On his radio program today, Fischer discussed the effort with Monica Cole of the AFA subgroup One Million Moms, which is responsible for the campaign to pressure JC Penney to fire DeGeneres. Both Fischer and Cole agreed that the decision by JC Penney to hire a sexual deviant like DeGeneres was an intentional affront to Christians, especially since there were countless heterosexuals that the company could have hired to fill this position instead.

Fischer later went off about how this decision makes the company now the "leading voice for defining deviancy down" because it is promoting behavior that just a generation ago was shameful and illegal.

Watch:

Ellen DeGeneres

“DeGeneres is not a true representation of the type of families that shop at their store,” says the group.

"Funny that J.C. Penney thinks hiring an open homosexual spokesperson will help their business when most of their customers are traditional families," the group wrote on its website.

"More sales will be lost than gained unless they replace their spokesperson quickly. Unless J.C. Penney decides to be neutral in the culture war, then their brand transformation will be unsuccessful."

In response to the attack launched on DeGeneres by the AFA, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) on Thursday launched an online campaign in her defense.

"While designated hate groups try to start 'culture wars,' it's clear that a vast majority of Americans today support Ellen as well as their LGBT friends and family members," said Herndon Graddick, a senior GLAAD official, in a statement

"Selecting an out performer who has inspired and entertained millions is not only a smart business practice, but a reflection of how LGBT Americans today are an integral and valued part of the fabric of our culture," Graddick said.

JC Penney officials indicated they would not surrender to the AFA's demands.

“We share the same fundamental values as Ellen,” noted the company's President, Michael Francis. “At J. C. Penney, we couldn't think of a better partner to help us put the fun back into the retail experience.”

Recently, openly gay actress and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres was named as special envoy to raise awareness about AIDS.

Janice Crouse

This decision was hailed in many circles. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton said DeGeneres will “bring her sharp wit and big heart, and her impressive TV audience and 8 million followers on Twitter” to support U.S. efforts to save the lives of those suffering from HIV/AIDS.

However to the folks on the right, particularly Janice Crouse of Concerned Women for America, the only thing that matters is that DeGeneres is a lesbian:

"She is openly lesbian and obviously is an activist on the issue of homosexual rights and has taken a very active role in pushing the homosexual agenda. So for her to be the person who's out front and the face of the Obama administration in the whole fight against AIDS I think is inappropriate," Crouse decides.

Does that even make any sense? Of course not. The only thing that matters to Crouse is that DeGeneres is a so-called "dirty lesbian" and will somehow taint the fight against AIDS.

The only thing that has tainted the fight against AIDS thus is ignorance and stigmatization - which is what Crouse is showing in spades.

But more than that, it amazes me how some in the religious right will push sexual orientation as a reason for people not being able to do their jobs. It wasn't that long ago when anti-gay activist Linda Harvey was telling parents to not allow their children to be treated by gay physicians.

It's fascinating when one looks at both cases and realizes the one thing that Crouse and Harvey vehemently opposes is the fact that these folks  - i.e. DeGeneres and gay physicians - are openly gay and unashamed.

I think that says more about the mindset of Crouse and Harvey than anything else.

About the Author:

Ellen DeGeneres

Clinton made the announcement during a major policy speech to the National Institutes of Health on HIV-AIDS issues, and in letter to DeGeneres, Clinton wrote:

“By lending us your energy, compassion, and star power to serve as our Special Envoy for Global AIDS Awareness, your words will encourage Americans in joining you to make their voices heard in our campaign to achieve an AIDS-free generation.

The enormous platform of your television show and your social media channels will enable you to reach millions of people with the strong and hopeful message that we can win this fight.”

U. S. Ambassador Eric Goosby, the United States Global AIDS Coordinator, who leads all U.S. Government international HIV/AIDS efforts noted that, "at this historic moment in our global fight against AIDS, we are thrilled that we have someone like Ellen DeGeneres on our team to raise awareness that we are on the path to beating this devastating disease."

"We at PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) look forward to working with her to deliver a positive and hopeful message that we can work together to put an end to AIDS.”

In response, the comedian and talk show host said Tuesday:

"I’m honored to have been chosen by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as Special Envoy for Global AIDS awareness. The fight against AIDS is something that has always been close to my heart."

"And I’m happy that I can use my platform to educate people and spread hope. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go look up what “envoy” means," DeGeneres said.

As a special envoy, DeGeneres will be able to utilize her celebrity status to raise awareness about the global fight against AIDS.

According to Warner Studios in Burbank who produces her daily talk show, DeGeneres reaches millions of people every day, including 8 million followers on Twitter and 5.8 million Facebook fans.

A spokesperson for the "Ellen" show told LGBTQ Nation that the Emmy award-winning entertainer is heavily involved in several humanitarian causes including prevention of bullying, animal rescue and rehabilitation, as well as raising breast cancer awareness.

DeGeneres has previously worked with the advocacy organization ONE to raise awareness about the fight against AIDS.

In her opening monologue, DeGeneres chastised critics for targeting Bono, who have said his appearance sends a bad message to kids.

"If you're going to talk about messages in reality television, there are a lot of other shows we should be talking about-- how about (MTV's) "Sixteen and Pregnant," "Teen Moms," how about those shows?" Ellen asked. "I'm more outraged by those shows than who tangos on Monday nights."

Watch:

Later in the show, Bono, 42, received a surprise phone call from his world-famous mother, who continues to express outrage over the criticism of Chaz' appearance on the dance competition show, and again slammed her son's critics:

“If you got that excess time and that amount of hostility, I’m not so sure that I can say anything to you that would make you change your feelings,” Cher said.

“Those are such feelings of hostility and fear, that I don’t know that I would have any magic words to make you feel more comfortable and to soothe you into not being terrified of my child dancing on “Dancing With The Fucking Stars.”

Watch:

Earlier this month, Fox News commentator Dr. Keith Albow warned parents not to let their children watch the show, and said "the last thing vulnerable children and adolescents need, as they wrestle with the normal process of establishing their identities, is to watch a captive crowd in a studio audience applaud on cue for someone whose search for an identity culminated with the removal of her breasts, the injection of steroids and, perhaps one day soon, the fashioning of a make-shift phallus to replace her vagina.”

The website OneMillionMoms.com said “Dancing With the Stars” has “spun out of control,” and called for a boycott of the series for casting Bono and openly gay performer Carson Kressley.

The new season of “Dancing With the Stars” premieres Sept. 19 on ABC.

"We need to start sending different messages to our kids," the First Lady said.

"First of all, we need to let them know that it does get better, that challenges they face for the few years that they're in high school or college, they can't let that eat them up, because all of these young people, regardless of their race, their sexual orientation, they are gifts to us, and they have so much to offer."

Watch:

Mrs. Obama said it's up to "the adults in the room to create the safe environment" and encourage their kids to speak out against bullying.

Zach gave an impassioned plea in support of marriage equality before state legislators on Jan. 31. His personal story of growing up with two mothers "lit up the internet" with more than 5 million views on YouTube.

The next day, the Iowa House passed the amendment, House Joint Resolution 6, by a vote of 62-37.

Appearing on "Ellen," Zach said: "The scary part about that ... for me is that they're lawmakers. They're supposed to protect us, not take our laws away."

Watch here:

Zach's speech also inspired Jean Argus, an 80-year-old Iowa grandmother to post her own YouTube video, speaking out on marriage equality, her gay son, his marriage, and her outrage over the effect the gay marriage debate is having on her and her family.

You can click here to watch Zach's full speech from the Iowa public forum.

And Jean Argus' video is here.

DeGeneres

According to Gary McCullough, the director of Christian Newswire, Idol‘s decline can be directly linked to DeGeneres, whom he describes as a "lesbian activist" whose "lesbian one-liners" are hurting the shows ratings.

Says McCullough:

At this moment in entertainment history, network television is on a pro-homosexuality bender.

The producers of American Idol chose to be a part of this push; it was a huge mistake. The consequences of this choice were a drop in market share and a reduction in advertising dollars.

While many entertainers who profess an alternate sexual lifestyle are individually accepted and enjoyed by the public -- when sexual behavior becomes their identifying trait in a specific broadcast, it limits the audience they will draw ...

There is of course the insane possibility that Hollywood will forsake ratings - and the dollars that follow - and continue down the path of change. Perhaps next we will see the pro-pedophilia group NAMBLA use its influence in Hollywood to have "Dancing with the Stars" seat Roman Polanski as a judge.

Yes, he just compared homosexuality to pedophilia and statutory rape.

Lest we forget that The Ellen DeGeneres Show, now in its 7th year, attracts an average 5.2 million viewers daily, making it one of the highest-rated daytime shows.

Ellen has openly referred to her wife Portia de Rossi on her show more than a few times -- to an audience of soccer moms who travel from all over the country and stand in line for hours hoping for seat in her studio.

And as for "Dancing With the Stars," -- which has scored some of its highest ratings ever this season -- the very openly gay Bruno Tonioli is already on the judges panel.

Do your homework, Gary.

DeGeneres

Ellen DeGeneres presented a $30,000 scholarship on behalf of Tonic.com Friday to a teenage lesbian whose high school prom was canceled when she asked to attend with a girl.

Constance McMillen, 18, appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to talk about her experience and at the end of the segment DeGeneres, who is a lesbian, presented her with the check to be used toward her college education.

"I admire you so much," DeGeneres told the high school senior from Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton, MS.

"When I was your age I never would have had the strength to do what you are doing."

Last week, the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit against the school after the school district decided to cancel this year’s prom rather than allow McMillen attend the dance with her girlfriend. McMillen also had asked to wear a tuxedo to the prom, but was told by the school that girls must wear gowns.

DeGeneres said she had offered to pay for a private prom for McMillen and her classmates, but McMillen said she wanted the school district to hold the dance.

The scholarship came from funds raised on Tonic.com and through an anonymous donor, as well as the website's founder.

Tonic also offered McMillen an internship, but no word yet whether McMillen has accepted the offer.

Here's a clip from Friday's Ellen broadcast:

"This is the smartest, kindest, most wonderful woman that you'll ever, ever know," Ellen gushed as she introduced her wife.

Speaking just a week following the defeat of Maine's gay marriage law, Degeneres commented on why same-sex marriage is such an important issue within the LGBT community.

"Anybody who's married knows there is a difference," said Degeneres. "It feels like you're home. There's an anchor, there's a safety. I'm going to be with her until the day I die and I know that."

DeGeneres and De Rossi are among the 18,000 same-sex couples who married in California before the passage of Proposition 8 last year, which overturned the state Supreme Court's ruling permitting same-sex marriage.

"She's my wife, I get to say that she's my wife and that's just the way it is," said Portia.

A long-running “inside joke” between American Idol stars Ryan Seacrest and Simon Cowell has come to an end, now that Ellen Degeneres has replaced Paula Abdul on the show.

Fans of the show know that there has been a weird, often inappropriate sexual tension between host Seacrest and judge Cowell for years, with Simon constantly cracking gay jokes. But according to sources, that’s about to change, because producers don’t want to offend Ellen.

Don’t expect to hear Simon Cowell needle Ryan Seacrest about being gay on “American Idol” this season, sources say.

“Idol” execs have warned both stars to cut out their usual gay banter when talk-show host Ellen Degeneres, who came out of the closet years ago, joins the series, insiders say.

Simon and Ryan have had their fun poking at each other’s sexuality for eight seasons now, even though neither one of them is gay.

“With an openly gay woman coming on board, an effort is being made to make her feel welcome,” a source divulged.

“Simon’s been told, and to a lesser extent Ryan too, that the act is played out anyway, so no more ribbing each other about being gay. The ‘Idol’ bosses don’t want it.”

In a heartbreaking interview, she shared what happened that day, and some of the progress made in the past 11 years since Matthew's death.

After the show, Ellen was so moved, she spoke to the audience. Watch the interview and Ellen's response here.