• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Law/Justice
  • Celebrities
  • Republicans
  • Madonna
  • Books
  • Men
  • Trans Rights
  • Royals
  • Monkeypox
  • Marjorie Taylor Greene: Antifa are ‘fascists’ because ‘they defend the drag queens targeting our children’
  • Guaranteed Stimulus Checks To Transgender: Checks Starting to Go Out This Month
  • Soccer-Three arrested for alleged homophobic chanting at Liverpool-Chelsea game

President Obama Gets Choked Up Talking About Ellen’s Courageous Coming Out – WATCH

Sean Mandell November 22, 2016 Leave a Comment

ellen obama presidential medal of freedom

During the ceremony for the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award on Tuesday at the White House, President Obama became emotional while praising the courage it took Ellen DeGeneres to come out as gay nearly 20 years ago.

President Obama said that today we forget “just how much courage was required for Ellen to come out on the most public of stages almost 20 years ago” and that we similarly forget “just how important it was”, not just for her but also the nation as a whole to understand that someone “so filled with light”, someone like their next door neighbor could be LGBT.

Obama also noted that DeGeneres’ road to success today was far from smooth. “And she did pay a price,” he said.

“We don’t remember this, I hadn’t remembered it. She did, for a pretty long stretch of time–even in Hollywood,” the president added, referring to DeGeneres’ career after her sitcom Ellen was cancelled.

“And yet today, every day in every way Ellen counters what too often divides us with the countless things that bind us together and inspires us to be better, one joke, one dance at a time.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqhta-aFWkU

To cut through the palpable emotion that filled the room the president then repeated one of Ellen’s jokes about wanting a tortilla chip that’s strong enough to hold guacamole. He quipped that he didn’t understand what that meant but felt himself getting choked up so needed something to lighten the mood.

WATCH THIS NEXT: Ellen DeGeneres Can’t Hold Back the Tears as Obama Honors Her with Presidential Medal of Freedom: WATCH

Ellen was named as one of this year’s 21 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients on November 16.

The award dates back to 1963 and is the highest honor a U.S. civilian can receive.

Topics: Uncategorized More Posts About: Barack Obama, Ellen DeGeneres, Presidential Medal of Freedom, White House

Related Posts
  • Trump loses bid to dismiss rape accuser’s second defamation lawsuit
  • Explainer-Why U.S. flights were grounded by a FAA system outage
  • Former President Donald Trump Wanted To Trademark ‘Rigged Election!’ Days After Losing 2020 White House Bid
  • Guaranteed Stimulus Checks To Transgender: Checks Starting to Go Out This Month

    Guaranteed Stimulus Checks To Transgender: Checks Starting to Go Out This Month

    Published by ValueWalk Guaranteed income plans have gained prominence since the COVID-19 pandemic. Several states and local governments have come up with similar programs targeting specific groups over the past couple of years. Last year, the …Read More »
  • Soccer-Three arrested for alleged homophobic chanting at Liverpool-Chelsea game

    Soccer-Three arrested for alleged homophobic chanting at Liverpool-Chelsea game

    Published by Reuters UK (Reuters) – Three men were arrested following reports of alleged homophobic chanting at the goalless draw between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield, Merseyside Police said on Tuesday. The men, aged 23, 37 …Read More »
  • U.S. Senate panel probes competition after Taylor Swift ticketing fiasco

    U.S. Senate panel probes competition after Taylor Swift ticketing fiasco

    Published by Reuters By Diane Bartz and Moira Warburton WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee opened a hearing Tuesday on ticket industry competition issues after lawmakers raised concern about the disrupted sale of Taylor Swift …Read More »
  • Hundreds of UK cops faces been fired as part of clean-up for misconduct

    Hundreds of UK cops faces been fired as part of clean-up for misconduct

    Published by Wayarc Daily MET Police Chief Sir Mark Rowley last night admitted hundreds of officers from his own force should be “thrown out” for criminal and nefarious conduct. Sir Mark spoke of his “disgrace” after …Read More »
Previous Post: « WATCH LIVE: President Obama Awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Ellen DeGeneres and Others
Next Post: Ellen DeGeneres Can’t Hold Back the Tears as Obama Honors Her with Presidential Medal of Freedom: WATCH »

Primary Sidebar

Adjacent News

  • DeSantis targets unions, school boards with ‘Teachers Bill of Rights’

    DeSantis targets unions, school boards with ‘Teachers Bill of Rights’

  • George Santos Proposed To Then-Teenage Boyfriend While Still Married To Wife, Shocking Report Claims

    George Santos Proposed To Then-Teenage Boyfriend While Still Married To Wife, Shocking Report Claims

  • The M&M’s controversy continues as company retires its “spokescandies”

    The M&M’s controversy continues as company retires its “spokescandies”

Good Trash: Going to Read It Somewhere, Y'know

  • Stormy Daniels Declares It’s ‘Exhausting’ To Always Be Asked About Alleged Affair With Donald Trump: ‘I Wish He Would Go Away’

    Stormy Daniels Declares It’s ‘Exhausting’ To Always Be Asked About Alleged Affair With Donald Trump: ‘I Wish He Would Go Away’

  • Sam Smith obsessed with McDonald’s

    Sam Smith obsessed with McDonald’s

  • Prince Andrew Makes Plans To Overturn Virginia Giuffre Settlement As Ghislaine Maxwell Claims Infamous Photo Is Photoshopped

    Prince Andrew Makes Plans To Overturn Virginia Giuffre Settlement As Ghislaine Maxwell Claims Infamous Photo Is Photoshopped

RSS Partner Links

  • People Believe What They Want
  • Tarek & Heather Rae El Moussa Reveal Release Date for New HGTV Show 'The Flipping El Moussas'
  • “Diane Kruger wore sheer pants for the Gucci jewelry event at PFW” links
  • Princess Kate & William arrived empty-handed to visit a Windsor food bank
  • ABC News foreign correspondent James Longman finally gets hands on his Emmy – many months after winning it!
  • Pamela Anderson Talked About Sly Stallone Trying To Buy Her Love, Her Marriage To Kid Rock, And Her “Romantic” Bond With Julian Assange
  • Hot Slut Of The Day!

Most Recent

  • Marjorie Taylor Greene: Antifa are ‘fascists’ because ‘they defend the drag queens targeting our children’

    Marjorie Taylor Greene: Antifa are ‘fascists’ because ‘they defend the drag queens targeting our children’

  • Guaranteed Stimulus Checks To Transgender: Checks Starting to Go Out This Month

    Guaranteed Stimulus Checks To Transgender: Checks Starting to Go Out This Month

  • Soccer-Three arrested for alleged homophobic chanting at Liverpool-Chelsea game

    Soccer-Three arrested for alleged homophobic chanting at Liverpool-Chelsea game

  • U.S. Senate panel probes competition after Taylor Swift ticketing fiasco

    U.S. Senate panel probes competition after Taylor Swift ticketing fiasco

  • Hundreds of UK cops faces been fired as part of clean-up for misconduct

    Hundreds of UK cops faces been fired as part of clean-up for misconduct

  • George Santos is living the GOP’s values | Opinion

    George Santos is living the GOP’s values | Opinion

  • Madonna Feels ‘Like The Luckiest Girl In The World’ As Fans ‘Shame’ Singer’s Pricey Tour Tickets: ‘Seriously?!’

    Madonna Feels ‘Like The Luckiest Girl In The World’ As Fans ‘Shame’ Singer’s Pricey Tour Tickets: ‘Seriously?!’

  • Tony Dungy Attends March For Life Rally – And Fans Call For His Firing

    Tony Dungy Attends March For Life Rally – And Fans Call For His Firing

Most Commented

Social

Twitter @tlrd | Facebook | Instagram @tlrd

Footer

Copyright © 2023 · Log in

×