'A lot of people didn't think this show would work because I was openly gay, and you proved them wrong,' she said. 'I hope, like a little tiny egg that turns into a caterpillar that then turns into a cocoon that eventually, emerges and spreads its big gay butterfly wings.'Ĭoncluding her monologue, Ellen thanked her viewers, fans and audience for accepting her for who she is. 'I think about what the next 25 years will bring, and I hope that we keep evolving,' she said. The Emmy winner went on to share her hopes for the future of the LGBTQ+ community. 'So, it's been 25 years since my coming out episode, and the only time I'm in the closet now is when Portia and I play hide and seek,' Ellen joked, referring to her wife Portia De Rossi, whom she married in 2008 after same-sex marriage became legalized in California. The creator said she wasn't a lesbian, but good grief.' 'I didn't see a lot of people like me on television when I was a kid - Peppermint Patty of course,' she quipped, adding, 'As soon as I saw those sensible shoes, I knew. 'It really goes to show you how important it is to be your authentic self and how important it is to accept others as their authentic selves,' she continued. 'Actually, for exactly three years, I lost my career. 'When I came out, people warned me that it was going to ruin my career, and they were right for a while,' Ellen, 64, recalled on Thursday's episode.
