Elliot Page, a Canadian actor and producer probably best known for roles in Juno and The Umbrella Academy on Netflix, opened up about his personal journey and identity in his latest interview. Back in December 2020, Elliot, who is now 34,  came out as transgender in a wholehearted message on social media: “I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they, and my name is Elliot.” And so in February, he gave his first interview to Time and became the first openly trans man on its cover.

“With deep respect for those who came before me, gratitude for those who have supported me & great concern for the generation of trans youth we must all protect, please join me and decry anti-trans legislation, hate & discrimination in all its forms,” read Elliot’s tweet, along with the picture of the Time cover, and at this point, it has collected 545.1K likes and 67.8K retweets in unity.

More info: Time

Elliot Page gave his first public interview since coming out as a transgender man

Image credits: TheElliotPage

Elliot had always “wanted to be a boy” since early childhood and cutting his hair short at 9 years old finally meant that people started to see him more the way he saw himself. But as he became a professional actor, his hair had to be grown again so that it would “look a certain way.” Elliot admitted that throughout his career, for a long time, he couldn’t even look at photos—”I just never recognized myself”—and it was difficult to see himself in movies portraying more feminine roles.

He shared the cover of latest Time magazine and a message openly decrying trans discrimination

Image credits: TheElliotPage

The social acceptance of trans young people is probably at its peak at the moment. Recently, President Biden lifted the ban on transgender people in the military and Hollywood is witnessing more transgender roles, although friction in the government regarding gender identities remains, especially considering the anti-trans bills HB1/SB10 and HB391. Overall, Elliot anticipated love and hate surrounding his story, but was surprised by how many the message has reached and conversations it has started along with millions of likes and shares. The actor’s agent was contacted by casting directors saying that they would love to see him in future productions.

In December 2020, Elliot posted a message that he was coming out as trans and sparked an incredible reception

In Time’s interview Elliot shared his childhood experience: “I wanted to be a boy. I would ask my mom if I could be someday”

Image credits: TheElliotPage

Elliot said that actually understanding himself in all of the specifics of his identity is still a long ways away and perhaps it is harder to achieve it while being constantly in the spotlight. His position against violence and discrimination against trans people is very clear. “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,” Elliot stated as he received a lot of support.

“My privilege has allowed me to have resources to get through and to be where I am today”

Image credits: elliotpage

Image credits: TheElliotPage

Page advocates for people that are in a more complicated situation: “My privilege has allowed me to have resources to get through and to be where I am today,” Page said, “and of course I want to use that privilege and platform to help in the ways I can.”

“People cling to these firm ideas [about gender] because it makes people feel safe. But if we could just celebrate all the wonderful complexities of people, the world would be such a better place”

Image credits: Wikimedia Commons

And regardless of the obstacles, Elliot is at peace: “No matter the challenges and difficult moments of this, nothing amounts to getting to feel how I feel now”

Image credits: Wikimedia Commons

As for the future, the actor is currently filming the next season of The Umbrella Academy for Netflix. “I’m really excited to act, now that I’m fully who I am, in this body,” revealed Elliot. “No matter the challenges and difficult moments of this, nothing amounts to getting to feel how I feel now.”

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