinning it, Ellen DeGeneres’ halfway gestures are not helping the defeat of Prop 8.
Meanwhile, please even if you’re not in California, go to the website Queerty has linked to. No matter how modest it helps. As goes California, so goes the nation.
Signed,
Former Ellen Fan
seitan-on-a-stick
“W.” In Theaters Oct. 17
A Father.
A Son.
An American Dynasty.
See The Trailer!
http://www.Wthefilm.com
seitan-on-a-stick
“W.” In Theaters Oct. 17
A Father.
A Son.
An American Dynasty.
See The Trailer!
http://www.Wthefilm.com
1-800-FANDANGO
crazylove
It’s funny how the racist always chimes in on people’s ignorance. As I’ve said elsewhere, by the logic of the racists, that explains why states with little or no people of color- as in 40 plus other states- also have laws against gay marriage. The real issue is the lack of engagement of anyone outside of the gay ghetto or comfort zones of gayville until we need something from them. If we built long term coalitions- we could draw on these resources in times like this. I keep saying this, but many of you need to read Mayor of Castro street. It’s interesting to read about Milk, but what was more fascination was the coalition of Chinese, union workers, blacks, gays, older Italians etc he was able to bring together to win. This is a lesson lost of many of you now. But, then I believe, now as then, this serves gay conservatives well. They can claim to be part of the gay movement without having to address pesky issues over how gay rights is really a reflection of progressive idealogy (ie, that we are all create equal).
gay as life
Why does Ellen NEED to give money? She would be giving money to organizations so that they can do public outreach. But she already has the ear of millions of people, so she can do outreach herself – which she has done, mainly through her wedding. That alone was huge.
Yes, it would be nice if she also gave money – and as some have said, she may have already done so – but her actions have been worth piles of money.
crazylove
if you got to ask why then there is no much else to be said. this is equivalent to a guy I once dated who didn’t see why he should care about gay marriage because he wasn’t planning to date. It’s the right thing to do. It’s the moral thing to do. Whether you see that or not. Apparently some gays always want the benefits with the minimum sacrifice. Hence why we can’t build any coalition. Who trusts a community with such an “I got mine” attitude.
hardmannyc
The Gays are like the Mafia and Upper West Side intellectuals: We only kill our own. (Thanks to Woody Allen for that one!)
crazylove
No you are like most minority groups in that you tend to be quite clueless about how to gain power. Part of which isn’t to circle the wagon when one of your own decides her interests our weighs that of gays in general because unlike the majority- you don’t have the numbers to spare.
Royce Penstinger
I wrote on this over on my blog earlier this evening. It’s time that the religious right accepts a basic fact. A Marriage License is issued by the government, recognizes a social contract between two people. End of discussion. A church blesses that social union and contract.
It is time we have EQUAL RIGHTS for everyone.
mark
BRAVA ellen
villager
oh MEN-SES, ellen’s no bull dyke.
INFORM YOURSELF.
gay as life
crazylove – you act like Ellen is avoiding the subject of marriage and playing dead. There is no comparison to your example of “a guy I once dated who didn’t see why he should care about gay marriage because he wasn’t planning to date”. Ellen does care. She IS married. She has brought more publicity to the issue than the No on 8 campaign.
So when I say, “why does Ellen need to give money,” I am not letting her off the hook. I am saying that Ellen has done a lot more than money can buy right now. Problems can’t be avoided by throwing dollars at them. It takes personal action – and Ellen has done that.
For those of us without such media power, of course it makes sense to donate, pool our resources, and help create publicity to oppose this heinous amendment. But moral grounds and political gains are not defined by dollars.
gay as life
Amending that last comment… “not defined by dollars ALONE”.
DON'T WANT TO BICKER WITH ELLEN'S EMPLOYEES
Ellen has the money. Her gestures are nice. HOWEVER, so far I’ve only seen her PSA on sites with overwhelmingly gay readership, and that doesn’t help except maybe a little.
A significant contribution from Ellen is like the average person throwing a $5 dollar bill in the hat.
There’s something almost perverse about her not making a financial contribution.
Charley
I appreciate Ellen’s help. Giving money doesn’t mean that it is going to be spent wisely by the PR firm hired by VoteNoOnProp8. The ads so far are lackluster with no gay couples. We are behind in the polls, Prop8 is winning with their lies about teaching boys to marry each other. It would cost millions to put an ad on national TV, and Ellen gave it for free. Bravo Ellen.
DON'T WANT TO BICKER WITH ELLEN'S EMPLOYEES
Why hasn’t Ellen given any money? Has she been posed or answered that question?
Crazylove
Her actions are not those of someone who has something at stake. For example, going on Leno rather than her own show. Not giving money is a problem because that money could go a lot further than a celebrity endorsement ever would. The only reason I would accept for her not giving money is she feels that the campaign is being poorly run. I would agree with her own that, but then I would expect to see her advocate and voice that opinion rather than avoid conflict. She terminally incapable of showing courage unless forced. I love her show. I like her a lot. That won’t change. But these excuses thus far are unacceptable. She doesn’t have to worry. My voice is just a random guy online. But that doesn’t mean I am buying what people are selling here with regard to being apologists for her and other celebrities.
REALLY DISAPPOINTED
Somebody on Towleroad.com commented that Forbes magazine has listed Ellen’s worth at $67 million and her mother has actually donated $700 [seven hundred dollars]; Ellen: ZERO. If you go to the website to donate you see that you have to provide your personal info…its the law. Btw, any U.S. National can contribute.
Ellen’s not giving any money sticks in my craw the way that 23 year old Marine Lance Corporal I was seeing used to…
BobP
I have a feeling she has contributed $ through a group or another person. You know how the religious right gets with their boycotts and Ellen may be a little gun shy after what happened to her last show when she came out. If that’s the case, I’m all for her giving on the sly.
NOSHEHASN'T
Ellen hasn’t given on the sly. She’s just REALLY CHEAP. She can have a big expensive gay wedding but she’s gunshy about donating to No on 8?
MAKES NO SENSE!
pickles
She earns (using the above quote of $67million)…
$2,791,66.91 AN HOUR. Almost THREE MILLION bucks an hour.
If she donated the money she earns in ONE HOUR, she’d probably be the biggest donor on earth in the campaign against the evil proposition.
She has no excuse and no ‘hidden donation’ exceptions from pure guilt on her part. Doing a mousy 30 second youtube video is lame. She should buy produce a 30 MINUTE ad that airs on every news channel at prime time against prop 8. It’s the least she could do.
MoonSinger
Pickles,
She did buy time to air the spot.
http://www.queerty.com/ellen-buys-tv-time-to-fight-for-gay-nups-20081017/
Also, your math is wrong. It took her longer than 23 hours ($67 million/3 million, rounded up) to save up $67 million of net worth. Net worth is all that you own, not what you make per hour/week/month/year.
What have you done? Every bit helps. Even talking to your relatives and acquaintances.
Phil
Pickles,
Your math is REALLY screwed up. Does she make two million an hour, two hundred thousand an hour, or almost three million an hour? Just needed to show you your ignorance because, well, you set a bad example. I mean, even if she made 67 million a year, that’s still only slightly less than eight thousand an hour, which is miles away from the six figure digit you spouted off.