JC Penney made headlines after announcing its new retailing plans last week–which include a shop-in-shop concept, decreasing baseline pricing, and hiring Ellen DeGeneres as its spokesperson. And now JCP finds itself in the middle of a controversy, thanks to an anti-gay group who’s offended that the company chose to use the openly gay DeGeneres as a spokesperson, the Cut is reporting.

The conservative group, One Million Moms, posted a statement on its website denouncing the retailer. Take a deep breath, because its small-mindedness (like calling this issue a “culture war”) is going to really piss you off. Or at least it should:

Funny that JC Penney thinks hiring an open homosexual spokesperson will help their business when most of their customers are traditional families. More sales will be lost than gained unless they replace their spokesperson quickly. Unless JC Penney decides to be neutral in the culture war then their brand transformation will be unsuccessful.

Their marketing strategy is to help families shop and receive a good value for their money. Degeneres is not a true representation of the type of families that shop at their store. The majority of JC Penney shoppers will be offended and choose to no longer shop there. The small percentage of customers they are attempting to satisfy will not offset their loss in sales.

JC Penney has made a poor decision and must correct their mistake fast to retain loyal customers and not turn away potential new, conservative shoppers with the company’s new vision.

One Million Moms just updated their site, noting that they had attempted to contact JC Penney’s national office, only to be sent to voicemail, and even got “hung up on.” Good for you, JCP!

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) issued a statement yesterday, MSNBC is reporting. According to a GLAAD spokesperson:

“A vast majority of Americans today support Ellen as well as their LGBT friends and family members. Selecting an out performer who has inspired and entertained millions, is not only a smart business practice, but a reflection of how LGBT Americans today are an integral and valued part of the fabric of our culture.”

Allow us to rant for a moment here. Ellen is a pretty beloved figure on the American pop culture scene, and we actually can’t think of a more wholesome TV show than her daytime show. And shouldn’t moms be teaching their children tolerance about different lifestyles? (Ellen’s also been the face of CoverGirl for a while now, but no one has protested that. Maybe conservative moms don’t wear makeup.)

Are you offended by Ellen DeGeneres as a spokesperson or supportive of JC Penney for using her?