Ellen DeGeneres surprises lesbian couple after family refuses to join wedding

Being a part of the LGBTQ+ community isn't always about the pride marches and rainbow flags. Sometimes, it can be hard. Especially when your family isn't accepting of your gender or sexual identity. For Kate Austin and her fiancee Sarah Sulsenti from Philadelphia, such was the case. The couple got engaged to each other but Kate's side of the family refused to attend their wedding as they did not accept her daughter's sexuality. So who came to the rescue? Aunty Ellen, of course! When Kate tweeted to Ellen inviting her to the wedding, she didn't think it would work. But sure enough, Ellen responded to her tweet to confirm she would see the couple.

It all started when Kate took to Twitter on November 5 to post, "Hi Ellen! My parents aren’t going to attend my wedding because they don’t like that I’m gay! I need someone to walk me down the aisle and someone else for a “father/daughter” dance. Please come, my fiancee and I would cry." Now, Kate didn't exactly expect a reply (she tagged Chrissy Teigen, too), but then... Ellen did respond. Short and sweet, she replied on November 19, "See you tomorrow." And just like that, Kate and Sarah had a celebrity on their guest list. Sadly, Ellen couldn't be there for their big day, but she did have a special surprise in store.

However, shortly after, Kate tweeted, "Life is insane, guys. I’m so happy, I can’t stop crying." This time, they were happy tears. Other users on Twitter responded too, sharing messages of warmth, friendship, happiness, and hope. Kristian Haggerty, for instance, tweeted, "'All that matters in this life is love.' Kate and Sarah, I am so sorry for the intolerance you both are facing. Know that you are not alone and loved by so many, including me. Thank you for your remarkable courage and influence. Keep shining girls! We got you."

Now, for the surprise... Ellen invited Kate and Sarah onto The Ellen Show for the most amazing experience of their lives. The talk show host welcomed Kate and Sarah as well as their “chosen family” who love and cherish them so that the couple could have a chance to propose again surrounded by people who support them - no matter their sexuality. Because Kate got to propose the first time around, Sarah got down on one knee this time to confess her love for her soulmate. Following the adorable proposal, Kate told Ellen, "If it wasn’t for someone like you, I would have never had the courage to just go out there in public and propose to my fiancée. So many people don’t accept that. You paved the way for queer women everywhere." It's wonderful to know that no matter who you are, there's always someone out there who will love and support you for exactly who you are. I suppose it's a little bit more special to know that "someone" could be good ol' Ellen.