Ellen Degeneres Announces Plans To Marry Portia De Rossi (VIDEO)

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Ellen DeGeneres is putting the California Supreme Court ruling in favor of gay marriage into action _ she and Portia de Rossi plan to wed, DeGeneres announced during a taping of her talk show.

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DeGeneres was taping the episode of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" on Thursday, the day the state's high court struck down California laws against gay marriage, and it was to air Friday, a person close to the production said.

The person, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

Citing the court's ruling, DeGeneres said she and girlfriend de Rossi ("Ally McBeal," "Nip/Tuck") would be getting married.

De Rossi, 35, who was in the studio, and DeGeneres, 50, were applauded by audience members, the person close to the production said.

Calls and e-mails late Thursday to DeGeneres' publicist were not immediately returned.

The court ruling means same-sex couples could tie the knot in as little as a month. However, religious and social conservatives are seeking to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November that would undo the Supreme Court ruling and ban gay marriage.

DeGeneres has boldly used TV before to make a stand for gay rights.

In 1997, she brought her character on the ABC sitcom "Ellen" out of the closet, making the show the first on prime-time network TV to have an openly gay lead. The move drew cheers from gay civil rights organizations but was condemned by some religious groups.

A month before, DeGeneres had proclaimed from the cover of Time magazine that she was a lesbian.

DeGeneres and the glamorous de Rossi have been a familiar couple at Hollywood events, including the Academy Awards. Previously, DeGeneres had a high-profile relationship with actress Anne Heche.

In a 2005 interview with Allure magazine, the comedian said she hoped she and de Rossi are "together the rest of our lives."

"I never would have thought my life would have turned out this way," DeGeneres told the magazine. "To have money. Or to have a gorgeous girlfriend. I just feel so lucky with everything in my life right now."

Comments

[kellygrrrl]

YAY! Ellen and Portia - Best Wishes to You beautiful ladies!

[SpongeLover]

Thats really good for her. honestly, why do people make a big deal about gay marrige??? I personally wouldn't do it, but its what they want. Besides, gay marrige dosn't harm anybody else in any way, so why should there be a law against it??

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

... for exactly the same reasons people make a big deal about STRAIGHT marriage.

[MizJ]

Ellen seems to be one of the nicest people in the world. I send them both best wishes for a long and happy marriage.

[researcher]

wealth and fame work wonders for getting young attractive women in a materialistic society. always has and will for a long time to come not only in america but in the world.

wish them both the best. love is love why cant the chistians see that. we know so little but pretend to know so much.

[DTGB]

I would imagine that Portia has own wealth and obviosly her own fame. anyway, i know that there is a perception that women want that, but a great personality goes a long way w the gals.
This a great day for America, not just gay Americans. CA is the 8th biggest economy in the world and this will push other states that want business from this state to reconsider their stances.
more importantly, this is about constitunal rights and guarantees finally being bestowed on all americans, guaranting all of us equal access to the law.
i seriously doubt that repubs will be able to use this a wedge this year, the stakes we face are too high for the average american to care either way. and even if they do, it is what it is. we shouldnt sit back and ignore inequality just b/c it conflicts w the election cycles. that said, i wouldnt push our candidates to make this an issue but i will be watching for their reactions which, so far, have been light.

[4wehttam]

Good for you Ellen. Every GLBT person has the constitutional right to be happy and equal right that straights do.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

[NURREDIN]

I hope all the Gay men get married. More women for me!

[BroMan]

Nice sentiment, Nurredin, but we really dont have to get married for you to have the women. We leave them alone NOW, lol.

[kellygrrrl]

God I love my gays! the best friends a girl can have!!!!!!!!

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Nah. Now the lesbians won't have to let you buy them dinner before blowing you off.

;-)

[Agentlady007]

Hm. I wonder how many sets of "Her and Her" towels she'll get.

[bobbip]

This is so great. As a happliy married hetro, I say "Justice at last!"

Here's the bad news: There will most-likely be a vote for a "marriage is between man and woman only" constitutional ammendement on the ballot for the California election in November. (They are counting signatures right now.) I don't think it will pass. However, this ammendment and ones like it are going to bring out the conservatives to the voting booths across the country en masse and can strongly affect our ability to get Democrats elected. I( honestly believe the gay marriage issues that brought conservatives out in 2004 cost Gore a lot of votes.)

Folks, start talking to everyone you can about this and help them understand it's about love and committment and fairness. Even if they hate the idea, they need to get in touch with the fact that It in no way affects the validity of hetro unions. It is difficult, you may not change their mind about accepting it, but you can affect their desire to make it illegal. We need to keep these people out of the voting booths and this ruling is going to get people all riled up. Do what you can starting today.

[realityczech4u]

Earth to "bobbip". Earth to "bobbip". Can you see just a trace of hypocrisy in your positions? On the one hand, you support homosexuals having the 'right' to marry one another (and presumbly to exercise that right).One the other hand, you make the statement "We need to keep these people out of the voting booths....­....." So you believe that only those people whose positions on issues align with yours should exercise their right to vote. Incredible. Oh, and BTW, since you claim to be a 'happily married hetro (sic)., I assume that your education. such as it is, is complete. Your spelling is atrocious.

[LostCause]

God, is she good looking. Not Ellen.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

I wonder how Condi feels.

[rudyinbama]

I always thought Karen Hughes was the butchest woman in the Bush regime.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Perhaps you never saw Condi scowling in her puss-n-boots outfit.

Perhaps you didn't know Condi co-owns a house near Stanfurd. (The basis in fact of my earlier quip.)

http://wonkette.com/politics/dept'-of-domestic-partnerships/breaking--condi-rice-shares-home-with-a-liberal-300119.php

****

In all seriousness, I am convinced the Bush/Cheney administration is FILLED with angry repressed people with sexual and sexual identity issues. Someday it will all come out. It may be THEIR self-loathing and hypocricy; it is America's too.

[BronxGOPer]

Let me first congratulate Ellen and Portia on their upcoming wedding and wish them a long and happy marriage. That said, I strongly disagree with the California Supreme Court, even though I am in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage.

I agree that it is the responsibility of the courts to protect individual liberties from the tyranny of the majority, but those rights must first be protected by the constitution (or other higher law). The 4 judge majority in this case found a basic civil right to same sex marriage simply because they wanted to find it, not because that right was present in the text or envisioned by those that wrote and/or ratified it.

Other courts have construed equal protection clauses to require a rational basis for prohibiting same sex marriages. While I don’t find the proffered reasons to be persuasive, I believe a reasonable person could. Take this quote from the majority opinion: “[O]ur nation’s culture has considered [those types of relationships] inimical to the mutually supportive and healthy family relationships promoted by the constitutional right to marry.” The court is explaining why the new right does not extend to polygamy or adult incest. But there are many rational people that believe our culture has felt the same way about same sex unions.

Again I approve of the result, if not the method. But be warned, this decision will help John McCain, especially if there is a constitutional amendment on the California ballot.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

I'm intrigued with your legal reasoning. Here's why:

I believe that all powers not given to a government (federal or state) by its constitution are reserved to the people. Period.

There need not be an explicit "right" to something. There needs to be a specific right to restrict something agreed to by those freedom-loving people who drafted the constitution or law.

The California Supreme Court did not find a right to gay marriage so much as they found NO right to DENY marriage to gays. Different. Equal protection. Equal rights.

As to the "other courts" and "rational basis," those rational bases circle around live an RJ waited to land at LGA in the rain. However, without any basis in other than prejudice. Common holding of that prejudice and whether that is "reasonable" is irrelevant.

As to polygamy and incest.... if it were legal for straights, it would have to be legal for gays. It's a red herring. Ditto for animal husbandry (bad pun).

[jukesgrrl]

Thanks, Reason, that's a coherent explanation.

[BronxGOPer]

“As to polygamy and incest.... if it were legal for straights, it would have to be legal for gays. It's a red herring. Ditto for animal husbandry (bad pun)”

I don’t think it’s a red herring at all. As I said, leave out incest because there are many reasons to justify a ban that do not apply to same-sex marriage or polygamy. As for polygamy, if California’s legislature were to (on its own) legalize same-sex marriage or same sex-marriage were to be legalized through a referendum­/propositi­on, there is no reason that legalized polygamy would have to follow. But in this case, a new right to marry has been created. What is the legal justification for limiting this right to two people and denying it to three, or four, or more? You could look at the Texas polygamy case and say polygamous relationships exploit underage girls, but that isn’t really a justification for denying plural marriage to adults.

I am not trying to disparage same-sex marriage by comparing it to incest or polygamy. I am just trying to point out how intellectually dishonest the California Supreme Court’s decision is.

End Part 2 (of 3)

[BronxGOPer]

Personally, I think the gay rights movement should focus on getting the same rights as married couples through civil union laws (which they already had in California) and worry about calling it marriage down the road when it won’t freak out quite so many people.

Doing it through the courts instead of the ballot or the legislature has led to a backlash with many states passing constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage. But that backlash has a silver lining (at least for Republicans). In 2004 it helped reelect President Bush. This year it will help John McCain, especially if there is a constitutional amendment to overturn this decision on the November ballot. If this measure brings out social conservatives who might not otherwise be inclined to vote it is possible (but still not likely) that California could be in play in November. Obama can not win if he loses California. Obama by the way is officially opposed to same-sex marriage, favoring instead civil unions.

Damn, who ever would have thought I would be to the left of Barack Obama?

End Part 3 (of 3)

[BronxGOPer]

I am going to have to respond in 3 parts.

“I believe that all powers not given to a government (federal or state) by its constitution are reserved to the people. Period.”

That’s more or less the 10th Amendment. I am not how that applies here though as it is not so much a government “power” as a personal right. Perhaps you mean the 9th Amendment (“The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people).

I think that it is the role of a judge to look at the law and reason forward to whatever outcome he or she finds. It is not the role of a judge to find whatever outcome he or she believes is most just and reason backwards to justify it. There are real problems if you allow judges to read new rights not supported by the text or history of the constitution or clearly reasoned from these principles. I would point you to the early 20th Century when many courts’ relied on economic liberty principles to overturn legislation regulating working conditions.

End Part 1 (of 3)

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Why do the conservatives hate STRAIGHT children of gay couples so much?

[kellygrrrl]

jealous

[SILVANUS]

Conservatives seem to hate everything except their capital. Fundamentally hostile to their fellow man.

[maribelle1963]

A toast to the happy couple! *clinking glasses*

PS I have a 13 year old daughter who just came out to me. She's known for over a year, and is out to a bunch of straight friends at school.

I am so grateful to Ellen and Portia for being out, giving young people Real Human Gay Role models like other generations didn't have.

Thank you for sharing your lives with us, for telling your truth. God/dess bless you both.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Fantastic that you and your daughter have such an open relationship, and that you are so supportive.

[Bibbo]

A hint. You have no religion..­.reason(fl­awed it is) is what you have.Human reason has really been a smashing sucess is figuring out the human condition.­..wars and violence since pre-historic times and then organized mayhem with the Roman empire ,etc up to modern times with fascism,co­mmunism.Ch­esterson got it right when he said - When you dont believe in anything(h­int..he meant christianity) you wind up believing in everything(he meant things like fascism and communism). So go ahead and proudly claim the superiority of human reason and eat the apple from the tree of knowledge so you too can understand good and evil without that meddlesome God who thinks He knows everthing. How banal.

[kellygrrrl]

WOW! Thank YOU for sharing Maribelle
so many kids are coming out now in the Middle School years.
My 8th grade daughter has several OUT friends, guys and gals.

Good for you for supporting and embracing her!

You must live in CA, no?

[maribelle1963]

Thanks to frissons, kellygrrrl and Reasonismyreligion.

Actually, I feel lucky to have her--her's so smart and confident.

And no, we don't live in CA but in a small town in the Northeast. Gay folks are bustin' out all over--must be spring. ;-)

[auramac]

Sorry, comment #1: "You are" is "you're," not "your."
(I wish more people did their homework in fourth grade.)

Otherwise, I'm happy for the couple, and hope they stay together unlike most others in Hollywood.

[rmetz74]

I live and work in Hollywood, and the only divorced friends I have live far away.

It should go without saying that what you see in tabloids is not representative of reality. The divorce rate among actors is no worse than it is for people everywhere else in the country.

Thinking beyond spoon-fed stereotypes is homework too.

[Bibbo]

It was the moniker. It caught my attention cause you(unintentially?) nailed the essence of a rift between christian(orthodox) belief and all the other belief systems from pure pagan(atheists,etc) to intermediate forms such as Hindu,Budd­hists,etc. There's much I have to say but unless someone is interested in an honest and respectful exchange of ideas I'm not want to continue. Let me know if I should post again on this subject.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

I'm a pagan, now?

Not out of disrespect to your civil invitation. I just don't see the point in fencing with all the straw men you keep throwing up.

P.S. You forgot to oversimplify how Jews and Muslims fit into your spectrum of enlightened to tree-worshipping.

[desthmoneses]

Congratulations Ellen, your a wonderful person and I wish you the best in your marraige, you deserve it more than most.

[campgranata]

you said it, kid