and it coincided with ellen degeneres' own coming out, which was a brave thing to do when you're the lead of a sitcom. >> if it wasn't difficult, i would have done it a long time ago, and everybody else who's closeted who is in this business would do it. >> it really became a national event. >> that felt so great, and it felt so loud. >> she must have felt this huge relief. >> i mean, she was us. she was america, but she just was gay. >> but conservative and religious organizations objected to the idea of a gay person coming out on national television. >> oh, paige, you wild, impetuous fool. >> the abc sitcom "ellen" is being canceled just one year after the main character came out as a lesbian. >> in "entertainment weekly," you said you were dropped or fired basically because i'm gay. is that a correct quote? >> i believe that because the