The Real Reason Ellen DeGener Decid To Come Out As Gay On TV

Ellen revealed that the shownners were "livid" when they found out about her plan to e out as gay. * ellen is gay *

When Ellen Man, the character Ellen DeGener played on her s Ellen, me out as gay on the show's April 30, 1997, episo, sent shockwav through the televisn dtry. The Tragedy Inspired DeGener' Career-Defg Stand-Up RouteAlmost a year of preparatn went to the episoPreparatns for the character of Ellen Man to e out as gay on the seri Ellen began May 1996, when DeGener, who played the role, discsed the potential storyle wh the show's wrers.

In addn to beg a step that would let DeGener be hont about her own sexualy, there was hope that addrsg the fictnal Ellen's sexual preferenc might provi directn for the TV seri, and expla why the character lacked chemistry wh male romantic orr to bee the first TV seri to have a lead character announce she was gay, the work need to be agreement.

25 YEARS AFTER ELLEN, IS EASIER TO BE GAY HOLLYWOOD?

Lra Dern played an out lbian who helps Ellen DeGener' character realize she's gay on the ABC s" emprop="scriptn * ellen is gay *

Reverend Jerry Falwell and televangelist Pat Robertson publicly mocked DeGener as "Ellen DeGenerate" and joed others signg a letter that cried the show as a "blatant attempt to promote homosexualy. Ellen returned the next year ready to tell stori about a gay woman — but the show was forced to add parental advisory warngs when Ellen Man had a same-sex kiss. Sce Ellen end, havg gay characters and actors on shows — like Six Feet Unr, Morn Fay, Pose and many more — has bee a regular part of the TV landspe.

" DeGener thought that there had been gay characters on TV before but there hadn't been a character who disvered their te sexual orientatn late life. The episo hilarly ends wh Melissa Etheridge nfirmg that Ellen is gay, havg her sign an atttatn to that fact, stampg the paperwork, and prentg a lighted San wh her toaster oven.

ELLEN DEGENER IS THE MOST VISIBLE GAY OR LBIAN PUBLIC FIGURE AMERI

I’ve only watched clips when somethg particularly newsworthy happens, as when she ed her powers to absolve Kev Hart of his homophobic past on behalf of all the rt of gays. One of the most tertg thgs about Ellen’s posn Amerin culture is that she’s arguably the most famo and beloved gay, but not even close to universally idolized by gays. What is she dog, as the lbian whose life and livelihood is least threatened by homophobia, to advance and protect LGBTQ people Ameri when she tells her largely straight viewership that the gay people who were hurt by Kev Hart are more powerful and mean—”haters, ” she lled them—than Kev Hart?

Also, that Obama statement, he touch on the persona that’s now beg broadly lled to qutn: the veneer of amiabily and offensive humor (and, implicly, I believe, fivens for people at var and sundry pots on their journeys away om homophobia) that was sential to Ellen’s reentry to the public grac after she was shunned for beg gay. If that image of a nonthreateng gay was the key to her acceptance by mastream Ameri, I wonr whether that’ll change light of the terrible allegatns of the workg environment on her show. Ctecci: I noticed that Ellen voked her gay inty as a fense her apology to her staff: “As someone who was judged and nearly lost everythg for jt beg who I am, I tly unrstand and have ep passn for those beg looked at differently, or treated unfairly, not equal, or—worse—disregard.

Societal attu towards homosexualy seems to be changg steadily wh time, as more and more people have voiced their opns support of the members of the LGBTQ+ muny.

ELLEN DEGENER ON COMG OUT AS GAY: “I DIDN’T THK I WAS GOG TO COME OUT, PERD”

'All the Fay' (1971-79)Livg up to s trailblazg reputatn, Norman Lear's legendary edy be the first s wh a gay storyle 1971, as bigoted Archie has trouble believg an old buddy is gay.

While many shows remaed hant, other Lear shows troduced LGBTQ characters, cludg a gay uple on "Hot L Baltimore" (1975); a trans woman on "The Jeffersons" (1977); and a trans ma character on the short-lived "All That Glters" (1977). 'An Amerin Fay' (1973) This landmark documentary followg the Loud fay is primarily known as the precursor of realy TV – wh the chet of PBS – but also stood out bee one of the fay's sons, Lance, was openly gay at a time when society was ls hospable. In 1985, NBC aired "An Early Frost, " the first TV movie alg wh AIDS, which followed a young gay man (Aidan Qun) alg wh HIV and g out to his parents.

MAKINGGAYHISTORY—THE PODCAST

'One Life to Live' (1968-2013)As an openly gay teen, Billy Douglas (Ryan Phillippe) was a groundbreakg character daytime televisn when he was troduced 1992. 'My So-Called Life' (1994-95)This much-praised but short-lived ABC high school drama featured Wilson Cz as Rickie Vasquez, the first openly gay actor to play a gay ma character on a primetime seri. 'The Real World: San Francis' (1994) Pedro Zamora, a young gay man who was HIV-posive, offered an empathetic human face to challenge hostile ritur the third season of the inic MTV realy soap.

Watershed moment:20-year flashback: Ellen DeGener me out, and paved the way for more gay TV role'Will & Grace' (1998-2006; 2017-20)Unlike on "Ellen, " two gay characters were at the center om the begng of this NBC edy. 'Queer as Folk' (2000-05)In 2000, Showtime's drama featurg an ensemble of gay men livg Ptsburgh was a sign of premium ble's abily to foc on niche dienc, providg programmg broadst works shied away om. 'Queer Eye' (2003-07; 2018-)Five gay men who were experts such fields as fashn, groomg and terr sign beme media stars this h personal makeover show.

Billy Porter, who stood out as emcee and fashn signer Pray Tell, beme the first openly gay Black man to w an Emmy as lead more signifint moments, vis the onle Pri Month exhib at The Paley Center for Media. They believed, wh good reason, that dtry powers would distance themselv, and that dienc would not be sophistited enough to buy them as of those same dtry powers were gay, of urse, and many gay and lbian actors, such as Richard Chamberla, were already nvcg dienc wh performanc as straight characters, jt as straight actors had long been nvcg dienc — and wng Osrs — as gay characters.

ELLEN DEGENER DEPARTS DAYTIME TV: “WHEN WE STARTED THIS SHOW, I COULDN’T SAY ‘GAY’”JENNIFER ANISTON, BILLIE EILISH, AND PK STOPPED BY FOR THE FAL EPISO OF ELLEN AFTER NEARLY 20 YEARS. BY SAVANNAH WALSHMAY 26, 2022BROOKS KRAFT/GETTY IMAGSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEAFTER 19 YEARS WORTH OF GIVEAWAYS, GAM, AND Y, GROOVG, ELLEN DEGENER END HER LONG-NNG TALK SHOW ON THURSDAY. SHE BEGAN HER FAL STALLMENT BY ENSURG VIEWERS THAT THEIR RELATNSHIP WOULDN’T BE OVER FELY. “IT’S MORE OF A LTLE BREAK,” DEGENER SAID. “YOU N SEE OTHER TALK SHOWS NOW, AND I MAY SEE ANOTHER DIENCE ONCE A WHILE.”X NTENTTHIS NTENT N ALSO BE VIEWED ON THE SE ORIGAT OM.DEGENER VOTED HER FAL MONOLOGUE TO TALKG ABOUT THE SOCIETAL PROGRS WE’VE SEEN SCE ELLEN LNCHED SEPTEMBER 2003. “TWENTY YEARS AGO WHEN WE WERE TRYG TO SELL THE SHOW, NO ONE THOUGHT THAT THIS WOULD WORK. NOT BEE WAS A DIFFERENT KD OF SHOW, BUT BEE I WAS DIFFERENT,” DEGENER SAID. “WHEN WE STARTED THE SHOW, I ULDN’T SAY ‘GAY.’ I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO SAY ‘GAY.’ I SAY AT HOME A LOT—YOU KNOW, ‘WHAT ARE WE HAVG FOR OUR GAY BREAKFAST?’ OR ‘PASS THE GAY SALT,’ ‘HAS ANYONE SEEN THE GAY REMOTE?’—BUT WE ULDN’T SAY ‘GAY.’ I ULDN’T SAY ‘WE,’ BEE THAT WOULD IMPLY THAT I WAS WH SOMEONE. SURE ULDN’T SAY ‘WIFE,’ AND THAT’S BEE WASN’T LEGAL FOR GAY PEOPLE TO GET MARRIED.” “NOW I SAY ‘WIFE’ ALL THE TIME,” SHE NTUED, AS THE MERA SHOWED HER SPOE OF NEARLY 15 YEARS, PORTIA ROSSI.“TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO THEY NCELED MY S BEE THEY DIDN’T WANT A LBIAN TO BE PRIME TIME ONCE A WEEK,” DEGENER RELLED. “SO I SAID ‘OKAY, I’LL BE DAYTIME EVERY DAY. HOW ’BOUT THAT?’” SHE THEN JOED HER LONGTIME DJ, TWCH, A.K.A. STEPHEN BOSS, FOR ONE LAST DANCE TO “BT OF MY LOVE.”A TR OF PERFORMERS JOED DEGENER FOR HER FAL EPISO, WHICH WAS FILMED LATE APRIL. JENNIFER ANISTON, THE FIRST-EVER ELLEN GUT, DROPPED BY TO GIVE DEGENER ADVICE ABOUT NCLUDG AN INIC SERI. “I GOT A DIVORCE AND WENT TO THERAPY,” ANISTON SAID OF ENDG FRIENDS AFTER 10 SEASONS. “I DID A MOVIE LLED THE BREAK-UP. I JT KD OF LEANED TO THE END.” BILLIE EILISH ACKNOWLEDGED THE SHOW WAS A REGULAR PRENCE HER HOEHOLD. “YOU STARTED THIS SHOW THE YEAR AFTER I WAS BORN,” SHE SAID. “THIS WAS MY HOE NSTANTLY. EVERY DAY. I WOULD WALK TO THE KCHEN, AND MY MOM WOULD BE WATCHG YOU.” THEN PK, WHO WROTE ELLEN’S THEME SONG, PERFORMED HER 2017 H “WHAT ABOUT US” AFTER CHATTG WH THE HOST. THE END OF ELLEN WAS FIRST ANNOUNCED LAST YEAR, ABOUT 10 MONTHS AFTER A BUZZFEED NEWS PIECE WHICH FORMER SHOW EMPLOYE ACCED THE SHOW OF ALLEGEDLY HAVG A “TOXIC WORK CULTURE.” DEGENER ACKNOWLEDGED THE ALLEGATNS AS “VASTATG,” BUT SAID SHE FELT THE TIMG WAS “ORCHTRATED” AND “DID FEEL VERY MISOGYNISTIC.” FOLLOWG THE PUBLITN OF THE ARTICLE, DEGENER ANNOUNCED THE PARTURE OF THREE OF THE SHOW’S PRODUCERS, THOUGH AN ATTORNEY FOR ONE OF THEM LLED THE BUZZFEED ARTICLE “EPLY FLAWED” AND ASSERTED THAT HIS CLIENT WAS “BEG SPEGOATED.”AT THE END OF HER FAL HOUR ON DAYTIME TV, DEGENER REFLECTED ON HER SHOW’S OUTWARD PHILOSOPHY OF KDNS. “IF I’VE DONE ANYTHG THE PAST 19 YEARS, I HOPE I’VE SPIRED YOU TO BE YOURSELF—YOUR TE THENTIC SELF,” SHE SAID. “AND IF SOMEONE IS BRAVE ENOUGH TO TELL YOU WHO THEY ARE, BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THEM, EVEN IF YOU DON’T UNRSTAND. THEY’RE SHOWG YOU WHO THEY ARE, AND THAT’S THE BIGGT GIFT ANYBODY N EVER GIVE YOU. BY OPENG YOUR HEART AND YOUR MD, YOU’RE GOG TO BE THAT MUCH MORE PASSNATE, AND PASSN IS WHAT MAK THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEG ON THIS JOURNEY WH ME. I FEEL THE LOVE, AND I SEND BACK TO YOU.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRHOW FOUR BILLNAIRE TECHNO-OLIGARCHS ARE CREATG AN ALTERNATE REALYEXCLIVE NEW DETAILS ABOUT MEGHAN MARKLE’S WEDDG DRSA BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF EVERYTHG HAPPENG AT THIS FALL’S FILM FTIVALS—WHOUT THE STARSA SER SETBACK FOR TMP’S PLAN TO GET REELECTED AND PARDON HIMSELFMEET KYLE DCHANEL, THE PRETEND PLAYBOY WHO SEEMS TO HAVE FOOLED HALF OF MANHATTANTHE ULTIMATE GUI TO FALL MOVIFROM THE ARCHIVE: A FATHER’S ACUNT OF THE TRIAL OF HIS DGHTER’S KILLEREND-OF-SUMMER SALE! TAKE 25% OFF AT THE VF SHOPMOST POPULARADAM SANDLER FDS LOW-KEY TRIUMPH YOU ARE SO NOT INVED TO MY BAT MZVAHBY SAVANNAH WALSHNETFLIX’S MURDGH MURRS IS OFFICIALLY RETURNG FOR SEASON 2: EXCLIVEBY SAVANNAH WALSHAND JT LIKE THAT: MICHAEL PATRICK KG KNOWS WHEN THE AUDIENCE TURNED ON CHE DIAZBY CHRIS MURPHYSAVANNAH WALSH

An openly gay lead don’t doom a movie or a TV show, even when, as Neil Patrick Harris proved for ne years on the popular CBS s “How I Met Your Mother, ” that actor is playg an tensely sexual straight Waller-Bridge and Andrew Stt "Fleabag.

Like them, DeGener soon published a btsellg memoir, My Pot—And I Do Have One (1995) the fall of 1996, word leaked out that the character of Ellen Man, a bookstore manager, might acknowledge that she was a lbian, makg Ellen the first prime-time s to feature a gay leadg character. A week before the episo aired, DeGener ma a well-publicized “g out” of her own, appearg on the ver of TIME magaze unr the headle “Yep, I’m Gay. Not only was the edian and televisn host by far the most equently ced example of a gay or lbian public figure the general-populatn survey, she and Print Obama were the lears when LGBT Amerins were asked to name a well-known figure who’s been important advancg the rights of LGBT people.

Jason Colls, a center for the NBA’s Washgton Wizards, was the send-most equently mentned gay or lbian public figure the general-populatn survey. Jt before the survey was nducted, Colls beme the first active male profsnal athlete a major North Amerin team sport to e out publicly as gay; he’s due to bee a ee agent next month. It’s worth notg, though, that almost four--ten Amerins (38%) said they uldn’t name any gay or lbian entertaers or public figur, cludg 61% of people age 65 and olr.

THE HIDN GAY LIV OF 'THE WALTONS' GRANDPARENTS ELLEN CORBY & WILL GEER SPE THEIR MARRIAG

“It was sry and crazy and what me out of listeng to what I had been sayg to myself was, ‘Would I still be famo, would they still love me if they knew I was gay? At the tail-end of her succsful ABC s Ellen's fourth season, after months of speculatn and g jt weeks after the edy legend appeared on the April 13 ver of Time magaze emblazoned wh the words "Yep, I'm Gay, " the semal two-part episo known as "The Puppy Episo" aired, yankg DeGener' character Ellen Man out of the closet wh her. CBS1971: All the FayAll the Fay ma LGBT history when troduced the first gay character primetime 1971, revealg that Archie Bunker's bar buddy Steve was gay.

The Real Reason Ellen DeGener Decid To Come Out As Gay On TV

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