Just hours after courts ruled California's Proposition 8 - which banned same-sex marriage in the state - unconstitutional, Ellen DeGeneres finally spoke out about her recent JC Penney controversy.
The openly gay talk show host and comedian is the spokesperson for the department store, something that the group One Million Moms, which describes itself as "conservative, pro-family," took exception to. The organization demanded that JC Penney fire DeGeneres.
“Normally I try not to pay attention to my haters," said DeGeneres at the start of her show. "But this time I’d like to talk about it ’cause my haters are motivators.”
“This organization doesn’t think that I should be the spokesperson because I’m gay. For those of you are just tuning in for the first time, it’s true. I’m gay. I hope you were sitting down,” DeGeneres joked.
“I stand for honesty, equality, kindness, compassion, treating people the way you want to be treated and helping those in need. To me, those are traditional values. Oh - also I believe in dance," concluded DeGeneres.
For their part, JC Penney officials were unwavering in their support for DeGeneres, releasing a statement saying that they "stand behind [the] partnership."
One Million Moms has, in the past, protested Chaz Bono's inclusion in the most recent season of "Dancing with the Stars" as well as ice cream company Ben & Jerry's decision to release a flavor based on the Alec Baldwin "Saturday Night Live" skit "Schweddy Balls."
