On this day in 1997 comedian Ellen DeGeneres came out. The groundbreaking declaration saw Ellen appearing on the cover of TIME magazine with the headline “Yep, I’m Gay”.
At the same time Ellen Morgan, the character DeGeneres played on her sitcom Ellen, also came out to her friends and colleagues.
The episode was critically acclaimed and a cultural phenomenon, but the show was quickly accused of being “too gay” and was cancelled the following year. Ellen also sat down for a revealing interview on the Oprah show.
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the interview back in 2017 TIME republished Ellen’s interview from 1997.
The magazine recalled that when the interview was published readers responded with a wide range of reactions.
While many were supportive, others wrote to the magazine with their own three-word declaration “Yep, I’m Done.”
Some of America’s most iconic brands pulled their advertising during the ‘coming out’ episode of Ellen’s show including car manufacturer Chrysler and department store J.C. Penney.
Although her sitcom was cancelled the following year, Ellen bounced back becoming the talk show queen and landing her greatest role ever as the voice of Dory in Finding Nemo. In 2016 Ellen was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Ellen’s brave coming out move paved the way for many other queer celebrities to open up about their sexuality.
Actors Jane Lynch and Elliot Page have both credited Ellen with paving the way for their own declarations, while country singer Chely Wright has spoken about watching Ellen’s coming out as a catalyst for her own declaration.
In its final years Ellen’s talk show faced accusations of bullying behind the scenes. It had its final episode in May 2022.
In 2017 Tasmania apologised for historical gay convictions
On this day in 2017 Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman offered an apology to those convicted under past discriminatory laws against homosexuality and cross-dressing.
Premier Hodgman issued the apology at the same time as a debate on a bill to overturn historical convictions. The move came just before the 20th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Tasmania which is marked on 1 May.
Hodgman was the first state leader to commit to such an apology in 2015, and became the first Liberal leader in Australia to offer one.
Veteran LGBTIQ advocate and Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson Rodney Croome applauded Will Hodgman and his government for the historic decision.
“The message to those LGBTI Tasmanians who were convicted for being themselves is that the island society once rejected now embraces them,” Croome said.
“The Government’s legislation will directly benefit those people who were convicted under our old laws against homosexuality and cross-dressing by ensuring their criminal record does not appear whenever they apply for a job or a volunteer position.”
Croome said an apology goes much further than quashing past convictions, as it will help “heal the damage inflicted by our old laws, including blackmail, ostracism, ignominy, hate crimes and even sometimes suicide.”
“This apology is historic because Tasmania was the last state to decriminalise homosexuality, almost exactly 20 years ago on May 1st 1997, and our anti-gay laws attracted the most severe maximum punishment in the Western world, 21 years in jail.”
“It is also historic because Tasmania was the only state to criminalise cross-dressing and now the criminal records of transgender Tasmanians can be expunged as well.”
OIP Staff, This post was first published in 2021 and has been subsequently updated.
