DeGeneres thanks J.C. Penney, Bill O'Reilly

Ellen DeGeneres Wednesday used the bully pulpit of her talk show to thank J.C. Penney -- and Bill O'Reilly -- for their support in rejecting the demand of a group asking that she be dropped as the department chain's spokeswoman because she is gay.

"Normally I try not to pay attention to my haters, but this time, I'd like to talk about it cause my haters are my motivators," she said, adding: "This organization doesn't think that I should be the spokesperson because I'm gay. So for those of you just tuning in for the first time, it's true -- I'm gay."

The group -- a fairly obscure organization known as One Million Moms -- recently told members to call J.C. Penney to drop DeGeneres. On its Facebook page, the group describes itself as "an online activism campaign which gives mothers an impact with entertainment media decision-makers, and lets them know we are upset with the messages they are sending our children and the values being taught."

Penney ignored the group, although O'Reilly on Tuesday's edition of "The O'Reilly Factor" compared the group's demands to McCarthyism: "What is the difference between the McCarthy era communist blacklist in the '50s and the Million Moms saying, 'Hey, J.C. Penney and all you other stores, don't you hire any gay people. Don't you dare.' What is the difference?" he told a guest on the show.

On her show, DeGeneres added: "I want to be clear -- here are the values I stand for. Honesty, equality, kindness, compassion, treating people the way you want to be treated, and helping people in need. To me those are traditional values."