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Ellen DeGeneres on Barack Obama, Prop. 8

Wed., Nov. 5, 2008 7:46 PM PST by Marc Malkin

Jay L. Clendenin/Lara Porzak Photography via GettyImages

Ellen DeGeneres just released a statement about the election of Barack Obama, as well as the passage of California's Proposition 8.

DeGeneres fought against the ballot measure, which sought to overturn a state Supreme Court ruling that allowed same-sex unions, blogging on her official website to urge voters to reject it, and paying for her own public service announcements to run on television.

Here's what she had to say:

"Watching the returns on election night was an amazing experience. Barack Obama is our new president. Change is here. I, like millions of Americans, felt like we had taken a giant step towards equality. We were watching history.

"This morning, when it was clear that Proposition 8 had passed in California, I can’t explain the feeling I had. I was saddened beyond belief. Here we just had a giant step towards equality and then on the very next day, we took a giant step away.

"I believe one day a 'ban on gay marriage' will sound totally ridiculous. In the meantime, I will continue to speak out for equality for all of us."