Ellen DeGeneres Named New Global AIDS Envoy

During her speech on AIDS Tuesday at the National Institutes of Health, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that TV star Ellen DeGeneres has been named a special envoy for global AIDS awareness. "Ellen is going to bring not only her sharp wit and her big heart, but her impressive TV audience and more than 8 million followers on Twitter to raise awareness and support for this effort," Clinton said. "I know we can look forward to many contributions from Ellen and her loyal fans across the globe." Ambassador Dr. Eric Goosby, chief of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, said the administration is "thrilled that we have someone like Ellen DeGeneres on our team to raise awareness that we are on the path to beating this devastating disease." In her response to the appointment, DeGeneres said, "The fight against AIDS is something that has always been close to my heart. And I'm happy that I can use my platform to educate people and spread hope. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go look up what 'envoy' means."

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