Ellen DeGeneres may have been a popular standup comedian and now has an incredibly successful talk show. But things weren’t always this rosy for the comic/talk show host. 22 years ago, the American comedian, historically came out on a national platform on the April cover of an international weekly magazine. The cover had a simple, but an impactful headline, “Yup, I’m gay.”
This moment was a breakthrough. When Ellen came out to the public, the American society wasn’t as accepting of the LGBTQ community as it is now. This was also when Ellen’ career was thriving. Naturally, it affected her career deeply, but over the years, also catalyzed the Gay Movement in America.
Apart from her talk show, the 61-year-old has always been a vocal supporter of the LGBTQ community. The latest person to receive a shout-out from her is Indian athlete, Dutee Chand. The sprinter is the first athlete who publicly stated to be in a same-sex relationship.
Ellen shared a picture of Dutee kissing her Asian Games medal in 2018, as she highlighted her quote that she gave to a news daily yesterday. Dutee said, “I have found someone who is my soulmate. I believe everyone should have the freedom to be with whoever they decide they want to be with. I have always supported the rights of those who want to be in a same-sex relationship. It is an individual person’s choice. Currently, my focus is on the World Championships and the Olympic Games but in the future, I would like to settle down with her."
Ellen’s caption said, "She’s the 100m record holder and the first openly gay sportsperson in India. I guess she knows a thing or two about being first. I’m so proud of her." Check out the photo in question below.
In her statement, Dutee had also revealed that her sister had threatened her in the past by saying she will send her to jail for her involvement in a same-sex relationship. But thankfully, things are much better in our country now. On September 6 last year, in a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court of India struck down the 158-year-old law from the colonial-era that criminalised homosexual relations between consenting adults in private and punished them with imprisonment.
On the work front, Ellen DeGeneres is currently hosting the sixteenth season of her celebrity comedy talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The latest guests to have appeared on the same include Keanu Reeves, Reese Witherspoon, Maya Rudolph, Taylor Swift among others.
