'Juno' star Elliot Page comes out as transgender --- another Shock of 2020

[truemate]

In a lengthy message to his social media followers on Tuesday, the Oscar-nominated star of Juno and Netflix's The Umbrella Academy Elliot Page came out as transgender.

 

“Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot," he wrote in a message posted on his Instagram and Twitter accounts. "I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life. I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey. I can’t begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self. I’ve been endlessly inspired by so many in the trans community. Thank you for your courage, your generosity and ceaselessly working to make this world a more inclusive and compassionate place. I will offer whatever support I can and continue to strive for a more loving and equal society.” This announcement makes Page the first trans actor nominated for an Oscar after Yance Ford, the director of the documentary Strong Island, became the first-ever transgender filmmaker to be nominated in 2018.

 

 

 

Page added that, “despite feeling profoundly happy right now and knowing how much privilege I carry, I am also scared. I'm scared of the invasiveness, the hate, the ‘jokes’ and the violence.” He goes on to highlight the alarming statistics of discrimination and violence against the trans community, writing that, “In 2020 alone it has been reported that at least 40 transgender people have been murdered, the majority of which were Black and Latinx trans women.” He also highlights the fact that 40% of trans adults report attempting suicide. So when it comes to celebrities with large platforms spewing anti-trans vitriol and politicians attempting to deny their right to exist, he says, “You have blood on your hands…Enough is enough. You aren't being ‘canceled,’ you are hurting people. I am one of those people and we won't be silent in the face of your attacks.”

 

He concluded, “I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer. And the more I hold myself close and fully embrace who I am, the more I dream, the more my heart grows and the more I thrive. To all the trans people who deal with harassment, self-loathing, abuse, and the threat of violence every day: I see you, I love you, and I will do everything I can to change this world for the better.”

 

Before coming out as trans, Page was one of the most high-profile queer people in Hollywood after coming out as gay in February 2014. In a speech delivered at Time to Thrive, a conference promoting the welfare of LGBTQ youth, he told the audience, “I'm here today because I am gay and because maybe I can make a difference, to help others have an easier and more hopeful time. Regardless, for me, I feel a personal obligation and a social responsibility. I am tired of hiding and I am tired of lying by omission. I suffered for years because I was scared to be out. My spirit suffered, my mental health suffered and my relationships suffered. And I'm standing here today, with all of you, on the other side of all that pain.”

 

 

https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/12/elliot-page-transgender-announcement