Divine cancellation.

For many religious conservatives, the end of Ellen is more than just a victory; it's the work of God

Gay men and lesbians may be holding a wake now that ABC has decided to cancel Ellen, but there's some snickering from the back rows. Among conservative activists the departure of the groundbreaking comedy--whose star, Ellen De Generes, and her character, Ellen Morgan, came out as lesbian last year--is cause for hosannas. After their embarrassment in March over American Airlines, in which they falsely claimed to have forced the carrier to change its pro-gay policies, religious conservatives see the demise of Ellen as a real victory and the answer to their prayers.

"[ABC] has finally succumbed to the financial pressures that were increasingly squeezing this television series that is barely clinging to the bottom rUng of the ratings ladder," said Richard Land, head of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, in a press release. "Ellen's insistence in giving a week-by-week, graphic depiction and description of the lead character's deviant sexual behavior has been rightly and roundly rejected by the American viewing public."

Calling the program "a freak show," the conservative group Accuracy in Media said in a statement that it was "ecstatic" at the cancellation and that "this is a great victory for decency. "

Gay activists, of course, don't see it that way. "What Ellen did in 1997 will be remembered as historic in our community," says Joan Garry, executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, a media watchdog group. "No one will ever take that away from her. The big message Ellen sent is that gays and lesbians are not peripheral characters and shouldn't be treated that way. No wonder the religious right found that problematic."

Still, the cancellation is extra sweet for religious conservatives because Ellen's network, ABC, is owned by the Walt Disney Co. Citing a variety of reasons, including Ellen and the company's pro-gay policies, Southern Baptists and other religious conservatives have been boycotting Disney for the past year. "This development should provide encouragement to those who are boycotting the Disney company for its promotion of the homosexual lifestyle," Accuracy in Media said in its statement.

"Disney is one of the leading promoters of the homosexual lifestyle, as well as the homosexual political and social agenda in America today," said Tim Wildmon, vice president of the American Family Association, a religious right group based in Tupelo, Miss., in a press release. Wildmon argues that the cancellation was inevitable. "Americans aren't homo-phobes, but they do want to protect their children from unnatural lifestyles," he claims. "Disney just didn't get it until they were slapped in the face with Ellen's dismal ratings."

Just as gay activists are lobbying the network to retain Ellen, religious conservatives have urged their followers to contact Disney. "Let them know that you affirm their decision to retire Ellen," the AFA said in an "alert" to its members. "Emphasize the negative impact which the show has had on you personally, and encourage them to be fair in their portrayal of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender characters in future programming. The truth is that hundreds of men and women are experiencing freedom from homosexuality through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord."

The glee of Ellen's opponents is tempered by the realization that they are still fighting the broader cultural war. "Despite this show's demise, experts suggest the Disney company is intent on pushing the sexual envelope in their television and cinematic productions," the Southern Baptist Convention said in a report.

Garry notes that the Right's claims of victory are ultimately hollow because Ellen is not disappearing; reruns will be syndicated on the Lifetime cable network. "She will again have the opportunity to reach new millions," Garry says.

Meanwhile, DeGeneres is caught in a war of words with her soon-to-be-former employer. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly DeGeneres said ABC gave in to pressure from conservatives and backed away from the sitcom. "They basically sabotaged the show," DeGeneres charged, adding, "I was fired basically because I'm gay." In response ABC president Bob Iger, as quoted in Newsweek magazine, said Ellen wasn't canned because of its star's sexuality but because "the character was gay every single week.... It was too much for people."