Elliot Page at the February 2019 premiere of “The Umbrella Academy”
The actor formerly known as Ellen Page came out on Instagram as transgender today in an essay in which he explained that “my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot.”
Page, 33, was nominated for an Oscar for their role in the movie Juno and now stars in the Netflix series Umbrella Academy.
Page wrote on Instagram, “I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life.”
Page went on to express “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 living and equal society.”
But Page also asked for patience as his journey continues, acknowledging that while his “joy is real, it is also fragile,” and that he is scared of “the invasiveness, the hate, the ‘jokes’ and of violence,” while pointing to statistics indicating at least 40 trans people — mostly Black and Latinx trans women — have been murdered this year.
To the “political leaders who work to criminalize trans health care and deny our right to exist and to all those with a massive platform who continue to spew hostility toward the trans community: You have blood on your hands,” Page wrote, citing statistics on suicide and attempted suicide among transgender adults. “Enough is enough. You aren’t being ‘cancelled,’ you are hurting people. I am one of those people, and we won’t be silent in the face of your attacks.”
He closed with a message to other 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.”
— Tammye Nash
