Ellen DeGeneres made me cry

[monsoon]

Friday afternoon I walked into my favorite watering hole and sat down just as The Ellen DeGeneres Show was ending on the big screen. Good thing I'm well known there (as a big macho bear--I swear) because I just started bawling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B-hVWQn ... r_embedded

[beeserene]

What she say touch me too.So lovely when someone like her stands up for us gay.

[kenaubkk]

So lovely when someone like her stands up for us gay.

just who is the "us" and "them" here?

"someone like her" means lesbian? woman? comedian? talk show host? American Idol judge?

"us gay" is gay men only? gay men and lesbians? or the all-inclusive GLBTQI ?

she was already popular before deciding to "come out" so may not be that great a role model to depressed or suicidal gays or lesbians, but now that she is out such statements are a good way to capitalize on both her popularity and her gayness - or am I just a cynic?

ken

[Grimmy]

she was already popular before deciding to "come out" so may not be that great a role model to depressed or suicidal gays or lesbians, but now that she is out such statements are a good way to capitalize on both her popularity and her gayness - or am I just a cynic?

ken

I think you are a bit of a cynic. I think coming out for Ellen was a very risky and difficult process at the time she did it. I also think she has proven time and again what a great role model she is as...
...a lesbian
...a woman
...a comedian
...a talk show host
...and...
...an American Idol Judge

Grimmy

[lvdkeyes]

I agree to a point - an American Idol judge? Not so good! But she won't be back next season, so it is a moot point.

[RichLB]

I applaud all who have the courage to come out whether they be celebrities or private people. If all gay people did so, the sense of isolation and freakishness so many young people experience would be largely lifted. The more the mass public were made to recognize that so many of those they admire and aspire to be were, in fact, gay the less antagonism we would all experience.

When people identify being gay as only being similar to those they see as matching their prejudiced view of homosexuality, they fear it. The idea of "straight acting" is nonsense. Gay people act the same as straight people and as more and more of us come out, the sooner everyone will realize it. Ellen, like many in the Hollywood celebrity circles, could easily have remained cloistered in the closet since she didn't "act gay." She deserves our appreciation for her courage and willingness to show people that gays behave no differently from straights in every way except their choice of sexual/emotional partners.

[thaiworthy]

I applaud all who have the courage to come out whether they be celebrities or private people. If all gay people did so, the sense of isolation and freakishness so many young people experience would be largely lifted. The more the mass public were made to recognize that so many of those they admire and aspire to be were, in fact, gay the less antagonism we would all experience.

I remember at age 12, I realized I was gay. The next question I asked myself was, "Am I the only one?" While this naivete could have been all too common in the early 60s when there we no role models, I think it is much less common today, thanks in large part to Ellen DeGeneres.

[Undaunted]

Another reason never to vote republican! For Christ sake don't cry! Grab your balls and fight back!

[kenaubkk]

I remember at age 12, I realized I was gay. The next question I asked myself was, "Am I the only one?" While this naivete could have been all too common in the early 60s when there we no role models, I think it is much less common today, thanks in large part to Ellen DeGeneres.

show me someone who came out first then developed a professional career as a TV personality/movie star/music star/sports star/etc and I will acknowledge him/her as a great role model for today's closeted 12 year olds, but the late outers just seem to reinforce the stereotype of staying in the closet till you are rich and famous or its OK to be gay provided nobody knows!

ken

[RichLB]

Well, Adam Lambert comes to mind. I think Neil Patrick Harris was out before he was Doogie Howser - but not 100 percent sure. There are others and unfortunately, I'm not that up on US pop culture anymore. Others most probably can continue to add to the list. Happily, being gay today is not longer the professional kiss of death in the entertainment world.