1. Betty Jane DeGeneres is an American LGBT rights activist.
17 Facts About Betty DeGeneres
1. 2.
Betty DeGeneres was the first straight spokeswoman for the Human Rights Campaign's National Coming Out Project and an active member of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.
3.
Betty DeGeneres gained notability following her lesbian daughter Ellen's highly publicized coming out in 1997.
4.
The youngest of three daughters, Betty DeGeneres was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1930, during the height of the Great Depression.
5.
Betty DeGeneres's father was German and her mother was Irish.
6.
Betty DeGeneres's sisters were not involved in day-to-day family life while DeGeneres was in her late teens, but the sisters did become close in adulthood.
7.
Betty DeGeneres attended Louisiana State University for two years, studying speech language pathology to become a speech therapist.
8.
Shortly afterwards, Betty DeGeneres married Roy Gruessendorf, who moved the family to Texas.
9.
Betty DeGeneres was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after her second marriage.
10.
Betty DeGeneres returned to LSU after the age of 50 to complete her master's degree in speech pathology.
11.
Betty DeGeneres is the author of two books: Love, Ellen: A Mother Daughter Journey and Just a mother.
12.
In Love, Ellen: A Mother Daughter Journey, Betty DeGeneres describes her reaction to her daughter coming out as a lesbian, and her path from passive acceptance to becoming a passionate advocate for LGBT rights.
13.
Betty DeGeneres describes the media scrutiny she received after Ellen came out.
14.
Betty DeGeneres wrote a column for the website PlanetOut called "Ask Betty".
15.
Betty DeGeneres appeared as an extra in the episode "The Puppy Episode" of the television sitcom Ellen, in which her daughter Ellen's character comes out.
16.
Betty DeGeneres appears in many episodes of The Ellen Betty DeGeneres Show, sitting in the audience.
17.
Betty DeGeneres survived breast cancer and has discussed this during public appearances.