Vice President Al Gore praised Hollywood on Thursday for producing the openly lesbian TV character “Ellen,” saying she has forced Americans to “look at sexual orientation in a more open light.”

The title character in ABC’s sitcom “Ellen” told her friends and family last season that she is gay. The star’s show, comedian Ellen DeGeneres, made her homosexuality public about the same time.

In a speech to the Hollywood Radio and Television Society, Gore singled out TV shows and characters for their contributions to society.