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‘Umbrella Academy’ and ‘Juno’ star Elliot Page comes out as transgender and non-binary

‘I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life.’

 

Michelle Jaworski

Internet Culture

Posted on Dec 1, 2020

Actor Elliot Page, who’s starred in Juno, the X-Men franchise, and Netflix’s Umbrella Academy, has announced that he is transgender and non-binary.

Page made the announcement in a lengthy note posted to social media that began with a simple message.

“Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot,” they wrote. “I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life.”

Page thanked the trans community for inspiring them and pledged to offer them support, but they also asked for patience. In his post, Page revealed some of his fears about being open about who he is. But he also highlighted the privilege he held as a white and trans and non-binary person and the disparity of violence that Black and Latinx trans women face while challenging the politicians who use their positions of power to attack trans people and push for policies that actively harm them.

“You aren’t being ‘canceled,’ you are hurting people,” Page said of these politicians. “I am one of those people and we won’t be silent in the face of your attacks.”

GLAAD applauded Page’s announcement and highlighted their advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community over the years.

“Elliot Page has given us fantastic characters on-screen, and has been an outspoken advocate for all LGBTQ people,” Nick Adams, GLAAD’s Director of Transgender Media, said in a statement. “He will now be an inspiration to countless trans and non-binary people. All transgender people deserve the chance to be ourselves and to be accepted for who we are. We celebrate the remarkable Elliot Page today.”

“I love that I am trans,” Page concluded. “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 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.”

Umbrella Academy, which is set to begin production on season three early next year, responded to Page’s announcement on Twitter, saying, “So proud of our superhero! WE LOVE YOU ELLIOT!!!”

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*First Published: Dec 1, 2020, 1:51 pm CST