Ellen DeGeneres has lots to be happy about — and the conservative One Million Moms group isn't going to keep her down!
On Wednesday's episode of Ellen, the comic and talk show host, 54, celebrated Tuesday's landmark ruling in California, which overturned Proposition 8, the controversial legislation banning same-sex marriage in the state.
"There was some good news for marriage equality in California yesterday," said the star, who wed love Portia de Rossi in August 2008 (before Prop 8 was put into effect). "And I'm happy to say that yesterday an appeals court ruled that Prop 8 was unconstitutional. I'm sure the people who oppose it will try to appeal it – but it's a step in the right direction. So I'm happy."
But DeGeneres' longtime status as an openly gay star irked conservative group One Million Moms — which protested DeGeneres' new partnership with JC Penney stores as spokesperson.
"Normally I try not to pay attention to my haters – but this time I'd like to talk about it because my haters are my motivators," she said, explaining that One Million Moms stuck with their protest even after JC Penney formally confirmed that they're maintaining their partnership with her.
"This organization doesn't think I should be the spokesperson because I'm gay. For those of you who are just tuning in for the first time, it’s true. I'm gay," she joked. "I hope you were sitting down. I hate to break it to you this way but anyway."
"I mean, if they have a problem with spokespeople, what about the Pillsbury doughboy? He runs around without any pants on, basically begging for people to poke his belly. What kind of message is that?"
In a new Facebook post, One Million Moms said JC Penney was "jumping on the pro-gay bandwagon" and that "the majority of JC Penney shoppers will be offended and choose to no longer shop there."
"First of all, being gay or pro-gay isn't a bandwagon. You don’t get a free ride anywhere," DeGeneres said. "There's no music. And occasionally we'll sing 'We Are Family' but that’s about it," she cracked.
"Secondly, they said a majority of JC Penney shoppers will be offended and not shop there anymore…And not that there’s anyone counting, but for a group that calls themselves a Million Moms, they only have 40,000 members on their page. So they're rounding up to the nearest million and I get that."
