"I never wanted to be the lesbian actress. I never wanted to be the spokesperson for the gay community. Ever. I did it for my own truth."

The personal and public lives of comedienne Ellen DeGeneres have been on seemingly non-stop media display since April of 1997, when DeGeneres came out as a lesbian on her self-titled hit TV series, Ellen. Though plenty of TV viewers must have thought "Well, duh" when DeGeneres made her announcement, others were shocked. And although the coming-out episode's cast included such supportive heavyweights as Oprah Winfrey, Laura Dern, k.d. lang and Melissa Etheridge, several of Ellen's sponsors, such as the conservative automobile company Chrysler, withdrew their financial support from the show. Furthermore, several city television stations across the country refused to air the episode. It's hard to believe this kind of controversy could be stirred up over a simple declaration of a star's sexuality, but DeGeneres must have known the potential for negative response. For many who grow up gay (or non-white, or too effeminate or not feminine enough ...), bigotry isn't hard to believe; it's a fact of life. The good news is, things do keep changing and progressing. 2001 ushered in brand-new Vice President Cheney, who espouses conservative politics but is reportedly very close with his out-lesbian daughter Mary. Perhaps American audiences will grow to realize that heterosexuality isn't the only acceptable norm. Ellen DeGeneres uses her courage and her sense of humor to help pave the way for other people who don't fit inside the box.