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.
Contents:
- ELLEN DEGENER LD FOR GAY RIGHTS FLUENCE
- MAKINGGAYHISTORY—THE PODCAST
- HOW ELLEN DEGENER HELPED CHANGE THE CONVERSATN ABOUT GAYS
- READ THE 'YEP, I'M GAY' ELLEN DEGENER INTERVIEW FROM 1997
- TIMELE: KEY MOMENTS FIGHT FOR GAY RIGHTS
- OPRAH'S AMAZG RPONSE SUPPORT OF GAY RIGHTS
- ELLEN DEGENER FIR BACK AT CRICS CLAIMG SHE HAS A 'GAY AGENDA'
- ELLEN DEGENER ON NEW ANTI-GAY MISSISSIPPI LAW: ‘THIS IS NOT POLICS, THIS IS HUMAN RIGHTS’
- ELLEN DEGENER ON GAY MARRIAGE: “WE NEED EVERYONE ON OUR SI”
ELLEN DEGENER LD FOR GAY RIGHTS FLUENCE
In 1997, DeGener chose a very public fom — her televisn s — to announce, "I'm gay." The entertaer's reer has tracked the seismic shift public opn on gays and same-sex marriage. * ellen degeneres on gay rights *
Media ptn, Barack Obama awards the Printial Medal of Freedom to Ellen DeGenerComedian Ellen DeGener was praised by the US print for her fluence on the gay rights movement as she received the untry's hight civilian honour. Celebri cludg Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro and Michael Jordan were also among the 21 recipients of the Printial Medal of Obama said was easy to fet the risk Ellen DeGener took to e out as gay said her bravery helped "ph our untry the directn of jtice". When she featured two bt iends on her show -- one gay, the other straight -- who attend prom together.
When she spoke out agast hate and advoted for tolerance after the murr of Matthew Shepard, an openly gay man who was btally killed Wyomg. Two s ago, she ma history by beg the first openly gay actrs to play an openly gay character on televisn -- sparkg a natnal nversatn by puttg LGBTQ issu ont and center.
MAKINGGAYHISTORY—THE PODCAST
* ellen degeneres on gay rights *
At the time of her Makg Gay History terview 2001, there was no guarantee that Ellen’s star would rise aga—and far higher than had the 1990s—and that the honors showered on her would clu the Printial Medal of learn more about Ellen and to view an excerpt of the famo 1997 g out episo of her show, have a look at the lks DeGener at a tapg of “The Ellen Degener Show, ” 2008. Stunts om the Universy of Nebraska’s Gay, Lbian, Bisexual and Transgenr Rource Center watchg the g out episo of “Ellen” Lln, Nebraska, Wednday, April 30, 1997. A 2013 AV/TV Club roundtable discsed the signifince of Ellen’s g-out episo and s her Makg Gay History terview, Ellen DeGener talks about her memori ncerng Matthew Shepard, who was murred 1998.
Watch her monologue n fd Ellen DeGener’s 2001 oral history Eric Marc’s book Makg Gay years after the g out episo, Lra Dern (a gut star who played Ellen Man’s love tert) was quoted on the impact the episo had on her reer the 20th anniversary of the g out episo of “Ellen” April 2017, Ellen DeGener shared her thoughts about the experience wh her daytime talk show dience. ”For further readg on the topic of gay and lbian people on televisn om the 1950s through the 1990s, we remend The Prime Time Closet: A History of Gays and Lbians on TV by Stephen Tropiano. ———Episo TranscriptEric Marc Narratn: I’m Eric Marc and this is Makg Gay History!
There were no lead gay characters on televisn until Ellen Man me out.
HOW ELLEN DEGENER HELPED CHANGE THE CONVERSATN ABOUT GAYS
June celebrat LGBT Pri Month, a look at some key moments gay rights. * ellen degeneres on gay rights *
Take my word for , Ellen DeGener on the ver wh the headle, “Yep, I’m Gay” was a huge al.
READ THE 'YEP, I'M GAY' ELLEN DEGENER INTERVIEW FROM 1997
Throughout Heche's three-year relatnship wh DeGener, she endured media attacks. But she was always proud to stand up for gay rights * ellen degeneres on gay rights *
The other one’s more like So I’m gog to jump right When did you first learn about gay people? ED: When did I learn about gay When were you aware of them? ED: Umm, I really didn’t get volved at all any kd of polics or any any awarens of gay stggl, gay movement, anythg at all until I me out.
TIMELE: KEY MOMENTS FIGHT FOR GAY RIGHTS
But everybody knew that I was gay.
Until you fd out about the teenagers and the stggl that most kids go through high schools and the statistics and the gay… the bashg. ED: They didn’t know… I didn’t know I was gay.
And I knew that that was gog to be an uphill battle if they thought I was gay.
OPRAH'S AMAZG RPONSE SUPPORT OF GAY RIGHTS
I mean… I didn’t see anyone else that was openly gay. And they’re gog to see that gay people are not what they… You know, everybody has a certa thg they clg onto and ci that’s what everybody is. ” Until we found out what was, which is, you know, “Oh, she’s gay.
Especially om a gay woman.
ELLEN DEGENER FIR BACK AT CRICS CLAIMG SHE HAS A 'GAY AGENDA'
” And they knew that I was gay. I’m gay. And you uldn’t… So for me on the show to be able to say “I’m gay” was, like… I mean, I cried every take we did.
ELLEN DEGENER ON NEW ANTI-GAY MISSISSIPPI LAW: ‘THIS IS NOT POLICS, THIS IS HUMAN RIGHTS’
He was jt gay.
Realizg they were gay bee of me.
Like, pecially the gay muny.
ELLEN DEGENER ON GAY MARRIAGE: “WE NEED EVERYONE ON OUR SI”
Even though I’d fotten that for a while to say, “I’m gay and I’m gog to say and I don’t re what anybody thks, I don’t re if I lose everythg. ”Ultimately, when down to … Okay, y, now I’m gay and I’m ee.