(Image Source: Ellen)

BY LAUREN ZIMA

Ellen DeGeneres took to her talk show to fire back at the group One Million Moms — a group that is protesting J.C. Penney making DeGeneres its new spokesperson. E! Online has the group’s statement.

“‘By jumping on the pro-gay bandwagon, JCPenney is attempting to gain a new target market and in the process will lose customers with traditional values that have been faithful to them over all these years,’ among other things.”

And here’s the response from DeGeneres.

“Being gay or pro gay is not a bandwagon. ... Here are the values I stand for. I stand for honesty, equality, kindness, compassion, treating people the way you want to be treated and helping those in need. To me, those are traditional values.”

DeGeneres also examined the One Million Moms Facebook page, where the statement was posted — noting the group only has about 40,000 members -- not 1 million. The Washington Post reports,

“As the comedienne pointed out, she had received an outpouring of support in the comments section on the One Million Moms’s Facebook page. DeGeneres was also defended by JC Penney, which said in a statement they ‘stand behind [the] partnership…’”

And in what Entertainment Weekly calls a “surprising move,” Fox News’ Bill O’ Reilly came to DeGeneres’ defense on his show, “The O’Reilly Factor.”

On the show, Fox News contributor Sandy Rios argued that spokespeople “stand for something” — so DeGeneres’ lifestyle is important. But O’Reilly called the One Million Moms campaign a “witch hunt,” comparing it to the McCarthy era.

“You don’t wanna shop there because you don’t believe the message they’re sending by hiring Ellen is a good message, more power to you. That’s your decision and your right as an American. But to come out and demand the woman be fired, that’s wrong.”