Ellen DeGeneres Responds to JC Penney Controversy (Video)

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Ellen DeGeneres has responded to a campaign by the conservative organization One Million Moms to have her fired as a spokesperson for JC Penney.

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In a pre-taped episode of her daytime talk show airing Wednesday, DeGeneres said the retail company did not cave to pressure from the group, an offshoot of the American Family Association.

"They wanted to get me fired and I am proud and happy to say JC Penney stuck by their decision to make me their spokesperson," she told her studio audience. "It's great news for me because I need some new crew socks, and I'm really gonna clean up with this discount."

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Last week, the (purportedly) One Million Moms issued a scathing statement on its website, saying: "Funny that JC Penney thinks hiring an open homosexual spokesperson will help their business when most of their customers are traditional families."

"DeGeneres is not a true representation of the type of families that shop at their store," the statement continued. "The majority of JC Penney shoppers will be offended and choose to no longer shop there."

DeGeneres said she would normally not pay attention to her "haters" but wanted to speak out this time; she read a statement from the group's Facebook page wherein it complained that Penney had "jumped on the pro-gay bandwagon."

Her response: "First of all, being gay or pro-gay is not a bandwagon. You don't get a free ride anywhere. There's no music, and occasionally we'll sing, 'We Are Family,' but that's about it."

DeGeneres said she stands for the traditional values of "honesty, equality, kindness, compassion, treating people the way you want to be treated and helping those in need."

She also addressed Tuesday's court ruling against Proposition 8 in California, saying: "I'm sure the people that oppose it will try to repeal it but it's a step in the right direction."

Watch the Ellen clip below.