Raising DeGeneres
Ellen's mother shares their story
Caitlin Graveson
Issue date: 4/29/08 Section: News
Betty DeGeneres, mother of talk show host and actress Ellen DeGeneres, came to speak to the Saint Mary's community last week as a part of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Ally (LGBTQIA) Awareness Week. Her speech on Wednesday, April 24 was focused on her activism around the issues of homosexuality and parenting in accordance with the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA)-sponsored week of understanding.
DeGeneres' talk was sponsored by an eclectic group of departments on campus including the Disney Forum, the Catholic Institute for Lasallian Social Action (CILSA), and the women's studies, sociology and communication departments. Her presentation was the last of the Social Justice Speakers series for the school year.
DeGeneres was supposed to begin speaking at 7:00 p.m. in the Soda Center; however, confusion with advertising led many students to believe the event began at 7:30. The Soda Center was only partially filled by 7:20 p.m. when freshman Keelia Murphy, future president of GSA, introduced DeGeneres. Murphy had nothing but praise for DeGeneres in her introduction, proclaiming her to be "an exemplary human being and a model of respect and dignity."
DeGeneres then took the stage and gave a brief introduction of herself. She cited another's introduction of her at a previous speech, which described her as a "mother, author, cancer survivor." DeGeneres said she is "first and foremost a mother." She mentioned that she has written two books about her relationship with her lesbian daughter, Ellen, and that she has been a cancer survivor for more than 30 years.
DeGeneres quickly recounted the moment when Ellen revealed to her that she was gay. She said the two of them had been walking along the beach in Mississippi and Ellen had stopped walking, began crying and said, "Mom, I'm gay." The two thoughts that passed through her head at that moment were the fear of the bigotry her daughter would have to face and also, "Oh! The engagement picture won't be in the paper." However, DeGeneres said, "Ellen has more than made up for the picture."
DeGeneres' talk was sponsored by an eclectic group of departments on campus including the Disney Forum, the Catholic Institute for Lasallian Social Action (CILSA), and the women's studies, sociology and communication departments. Her presentation was the last of the Social Justice Speakers series for the school year.
DeGeneres was supposed to begin speaking at 7:00 p.m. in the Soda Center; however, confusion with advertising led many students to believe the event began at 7:30. The Soda Center was only partially filled by 7:20 p.m. when freshman Keelia Murphy, future president of GSA, introduced DeGeneres. Murphy had nothing but praise for DeGeneres in her introduction, proclaiming her to be "an exemplary human being and a model of respect and dignity."
DeGeneres then took the stage and gave a brief introduction of herself. She cited another's introduction of her at a previous speech, which described her as a "mother, author, cancer survivor." DeGeneres said she is "first and foremost a mother." She mentioned that she has written two books about her relationship with her lesbian daughter, Ellen, and that she has been a cancer survivor for more than 30 years.
DeGeneres quickly recounted the moment when Ellen revealed to her that she was gay. She said the two of them had been walking along the beach in Mississippi and Ellen had stopped walking, began crying and said, "Mom, I'm gay." The two thoughts that passed through her head at that moment were the fear of the bigotry her daughter would have to face and also, "Oh! The engagement picture won't be in the paper." However, DeGeneres said, "Ellen has more than made up for the picture."