Elliot Page, Star of Umbrella Academy, Juno, Comes Out as Trans

The X-Men actor announced he had come into his authentic self via a heartfelt Instagram post.

Tracy E. Gilchrist

Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP of Editorial and Special Projects at equalpride. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.

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Tracy E. Gilchrist

December 01 2020 12:39 PM EST

May 31 2023 5:25 PM EST

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The star of the recent Juno, X-Men, and The Umbrella Academy, Elliot Page, came out as transgender in a heartfelt Instagram post in which he spoke of the joy of coming into his authentic self but also the staggering violence perpetrated against trans bodies.

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

"The truth is, despite feeling profoundly happy right now and knowing how much privilege I carry, I am also scared. I'm scared of the invasiveness, the hate, 'the jokes,' and of the violence..." Page wrote. "The discrimination towards trans people is rife, insidious, and cruel, resulting in horrific consequences. In 2020 alone, it has reported that at least 40 transgender people have been murdered, the majority of which were Black and Latinx trans women."

Page then called out political leaders who continue to spew hatred against and create unsafe spaces for trans people.

\u201c.@TheElliotPage has given us fantastic characters on-screen, and has been an outspoken advocate for all LGBTQ people. Elliot will now be an inspiration to countless trans and non-binary people. We celebrate him. All trans people deserve to be accepted. https://t.co/Ba7HOBgU5G\u201d
— GLAAD (@GLAAD) 1606842762

"Elliot Page has given us fantastic characters on-screen, and has been an outspoken advocate for all LGBTQ people," GLAAD Director of Transgender Media Nick Adams said. "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."