Elliot Page has recalled the traumatic moment he was confronted by a stranger who threatened to “gay bash” him.
The Umbrella Academy star, who came out as transgender in 2020, revealed that he was walking from a hotel in Los Angeles to a cornershop when he was accosted by the furious man last year.
Reflecting on the terrifying encounter in his new memoir, Pageboy, he wrote that the man moved towards him and shouted: “I’m going to f***ing gay bash you, f*****.”
The 36-year-old detailed how he ran to the shop in a bid to find safety and was rushed inside by employees.
From the other side of the entrance, the man yelled: “This is why I need a gun!”
Page opened up about life in Los Angeles after transitioning and admitted that he no longer felt as safe as he once did.
He told the Los Angeles Times: “Now when I’m in Los Angeles, I don’t feel comfortable like I used to, going for walks.”
Despite his ordeal, Page stressed that there are other trans people who have it worse than him.
He added: “Doesn’t mean it’s not traumatic. But I have resources that, in every instance that is difficult, protect and can shield me from these things.”
Last month, the Hollywood star shared his gratitude “to be here and alive” after undergoing gender-affirming surgery and acknowledged that his experience as a trans man does not represent the reality of “most trans lives”.
He told People: “My experience as a trans person and this life I have, and the privilege I have does not represent the reality of most trans lives.”
Page is best-known for his Oscar-nominated role in 2007 coming-of-age drama Juno, and more recently for starring in Netflix series The Umbrella Academy.
He has also starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Cillian Murphy in Christopher Nolan’s 2010 film Inception and the X-Men series.
Page came out as gay in 2014 and was married to choreographer Emma Portner before they announced their divorce in January 2021.
