Melissa Etheridge Archives

Legendary rocker Melissa Etheridge has come away with a different opinion of pastor Rick Warren after speaking with him recently. President-elect Barack Obama has chosen the Orange County mega-pastor to deliver the invocation at his swearing, which has dismayed many Hollywood liberals. Previously, actor Alan Cumming had taken to HuffPo to voice his opinion.

Melissa also shared on HuffPo, “I received a call from Pastor Rick, and before I could say anything, he told me what a fan he was. He had most of my albums from the very first one. What? This didn’t sound like a gay hater, much less a preacher. He explained in very thoughtful words that as a Christian he believed in equal rights for everyone. He believed every loving relationship should have equal protection. He struggled with proposition 8 because he didn’t want to see marriage redefined as anything other than between a man and a woman. He said he regretted his choice of words in his video message to his congregation about proposition 8 when he mentioned pedophiles and those who commit incest. He said that in no way, is that how he thought about gays.”

13 of the world’s most renowned female singers pose with song creators/producers LA Reid and Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds at Fashion Rocks to sing “Just Stand Up!”, the worldwide charity single benefiting Stand Up 2 Cancer at Radio City Musical Hall in New York City on Friday.

Keyshia Cole, Leona Lewis, Fergie, Ciara, Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Mary J Blige, Rihanna, Carrie Underwood, Miley Cyrus, Ashanti, Nicole Scherzinger and Natasha Bedingfield are all decked out in their black Stand Up To Cancer t-shirts.

All three major TV networks, NBC, ABC and CBS will create a roadblock at 8pm EST on Friday to broadcast the event. Hosts include Halle Berry, Jessica Alba, Sheryl Crow, Charles Barkley and Melissa Etheridge.

“For the first time we can envision the possibility of stopping cancer in its tracks,” the group said in its mission statement. “But just when science is on the verge of giving us the breakthroughs that can end cancer, the will and the funding to do so are disappearing from the national agenda and from our collective consciousness.”

JUST STAND UP!

10+ pictures of the Just Stand Up 2 Cancer singing dream team… More Here! »

Check out the new all-star charity single “Just Stand Up” as recorded by 15 of the most well-known singers in anticipation of the Sept. 5 “Stand Up for Cancer” telethon.

The track, produced by Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds and L. A. Reid, starts off with solos by powerhouse singers Beyonce and Carrie Underwood. You’ll later hear Fergie, Leona Lewis and Mary J. Blige belt it out. Other vocalists include: Mariah Carey, Sheryl Crow, Rihanna, Melissa Etheridge, Miley Cyrus, Ashanti, Natasha Bedingfield, Keyshia Cole, Ciara and LeeAnn Rimes.

Listen to the single at FOXNews.com.

“Just Stand Up” officially debuts on iTunes on Sept. 2. For more info on the charity, visit StandUp2Cancer.org.

Celebrities are speaking out on the decision by the California Supreme Court to overturn the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. Here are just what a few of the he movers and shakers of the LGBT community had to say:

Ellen Degeneres: “I’m thrilled that the California supreme court overturned the ban on gay marriage. I can’t wait to get married. We all deserve the same rights, and I believe that someday we’ll look back on this and not allowing gays to marry will seem as absurd as not allowing women to vote. P.S. I’m registered at Crate & Barrel.”

T.R. Knight: “Our ‘certain inalienable rights’ are protected today. It makes me proud to live in a country that works to correct its sins.”

Melissa Etheridge: “I feel they have made an honest woman of me. What a wonderful blessing for us and the gay community. We’re moving forward. It makes me feel happy for the whole human race that we are finally getting out of our differences and coming together and we are putting this all behind us.”

Chad Allen: “I have to say I was completely shocked at the level of emotion of my own reaction. It’s not that I didn’t care, it’s just that I didn’t know that I cared that much… I’m thinking about getting married. I am in love with my partner, deeply madly in love with him, and though I am not ready to propose yet, it is in there.”

To read more celebrity reactions on California’s same-sex marriage ruling, visit Advocate.com.