The April 14, 1997, issue of TIME featured a s-down wh the edian, who nfirmed that her s character was gay—and so was she.
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READ THE 'YEP, I'M GAY' ELLEN DEGENER INTERVIEW FROM 1997
* i'm gay cover photo *
It was on the April 14, 1997, ver of TIME magaze that Ellen DeGener, then the star of the s Ellen, nfirmed somethg she’d been buildg up to for s: “Yep, ” as the ver put , “I’m gay. She would be playg the first gay lead character on Amerin work televisn. Penney, ironilly, as that pany would later hire DeGener for an ad mpaign that would turn draw s own ntroversy — and the natn bated whether the show would “legimize” a facet of life that was still margalized, or if merely proved that homosexualy was already accepted by enough of the populatn that such a plot twist was possible.
TIME: So, for the rerd, are you yourself gay?
” I never wanted to be the spokperson for the gay muny. TIME: Is beg gay somethg you stggled wh? My first gay experience was lerally someone else’s ia–I was eaked out even by the thought of .