Ellen DeGeneres says she is "saddened beyond belief" by the passage of a constitutional amendment in California banning gay marriage. The talk show host said in a statement Wednesday to The Associated Press that she, "like millions of Americans, felt like we had taken a giant step toward equality" by electing Barack Obama as president. DeGeneres says that with the passage of California's Proposition 8, "we took a giant step away." DeGeneres wed actress Portia de Rossi in August, following a May Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage in California. She contributed $100,000 to fight the amendment on Tuesday's ballot. DeGeneres asserts she will "continue to speak out for equality for all of us."

Ellen DeGeneres: My Thoughts on This Historic Election
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 toward 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.

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