During the opening of her talk-show on Wednesday, Ellen DeGeneres discussed Mississippi’s anti-LGBT law in a powerful monologue.
Mississippi’s “Religious Liberty” bill, which was signed into law last week by the state’s governor, allows discrimination against the LGBT community on the basis of religious freedom. Services ranging from marriage and adoption to employment and renting are allowed to be denied to the LGBT community.
“I’m not a political person, I’m really not, but this is not politics, this is human rights,” DeGeneres said. “And when I see something wrong I have to talk about it. It’s the same thing I do when I see men wearing spandex in line at Starbucks.”
Even though the Supreme Court legalized marriage for same-sex couples, DeGeneres noted how Mississippi “doesn’t second that emotion.”
By the end of the monologue, DeGeneres urges those who are dealing with discrimination laws in states like Mississippi to never lose hope.
“I was fired for being gay, and I know what it feels like,” DeGeneres said. “I lost everything, but look at me now. I could buy that governor’s mansion, flip it and make a $7 million profit.”
Watch the video below: