Elliot Page has spoken out against the “rhetoric and lies” that have been made about the transgender community.
The 36-year-old actor, who came out as transgender in 2020, spoke candidly about his transition journey on Wednesday’s episode of ITV’s Lorraine Kelly. During the conversation, Page expressed how he struggled with understanding his identity as a child, before defending transgender people from the ongoing scrutiny they face.
“I didn’t have examples. There wasn’t a conversation when I was growing up. I didn’t have language for it. And the reality is we [trans people] have been here forever, all around the world,” he said in the interview. “And all trans people want is to be able to exist and thrive and be able to live our lives fully.”
The Umbrella Academy star, added: “And unfortunately, we deal with so much anti-trans rhetoric and lies about our lives and also our healthcare.”
Throughout the last year, there have been different bills introduced that limit transgender people’s healthcare opportunities. In March, the governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp signed a bill that will ban most gender-affirming surgeries and hormone replacement therapies for transgender people under 18. Florida governor Ron DeSantis also issued a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for trans youth in the state, which Judge Hinkle partially struck down earlier this month.
Speaking to Lorraine Kelly, Page also acknowledged that while there’s a lot of hate towards the transgender community, he’s still at a point where he feels the most comfortable with himself.
“It is interesting to be in a place in my life I could’ve never imagined. So much of my life I found it very difficult to see a future,” he said. “And I feel the most embodied, and confident, and present and creative.”
Page continued to detail how his life has changed over the years, as he confessed that it once “would’ve been impossible” to “have the space in [his] mind to be creative”. He also noted that throughout all the backlash he’s faced, he’s still has a great support system.
“To be comfortable enough to sit with myself to even complete a task like this, like writing a book. So I feel so grateful for that,” the Juno star said. “And then, of course, there’s the backlash and that negative energy. For me, it’s really all about community and relying on my friends and my trans pals in the moments when times can be overwhelming.”
While he confessed that he’s had different “resources” that allowed him to get him “where [her] needs to be”, he acknowledged that these are opportunities that some transgender people haven’t been able to have.
“And so many individuals that sacrificed far more than me, who dealt with far more brutal realities than me, worked and fought so hard for me to be able to have this space to exist,” he explained. “And so I want to use my platform to help in whatever way is possible.”
Page sent a message to fellow members of the transgender community, adding: “I want everybody to expand and become their authentic selves, whatever that means for them. So I hope that the tide can continue to shift in a positive direction.”
In his new book, Pageboy, Page opened up about some of the scrutiny he faced, as he recalled a frightening transphobic encounter. He wrote that last year, he was walking from a hotel in Los Angeles to a local convenience store when he was confronted by a furious stranger.
“I’m going to f***ing gay bash you, f*****,” the man shouted at him. Page ran to the store where employees rushed him inside. From the other side of the entrance, the man apparently yelled: “This is why I need a gun!”
In a new interview with the Los Angeles Times, he said this experience impacted his everyday life: “Now when I’m in Los Angeles, I don’t feel comfortable like I used to, going for walks.”
Elliot Page publicly came out as transgender in December 2020. In a statement shared to his social media, he wrote: “Hi friends. I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they, and my name is Elliot.”
Since then, Page has remained open about his journey. In April 2021, he revealed that he underwent a “life-saving” top surgery, a procedure for transgender men to remove breast tissue. Speaking to Oprah Winfrey at the time, Page shared how happier he felt after having top surgery, and how important he believes it is to support health care for transgender people.
“I want people to know that not only has it been life changing for me, I do believe it is life-saving and it’s the case for so many people,” he said.
