Betty DeGeneres | |
|---|---|
 DeGeneres in 2011 | |
| Born | Betty Jane Pfeffer May 20, 1930 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Occupation | Activist |
| Spouses | Elliott DeGeneres
(m. 1952; div. 1974)Roy Gruessendorf
(m. 1974; div. 1991) |
| Children | Vance DeGeneres (son) Ellen DeGeneres (daughter) |
| Relatives | Portia De Rossi (daughter-in-law) |
Betty Jane DeGeneres (née Pfeffer; born May 20, 1930) is an American LGBT rights activist.[1] Through her first marriage to her ex-husband Elliott DeGeneres, she is the mother of Ellen and Vance DeGeneres, and the mother-in-law of retired actress Portia De Rossi. She was the first straight spokeswoman for the Human Rights Campaign's National Coming Out Project[2] and an active member of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). She gained notability following her lesbian daughter Ellen's highly publicized coming out in 1997.[3]
- ^ "Mother of Comedian Ellen DeGeneres Is Dream Mom for Gays/Support for daughter leads to activism". SFGate. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- ^ "Yep, I'm an activist: Betty DeGeneres, Ellen's mom, agrees to serve as spokeswoman for HRC's coming-out project", The Advocate, October 28, 1997
- ^ "Betty DeGeneres". THE LAVENDER EFFECT®. January 24, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2017.