Betty DeGeneres
Betty DeGeneres | |
|---|---|
DeGeneres in 2011 | |
| Born | Betty Jane Pfeffer May 20, 1930 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active |
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| Spouses | Elliott DeGeneres
(m. 1952; div. 1974)Roy Gruessendorf
(m. 1974; div. 1991) |
| Children | Vance DeGeneres Ellen DeGeneres |
| Relatives | Portia de Rossi (daughter-in-law) |
Betty Jane DeGeneres (née Pfeffer; born May 20, 1930) is an American LGBT rights activist and former actress. Through her marriage to her first husband Elliott DeGeneres, she is the mother of Ellen and Vance DeGeneres, and the mother-in-law of retired actress Portia de Rossi. She 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 (PFLAG). She gained notability following her lesbian daughter Ellen's highly publicized coming out in 1997.