Ellen DeGeneres laments gay marriage ban in Calif.

LOS ANGELES – Ellen DeGeneres says she is "saddened beyond belief" by the passage of a constitutional amendment in California banning gay marriage.

The talk show host said in a statement Wednesday to The Associated Press that she, "like millions of Americans, felt like we had taken a giant step toward equality" by electing Barack Obama as president.

DeGeneres says that with the passage of California's Proposition 8, "we took a giant step away."

DeGeneres wed actress Portia (POR'-shuh) de Rossi in August, following a May Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage in California.

She contributed $100,000 to fight the amendment on Tuesday's ballot.

DeGeneres asserts she will "continue to speak out for equality for all of us."