Elliot Page is using his 'privilege and platform' to help support trans equality

Elliot Page opened up about coming out as transgender last year in his new Time magazine interview. This is The Umbrella Academy actor’s first interview since publicly announcing his new pronouns last December.

When the 34-year-old actor was asked how he’s been feeling since making the public announcement, Page said, “This feeling of true excitement and deep gratitude to have made it to this point in my life, mixed with a lot of fear and anxiety.”

Page knows the importance of being a trans person in the spotlight and wants to use his platform to help advocate for others and let them know they’re not alone. “Extremely influential people are spreading these myths and damaging rhetoric — every day you’re seeing our existence debated. Transgender people are so very real,” the Canadian actor said.

“My privilege has allowed me to have resources to get through and to be where I am today, and of course I want to use that privilege and platform to help in the ways I can,” Page added.

“We know who we are,” he said. “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.”

Page, who uses he/him and they/them pronouns (but for the purposes of the Time article, said "he/him is great"), also spoke about growing up feeling like a boy from an early age but said that he had “to look a certain way” in terms of his acting career, which began at the age of 10 in the TV movie Pit Pony. 

“I felt like a boy. I wanted to be a boy. I would ask my mom if I could be someday,” he recalled. “I just never recognized myself. For a long time I could not even look at a photo of myself.”

The Trailer Park Boys actor revealed that since coming out in December, he has had top surgery, which involves removing breast tissue. Page said that surgery helped him immensely, calling it  “not only life-changing but lifesaving.” Living a portion of his life being uncomfortable with his body, the surgery helped him to finally be able to recognize himself when looking in the mirror — something we all deserve.

He also credited the pandemic for helping him on his journey to fully becoming who he is today. “I had a lot of time on my own to really focus on things that I think, in so many ways, unconsciously, I was avoiding,” Page explained.

Page spoke about the difference between coming out as gay in 2014 before coming out as trans in 2020. “The difference in how I felt before coming out as gay to after was massive,” Page remembered. “But did the discomfort in my body ever go away? No, no, no, no.”

When it comes to his acting career, Page is excited to see the new opportunities for different roles that might come after sharing his transition news. According to Time, after coming out as trans,  "casting directors reached out to Page’s manager saying it would be an honor to cast Page in their next big movie."

“I’m really excited to act, now that I’m fully who I am, in this body,” Page, who is set to begin filming Season 3 of The Umbrella Academy this year, said. “No matter the challenges and difficult moments of this, nothing amounts to getting to feel how I feel now.”

Page shared his Time magazine cover on Instagram with an inspiring caption. "With deep respect for those who came before me, gratitude for those who have supported me and great concern for the generation of trans youth we must all protect, please join me and decry anti-trans legislation, hate and discrimination in all its forms," Page wrote, adding the hashtags #transgenderrrightsarehumanrights #protecttranskids.

We're excited to follow Elliot's career as he continues to advocate for trans rights.

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