Ellen Urges California Residents To Vote No On Prop 8

LOS ANGELES — Ellen DeGeneres has made a public service announcement urging California voters to oppose a ballot initiative that would ban same-sex marriage.

DeGeneres married actress Portia de Rossi on Aug. 16, two months after the California Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage took effect. In recent days, the popular talk show host has been criticized in the gay press for not giving money to the campaign to defeat Proposition 8 or otherwise lending her star presence to the cause.

She still hasn't made a campaign contribution, but on Tuesday she posted a video on her show's Web site. She said when she got married it was the happiest day of her life.

DeGeneres' mother, Betty, has given $700 to help defeat the initiative.

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On the Net:

http://ellen.warnerbros.com/2008/10/prop_8_psa.php

Comments

[justsaynotofascism]

I'm glad Ellen has done the video, but I'm shocked she hasn't given ANY of her wealth to the NO to Prop. 10.

I'm straight and I've donated twice. Come on Ellen... chip in!

http://www.noonprop8.com/

[justsaynotofascism]

NO to Prop.8

http://www.noonprop8.com/

[JadedAggie]

This is a really important vote for equality and one I am personally happy to make. It should also be noted that if prop 8 was enacted the true legal interpretation of the newly ammended California constitution would be that the state could no longer perform marriages, but only civil unions.

[AZterritory]

Same thing going on in Arizona with Proposition 102--second time around, first time it FAILED! (See, we have some smart people, even if some want McCain as Senator). Seriously, in light of the dawn Obama/Biden brings, there will still be anti-civil rights groups trying to foist this on us one state at a time. I do hope California stands firm, Arizona, too. NO to anything that targets ANY group's basic human and civil rights!

[learnsomething]

I urge all Californians to vote according to your own conscience and values, not according to Ellen's conscience values.

Ellen has the nerve to try to tell people how to vote on prop 8, but she would not let anyone tell her how to vote for president or anything otherwise.

[kissmygrits]

Exactly. Anyone who believes in the American value of equality for all, should vote NO on Prop 8. So, unless you hate America, vote No.

[YankeeCanuck]

The discussion is pretty much over in Canada. It's a human right, no matter what some people's "conscience values" tell them.

[BonzaiBoy]

I don't believe the two things you're comparing are at all equivalent.

A presidential vote, more or less, is a decision based upon a variety of factors--mostly political--such as the economy, energy issues, etc.

Proposition 8 is purely a morality-based decision. In asking voters to oppose Proposition 8, Ellen is not asking those who oppose same-gender marriage to *change* their moral beliefs--she is asking them not to limit society at large to their own moral (and usually religiously-based) beliefs. Proponents of Prop 8 argue that by legalizing same-gender marriage, the state is forcing them to accept same-gender marriage. This is a flawed argument that is simply not true. Religious institutions will still not be required to perform or recognize a same-gender marriage in their church, and parents will continue to have "opt-out" privileges in schools.

[margardner]

"Learnsomething," I totally agree.

Wow, I adore Ellen. However, she hasn't made one campaign contribution while the rest of us are scraping money together to send to our candidate and she wants us to support a bill that will of course, "convenience" her.
Ellen, sometimes our voices don't come at a "convenient" time, but, we must speak out when it is blatantly obvious that there is a "good" choice, and a "bad" choice for President. Be brave like Oprah, even though you may lose a few viewers. Speak out on principle alone, not on viewership and convenience.

Obama/Biden 08'

[CtJean]

I guess you have not learned something after all.

Vote for your candidate? I think not.

You thought you were being clever by wording your comment in the fashion that you have.

Everyone should vote their conscience and values as long as they agree with yours and mcpainaplenty's. Give it up! Your time is over.

[rhettisha]

I scraped together $10 to donate to that cause and I live in Florida! Why can't Ellen donate 100k or so? The anti-prop 8 people have a great commercial already made up, they just need $ to get on the airwaves.

[kissmygrits]

Seriously. I live in NYC, but I donated $100 to No on Prop 8, and I'm not even gay.

[juzcuz]

I just made a big donation to HRC toward the fight against Prop 8. Why should you or me care about who loves who? Love comes in all kinds of shapes, sizes, colors... love should be UNconditional. Why does one male crotch + one female crotch = a sacred marriage? Isn't love and marriage more about a lifetime commitment to one another? Why should government or church be able to determine and tell us what's love and what isn't love? Vote for BASIC equal rights.

[walk0nwalls]

We love you Ellen!

No on Prop 8!

[kayfacefl]

FLORIDA RESIDENTS- VOTE NO TO AMENDMENT #2

the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment will strip rights of same sex and opposite sex couples who are not legally married. VOTE NO to Amendment #2

[kayfacefl]

florida voters..vote NO on Amendment 2 - Florida Marriage Protection.

if passed all partners of equal and opposite sex that are not legally married will lose their rights.

NO TO AMENDMENT #2 -IN FLORIDA

thank you!

[MmeFlutterbye]

No one has explained to my satisfaction how two people of the same sex getting married would destroy my marriage to my husband. How would that work? As a teacher, I don't remember teaching about heterosexual marriage to any students. Why would a teacher teach about same-sex marriage as the hate-ad states? I can't remember all of the hateful rhetoric in the ads for prop 8, but none of it made sense to me as I watched. Why do these Christian church-people preach such hate? Isn't it against their religion to do so?

[DeniseD]

It is not the Christian church supporting this proposition it is the Mormons! They are not Christian!

[demfriend]

I voted yesterday and voted NO on 8 as I believe we should allow all equal rights. No one should be denied to visit a loved one because they are not married only if you are same sex. No one should be forbidden the rights of a spouse when life decisions are made. No one should be denied the rights of a co owner due to relationship. Across the street where I live there is a vote YES on 8 and I daily want to rip it off the yard but we all have our beliefs and small minds have held too much fear which is wrong far too long.

[kissmygrits]

You should put up a NO on 8 sign to counter it!

[joshuahmcdonald]

I'm voting with Ellen.

[ebanks84]

Ellen is a good person and I will always wish her the best. I hope everyone in LA will help her.

[kellygrrrl]

I will be shocked if CA passes this regressive hate-fueled proposition
I am shocked to see Yes on 8 stickers and yard signs up
The M0rm0ns are here in droves pushing this thing

[YellowDogInRedCounty]

Yesterday as I was driving along obeying the laws with my "NO ON 8" bumper sticker on the back of my car, I was sharply cut off by a jacked up truck with a "YES ON 8" sticker. It was obvious to me that the only reason he did it was because of my sticker. Now, I know this is only anecdotal but just points out to me the jerks on the other side of the issue.

[thefirehorse]

Don't be. There are a lot of people like myself who are still not sure. Yeah I know that I shouldn't even hesitate to vote No, but I still have personal concerns.

[LiberalDemIda]

They get our vote, Ellen! NO on Proposition 8! NO to discrimination!

We all love you Ellen and wish you and Portia all the best. Stay strong!

NO ON PROP 8! NO TO DISCRIMINATION!

[Makesense]

I am not a supporter of gay marriage though I support equal right to all. I am really conflicted on this issue of prop 8 but if it takes away basic rights people in relationships have, then it is something to vote no on.

[lowlycitizen]

This vote is absolutely about equality. I respect people's internal conflicts about gay marriage, but in the end I hope their intelligent side sees that this is a vote for equal civil rights and nothing more.

[kissmygrits]

The thing that upsets me the most is that people of minority races who have benefited by the civil rights movements, in which gay people were some of the biggest activists, are not supporting equal rights for gay people. They do not see that it is the same thing, and there is no sense of the pay-it-forward justice. I have seen write-ups about this being an issue in the asian, latino and black communities in california, and I just can't believe the blindness.

[naviline]

Some great info from noonprop8.com:

Regardless of how you feel about this issue, we should guarantee the same fundamental rights to every Californian.

Gay and lesbian people are our neighbors, our friends, our coworkers and our family members. They are nurses, firefighters and small business owners. Same-sex couples are loving and committed couples who want to get married. They care for each other, they pay taxes and they want to protect each other and take responsibility for each other, just like other couples. We should not hurt same-sex couples in California by eliminating their right to marry.

It’s not the government’s place to tell couples who have been together for years whether or not they are allowed to marry. People should decide what is best for themselves – without government interference. Eliminating fundamental rights for same-sex couples treats them differently under the law – AND THAT’S WRONG.

Domestic Partnerships are NOT the same as marriage - they are just legal documents. They don’t provide the same dignity, respect, and commitment as a marriage. In a marriage, a paramedic doesn’t tell you that you cannot get into an ambulance with your spouse. Married couples can automatically make life or death decisions for each other in these crisis situations, no questions asked.

And most importantly: Those who support Prop 8 are saying that churches will lose their tax-exempt status if they refuse to perform same-sex marriages. This IS FALSE. Don't believe it!

Vote NO ON 8!

[kissmygrits]

Please vote No. It is about equality. It is the same as not allowing people of different races or creeds to marry. It is an equality issue, and it is deeply disturbing to make second class citizens of people based on their sexuality.