In last night’s Saturday Night Live spoof of CNN’s Equality Town hall, Ellen DeGeneres was skewered for going to a football game with former US president George W Bush.
Comedian Colin Jost, who was playing gay Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg in the SNL sketch, was asked by an audience member how he would respond to those “who would say you’re not gay in the right way”.
Jost replied, “There’s no wrong way to be gay. Unless you’re Ellen this week.”
People were critical of Ellen after she was photographed joking around with ex-president George W Bush at a football game.
DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, were filmed exchanging words with the Republican and former first lady Laura Bush in the VIP stand at the 7 October NFL game between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers.
The clip went down badly online, with people angry at DeGeneres for being civil with Bush, given his anti-LGBT+ politics.
As president, Bush made a failed push for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex couples from marrying, and spent eight years defending the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy that banned gay people from serving in the armed forces.
Ellen later defended herself, calling for people to show “kindness” to those with different views and saying Bush is her “friend”.
In the 13 October SNL segment, which was emceed by Pose star Billy Porter, Kate McKinnon reprised her role as Elizabeth Warren.
“Warren-ing! Warren-ing!” Porter said, announcing McKinnon’s entrance. “She’s got a plan for the future! It’s Elizabeth Warren!”
“Y’all know I’m not a lesbian,” McKinnon said, “but all the ingredients are there.”
“Let’s say you’re on the campaign trail,” an audience member asks. “How would you respond if someone said to you, ‘I’m old fashioned and my faith teaches me that marriage is between one man and one woman’?”
“Look, I’m going to assume it’s a guy asking,” McKinnon replies, referencing Warren’s response to the same question at the CNN LGBT_ town hall.
“Oh snap, the library’s open and Miss Thing is about to get read!” Porter said.