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)
Posted 12:04 PM EST by Andy Towle in California, Ellen DeGeneres, Gay Marriage, Jay Leno, News | Permalink
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NFL player Jacques Cesaire of the San Diego Chargers has been actively supporting Proposition 8 at rallies because, as he tells crowds, it's what the Bible wants. You can express your thoughts on this to the Chargers front office here: http://chargers.com/contact-us/front-office.php.
Posted by: TexRex96 | Oct 4, 2008 8:18:26 PM
Umm, none of you know for sure just what Ellen has done or how much she has nor has not given. Many celebrities donate via pseudonyms or staffers, etc. You need to focus your energies where they belong.
Oh and yes, I have donated twice and asked as many people as I can to vote no.
Cheers.
Posted by: Ian M. Walker | Oct 6, 2008 6:48:29 AM
IAN, et al.,
It would be ILLEGAL for Ellen or anyone else to donate under a pseudonym (any amount over $99) to the No on Prop 8 campaign. Under state campaign finance laws, every donor is required to provide his or her name, employer and occupation, or else the donation cannot be accepted.
In any case, why donate via a surrogate? Really, why?
No person posting here has provided any genuinely respectable reason as to why Ellen and other megarich gay celebs -- especially those recently married in California -- should not be PUBLICLY fundraising/donating.
If Ellen doesn't step up, she may as well just go live in a chicken coop herself, if she's more dedicated to their rights than her wife's and her own. Either that, or every oppressed chicken in the world should be able to apply for asylum in her mansion.
Grassroots fund-raising has to be at least matched by large donations from the friends of any cause. I'd say rich people who fall into the demographic whose rights are being voted on would be first on the list to ask; in addition, those celebrities who are specially affected are counted on lead PR efforts and take the lead in fundraising and donations. This means leading by example. You would use the same template for any cause.
Posted by: SHOWMETHEMONEY | Oct 7, 2008 11:18:27 PM
Very well, perhaps she should have/be doing more publicly.
I would still say, she has done more for bringing gay acceptance into the country than anybody else posting on here and ranting about how little she is now doing.
Again, I feel the energy would be best served elsewhere. It is easy to sit there and rail about how little someone else is doing.
Cheers.
Posted by: Ian M. Walker | Oct 8, 2008 1:04:50 AM
IAN,
You said: "[Ellen] has done more for bringing gay acceptance into the country than anybody else posting on here and ranting about how little she is now doing...It is easy to sit there and rail about how little someone else is doing"
This, from someone who is defending Ellen's woefully inadequate action on an issue that is supposedly so important to her?
Please.
FYI - In addition to 'ranting' about how Ellen and other gay celebrities have dropped the ball on the most important issue of our times, I myself am volunteering at least four days a week, have made several donations, and even hosted a fundraiser at my house.
So, in addition to donating myself, and trying to drum up grassroots donations by asking friends, family and even strangers to donate, I am doing whatever I can to urge the people with the most money who should be donating but HAVEN'T GIVEN SHIT to step up.
WTF are you doing to help, except defending Ellen's PATHETIC inaction?
HUMAN RIGHTS BEFORE CHICKENS' RIGHTS!!!
Posted by: SHOWMETHEMONEY | Oct 8, 2008 6:14:01 PM