Arts & Entertainment
Ellen DeGeneres surprises gay Georgetown University student kicked out by parents
The student’s crowd-funding campaign went viral
Seth Owen on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ (Screenshot via YouTube)
Ellen DeGeneres surprised Seth Owen, the high school valedictorian who was kicked out by his parents for being gay, with a hefty donation.
The 18-year-old student from Jacksonville, Fla. recounted to DeGeneres when his father found a picture of him and his first boyfriend on his phone. His parents sent him to conversion therapy in an attempt to change his sexual orientation.
“The dangerous part about that is, as a patient, I believed that this health care professional was doing what was best for me,” Owen said.
During his senior year in high school, a new pastor preaching anti-LGBT sermons joined his church.
“I asked to go to a different church, and they said that I would either have to go with them or move out. And so I decided that day that I had to move out,” Owen said.
Owen began couch surfing before eventually staying with his friend’s family. He says that he still keeps in contact with his parents because “they’re still my parents.”
In June, Owen was accepted into Georgetown University. Jane Martin, one of Owen’s high school teachers, launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $20,000 for his college education. The fundraiser surpassed the goal and raised $141,636. After he graduates, Owen says he plans to put the remaining funds into a scholarship for students in similar situations.
DeGeneres and Cheerios decided to kickstart the scholarship by donating $25,000.
Watch below.
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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