We enjoy the freedom to love whom we choose. Things have not always been so easy. People like Ellen DeGeneres, have been monumental in pioneering the right to being openly gay. On her first television show, “Ellen,” which ran during the 1990’s, she made history. This time frame was much less open to the homosexual lifestyle, and those attracted to the opposite sex often lived in hiding.
In 1997, Ellen proudly announced that she was gay to her parents on her hit television show, but this announcement was for the public too. Some networks thanked her by pulling the show from their lineup. The final kick was when the network canceled her entirely in 1998. It cost her career, her esteem, and a media frenzy with her girlfriend, Anne Hache. Because of her willingness to step forward and lead the way, today we see openly gay couples on television regularly. She has reinvented herself and has a successful show where she has no reservations.
Where would we be without people like DeGeneres, who have torn down walls built by hate and ignorance? She helped to remove stereotypes, and brought understanding to a lifestyle, which many people lived in secret since the beginning of time. People can live the life that makes them happy, and they do not need to hide in secret any longer. Gone are the days of living in the closet, and not getting the same benefits as those who have a traditional union. Thanks, Ellen! You made being a lesbian easier!
