OWN Master Class – The Backlash Ellen DeGeneres Faced After Coming Out

From: OWN

When Ellen DeGeneres came out as a lesbian in 1997, more than 40 million people tuned in to see her sitcom character declare that she was gay on primetime television. Following that landmark moment, Ellen appeared on the Oprah Show, agreed to an interview with Time magazine and sat down with Diane Sawyer. The media firestorm that followed, however, was bigger than she ever expected. Religious groups staged protests, commentators criticized her on national news, and her hit show, Ellen, was canceled.