Talk Show Host/Producer/Spokesperson, 55

It’s hard to believe that it ever seemed exceptional to have a lesbian hosting a daytime TV show, but Ellen was a pioneer whose sheer force of charisma, wit, and charm has earned her an enduring place in the affections of America. In March she posted her own public brief to the Supreme Court to strike down California’s gay marriage ban, writing that she and her wife, Portia de Rossi were “just trying to find happiness in the bodies and minds we were given, like everyone else.” Amen, sister.

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