Etheridge, DeGeneres Respond to Prop. 8 Passing

As California's LGBT community reacts to today's news that the No on 8 campaign has decided to concede to being defeated at the polls, Melissa Etheridge and Ellen DeGeneres have each issued statements in response to Prop. 8 passing.

Melissa Etheridge: "Today the gay citizenry of this state will pick themselves up and dust themselves off and do what we have been doing for years. We will get back into it. We love this state, we love this country and we are not going to leave it. Even though we could be married in Massachusetts or Connecticut, Canada, Holland, Spain, and a handful of other countries, this is our home. This is where we work and play and raise our families. We will not rest until we have the full rights of any other citizen. It is that simple, no fearful vote will ever stop us... that is not the American way."

Ellen DeGeneres: "Watching the returns on election night was an amazing experience. Barack Obama is our new president. Change is here. I, like millions of Americans, felt like we had taken a giant step towards equality. We were watching history.

"This morning, when it was clear that Proposition 8 had passed in California, I can't explain the feeling I had. I was saddened beyond belief. Here we just had a giant step towards equality and then on the very next day, we took a giant step away. I believe one day a "ban on gay marriage" will sound totally ridiculous. In the meantime, I will continue to speak out for equality for all of us."