As Ellen Goes, So Goes the Nation

When Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi got married in California in August, there were no protests, no career fallout, and no media backlash, just congratulations from all.

By Michele Kort

From The Advocate October 7, 2008

It was an archetypal People celebrity wedding featuring two of the beautiful people, one in pants and the other in a gown, and a dreamy setting with flowers, champagne, candlelight, the whole romantic nine yards. No expense spared, no fabulous purveyor left unmentioned. (Mark’s Garden! Zac Posen! Neil Lane!) The only thing missing: a groom.

But People hardly noticed.

And that’s what was most amazing about the August 16 marriage of Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi: People and other mainstream celebrity news sources didn’t treat the event much differently than they would, say, the arrival of Brangelina’s next children. CNN.com did headline the word “marry” in scare quotes, but the blogosphere outcry forced the site to make a quick edit. Other than that there seemed to be no backlash from the mainstream media or public.

What was once California dreaming has turned into a Golden State reality, and leading the way down the aisle -- as she has, so to speak, for the past decade of gay progress -- is DeGeneres.

She wasn’t the first celesbian (k.d. lang, Melissa Etheridge, and Chastity Bono were public about their sexual orientation before she was), but Ellen’s coming-out was certainly the most heralded. Who can forget the cover of Time magazine in 1997 with the headline “Yep, I’m gay”? The very acknowledgment of that fact was news and even warranted a full hour on Oprah. DeGeneres then turned her eponymous TV show character into a lesbian, coming out by sharing a kiss with guest star Laura Dern. And offscreen she began unabashedly parading her relationship with actor Anne Heche up and down red carpets.

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Keywords: California marriage Ellen Degeneres

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2009-04-25: Lindsay Lohan's Fight for Marriage Equality
2009-03-13: Portia Does Ellen... Her Show, That Is
2009-02-20: Photos From the Ground: Lobby Day, Sacramento
2009-01-10: Prop. 8 Exit Polling of African-Americans Way Off, Experts Say
2009-01-08: Jerry Brown’s Argument to Void Prop. 8 Under Attack

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

Name: Jean Claude
Date posted: 2008-09-29 6:54 AM
Hometown: AFRICA

Comment:

Hi! We beg the world to understand that God's name is not a common name as many thought. that is why the cities Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. Yes, liberty is good but let every body think about the kind of liberty that the government is giving gays and lesbians. That is why we find ourselves under cures because of the leadership's policy. I urge to whoever that contributed positively to the issue of Hellen and Portia. God is watching over you and He wants you to repent so that you can live. God is not a cartoon as many think... May God forgive your their generation and families for pouring the cup of curse upon them. Hellen and Portia have to repent. And all the lesbians and gays too. No other deals.

Name: Linda Duggins
Date posted: 2008-09-16 5:48 PM
Hometown: Turner, Oregon

Comment:

I lobbied in the 1970's during the Anita Bryant era. I strongly disagreed with her, but her negative campaign, mobilized our community. She became a blessing in disguise. The 1980's were not easy when radical Christians (who were not acting very Christ like) spewed angry fearful words blaming gays for spreading HIV and the AIDS crisis. They ignored in Africa it was more widespread in the non gay community. When the media began introducing people of color roles they were often demeaning. In early Pride parades the cameras swung to the most outrageous among us to cast a shadow on the GLBT community. It is true society teaches female couples are more socially acceptable than a male couple. Is that the right? No! But to gain ground for any minority group it is a process that takes time. We have to begin with conversations and programs like Ellen have achieved that goal. Congratulations Ellen and may the rest of us continue working toward equal rights for all GLBT people.

Name: Sally
Date posted: 2008-09-15 11:08 PM
Hometown: Portland

Comment:

Hey to Helen and Portia....Helen is the MOST brilliant comediane in the world. Brilliant because she is naturally funny and doesn't have to be vulgar to get a laugh. I think most every one is genuinely in admiration of her...she makes us all laugh...gay or straight. Portia is the absolute in beauty, and I am sure she is equal in talent and creativity. I am a 'boomer', straight, married. I know that all creation with free agency has the right to choose, but the definition of 'marriage' is still the union between a man and a woman. Changing that is like changing the definition of food to include the plate. You can have both together, but they aren't the same. Having legal rights jointly is definitely agreed as being appropriate and even necessary in our legalistic country. We will all be held accountable for our choices and we all have our road to travel....same street, different turns. Let's just be clear on definitions and agree to respect each other's choices. Namaste'

Name: WHYJASONWHY
Date posted: 2008-09-11 11:22 PM
Hometown: Saskatoon

Comment:

PLEASE tell me that you are not the same jason who is constantly spouting off about the liberal bisexual double standard on towleroad! Find something else to worry about! This alledged "double standard" is perhaps the least important gay issue ever to exist. There is no double standard, and if there was one, it would fall firmly befind our rights to marry, adopt, serve in the military, be free from discrimination and thousands of other issues in importance. Good for Ellen and Portia, and GREAT for people just shut up already jason, this is progess no matter how you look at it. If your not the same jason, sorry for the vicious rant, but your still wrong.

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