10/02/2008
Ellen DeGeneres and Jay Leno Discuss Proposition 8, Same-Sex Marriage
Ellen DeGeneres appeared on The Tonight Show last night and voiced her opposition to Proposition 8, the California ballot measure that would ban same-sex marriage.
DEGENERES: "They are trying to stop gay people from marrying, like somehow Portia and I staying at home watching Dancing with the Stars is affecting anybody..."
LENO: "I come from Massachusetts, and they've had it in Massachusetts for a long time, and it's fine. The world doesn't collapse. You know, I go to West Hollywood — people know that it's the gay area. The nicest area, the cleanest area, the safest area. The economy is falling apart, I don't care what you do!"
DEGENERES: "That's exactly right. I look at the people who are losing their homes and they're foreclosing, and people in Texas who have lost homes. There are so many people that need money right now – and if you’re raising millions of dollars – give it to those people, please, because you don’t need to promote hate."
Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...
(via queerty)
Sphere: Related ContentPosted 12:04 PM EST by Andy in California, Ellen DeGeneres, Gay Marriage, Jay Leno, News | Permalink
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At first I had mixed feelings about Jay Leno, as Andy has posted in the past, Leno has been known for making jokes at the expense of the gay community. However, he has personally donated money to fight Prop. 8 AND made public speaking appearances in support of gay marriage. With Ellen DeGeneres making this appearance with Leno, I have new found respect for Leno. Kudos to them both.
Posted by: Cj | Oct 2, 2008 12:10:44 PM
Oh please, CJ...it's just the insidious girl-girl double standard at play once again!
Posted by: Mark in NYC | Oct 2, 2008 12:21:09 PM
Mark, I could understand the lesbian double-standard. However, why did Leno donate money as well as his free time to fight Prop. 8? I do not excuse his past behavior, but I do appreciate his efforts when a lot of out homosexual celebrities and public figures have yet to do so themselves.
Posted by: CJ | Oct 2, 2008 12:26:07 PM
Good as far as it went but she's throwing paper airplanes while the other side is throwing nuclear bombs with their ads and mass mailings and pulpit pontifications permeated with poisonous lies and having successfully resurrected "homosexual agenda" terror across California [and Florida and Arizona].
Come on Ellen! This is THE ultimate gay rights issue, even if not all of us are partnered or even wish to be legally married. For it goes to the HEART of what being gay is really about -- not who we want to fuck but whom we want to love.
Why haven't you thrown a huge fundraiser against Prop 8 at your Bel Air mansion as you did last Sunday for farm animals? Aren't your fellow gay men and women worth as much? Isn't Portia?
At last count, there was still no evidence you had given a dime out of your Forbes-estimated $67 million fortune. Why?
Why has virtually every major gay public figure abandoned us?
Posted by: Leland Frances | Oct 2, 2008 12:26:37 PM
Oooooh, can't wait to see how many exclamation points Leland uses in this one.
Posted by: crispy | Oct 2, 2008 12:28:49 PM
CJ, my previous comment was meant to be a joke, based on another frequent commenter on here.
I agree and think Leno is sincere in trying to make up for past indiscretions.
Posted by: Mark in NYC | Oct 2, 2008 12:30:20 PM
Ack! Only 1 exclamation point, Leland? And no all caps? You're slipping.
PS: Whatever happened to Michael Bedwell?
Posted by: crispy | Oct 2, 2008 12:30:38 PM
I suspect, Leland, it's because they don't want to put Obama in a bad light.
Posted by: anon | Oct 2, 2008 12:32:31 PM
Works for me! This is great exposure against Proposition 8 - and for that matter the initiatives in AZ and FL. The Tonite Show has a large mainstream audience. It certainly doesn't hurt! It just further illustrates how hateful and ridiculous the anti-marriage forces are... and what a waste of time and resources. Now hopefully Arnold will go on the Tonite Show next and say a few good words...
Posted by: Mike | Oct 2, 2008 12:32:42 PM
Was amused (or not!) that while viewing this post in Bloglines there was a Google ad at the bottom of the post for the "Yes on Marriage"/vote for "traditional marriage" proposition on the ballot here in AZ.
Posted by: Ward | Oct 2, 2008 12:35:27 PM
Ellen is on the right track, but where is the outrage? Would hetero's react this passively if their families and marriages were threatened?
It's very sad that WE DON'T KNOW ANY BETTER as gay people. If we had enough self-esteem and respect for ourselves, we'd know better than to submit to a government and its taxation while being treated not like 2nd class, but more like 4th or 5th class "citizens". Maybe one day we'll know better; we'll know (and believe) that WE DESERVE BETTER, and DEMAND IT NOW!
Posted by: John Bisceglia | Oct 2, 2008 12:43:08 PM
@JOHN BISCEGLIA -- I agree that you should be outraged, but I don't think Ellen should. She doesn't DO outrage, ever. She is the best mainstream stealth weapon we have: always aw shucks, always smiling, reasonable, accessible. Remember when Rosie switched from the Queen of Nice to a dyke-do and outrage? It killed her career. Ellen is doing GREAT, and as the most-loved woman on TV now, has done as much towards mainstraeam gay acceptance as anyone alive. Other people -- us perhaps -- should do the outrage and the demonstrations!
Posted by: Strepsi | Oct 2, 2008 12:55:05 PM
Oh, sorry Mark, I completely get it know (yes, I'm a natural blond, the curtains match the rug lol).
Posted by: CJ | Oct 2, 2008 1:04:17 PM
Talk is cheap, and that's also what Ellen DeGeneres is.
She hasn't given a dime to the opposition to Prop. 8.
She should put her money where her mouth is. Does she think that cuz she says so, the bigots are suddenly going to divert their money to Habitat for Humanity?
I think she's a phoney, and I'm sorry I was her fan for so many years.
Money talks....(you know the rest).
Posted by: JJ | Oct 2, 2008 1:41:16 PM
Talk is cheap, and that's also what Ellen DeGeneres is.
She hasn't given a dime to the opposition to Prop. 8.
She should put her money where her mouth is. Does she think that cuz she says so, the bigots are suddenly going to divert their money to Habitat for Humanity?
I think she's a phoney, and I'm sorry I was her fan for so many years.
Money talks....(you know the rest).
Posted by: JJ | Oct 2, 2008 1:42:41 PM
Jay Leno, a straight man who has done tasteless gay jokes, has given money to fight Prop 8 in support of gay marriage.
Ellen Degeneres, a gay married woman who cried over a dog, has not given a dime to the fight.
What is wrong with this picture?
Posted by: soulbrotha | Oct 2, 2008 1:52:15 PM
And you happen to know how much she has or hasn't given because????
And you've given how much exactly?
B.S. walks indeed.
Love ya Ellen.
Posted by: Brett | Oct 2, 2008 2:02:15 PM
Please, Jay's stupidity was prevalent last night when he proceeded to tell Ellen that he can't wait for gay divorce shows to hit the networks...then said someting about fighting over ownership of the dog (can't recall what breed he mentioned but it was a gay stereotype). Ellen was uncomfortable and clearly not amused.
Posted by: tegs | Oct 2, 2008 2:40:43 PM
I agree with you 100% Strepsi, Ellen should stick with her non-outraged style, but I was also referring to Leno, or pretty much ANYONE in the public eye of any orientation to simply MAKE A STAND for EQUALITY. You don't have to be queer to think ALL HUMANS deserve Marriage Equality.
We're begging & pleading & paying & chanting & paying & writing letters & paying & calling senators & bending over and crawling on all 4's, and not in a "good way", for the same rights ALL non-LGBTIQ families enjoy. F*CK THAT. We deserve better now, not in 30 years - now.
Posted by: John Bisceglia | Oct 2, 2008 3:06:58 PM
The Donors' names are a matter of public record. I think Ellen has some of her staffers on the blogs writing defensive comments when she's called out for being such a tightwad. Wouldn't it just be cheaper to give? Maybe a small donation from Ellen could lead to some Oprah money.
Posted by: jj | Oct 2, 2008 5:42:50 PM
I hate to be this way, but I am:
If many of you who are beating up on Jay Leno actually take the time to go back and look at past episodes of his show (especially the ones where he welcomes new, openly-gay celebrities), you'd find that he's ALWAYS spoken supportively of gays.
Just because he makes a couple of jokes about the fey way or asks Ryan Phillippe to sow him his "gayest face" doesn't eradicate all of the positive things he's said over the past 17 years. Is it disrespectful and crude? Definitely.
On the other hand, I've seen Jay Leno speak positively about gays the same amount of times I have Madonna - only Leno didn't seem to be doing it to further his public image.
Just my 2 cents.
Posted by: damien | Oct 2, 2008 5:45:46 PM
Though his intentions are good (I think), every time Leno opens his mouth he ends up sounding like some embarrassing uncle or something. Those gays, they have the cleanest neighborhoods!
We don't deserve equality because of clean neighborhoods, fabulous hair, six-pack abs, or any other 'positive stereotype'. Equality is deserved because it is fair and a fundamental right.
Posted by: Gregus | Oct 2, 2008 5:50:04 PM
I fail to see how donating money = a display of "outrage" by Ellen.
Kudos to Reuters for this story, which will be distributed far and wide, and features a photo of Ellen & Portia:
"Hollywood urged to give more to save gay marriage"
http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSTRE4917WD20081002
According to the article, No on 8 is holding an "entertainment industry fundraiser" this month.
Hey, Ellen: Why don't you emcee, and kick off the donation drive at the event by announcing your $1 million (OR MORE!!) gift to the campaign?
Posted by: SHOWMETHEMONEY | Oct 2, 2008 8:07:35 PM
Ellen has now reached gay sainthood. She's da bomb.
Posted by: Chapeau | Oct 2, 2008 8:45:02 PM
Interestingly enough, Ms. Degeneres is not on record having given a dime to help in the campaign to stop Proposition 8. Straight guys like Brad Pitt and Steven Spielberg? Yeah, they've each given $100k. There is a war being waged to take civil rights away from people. And Degeneres hasn't given any cash yet? Am I missing something?
Posted by: Todd | Oct 4, 2008 6:31:05 PM