'Juno' and 'Umbrella Academy' star Elliot Page comes out as transgender

Academy Award-nominated actor Elliot Page, formerly known as Ellen Page, posted a gratitude-filled essay to social media coming out as transgender and non-binary, meaning that their gender identity is neither man nor woman. 

“Hi friends, 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. I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey. I can’t begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self. I’ve been endlessly inspired by so many in the trans community. Thank you for your courage, your generosity and ceaselessly working to make this world a more inclusive and compassionate place. I will offer whatever support I can and continue to strive for a more loving and equal society,” he wrote.

Page began hid career as a child actor before their breakout performances in “Hard Candy” and “Juno,” for which he earned an Academy Award nomination. He went on to write:

“I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer. And the more I hold myself close and fully embrace who I am, the more I dream, the more my heart grows and the more I thrive. To all the 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.” 

The announcement was welcome news for the LGBTQ community. Mariana Marroquin, the program manager for the Trans Wellness Center of the Los Angeles LGBTQ Center said such a high-profile addition to the community might help inspire others. 

“To be able to accomplish your goals just like Elliott - being someone that accomplished so many dreams and being able to say, ‘Yes, this is who I am.’ Elliott is not asking for anything from the world - Elliott is just showing who he is,” she said. “Moments like this are the moments where we are reminded that it’s worth it - we have a place in the world. We have a place in every single field that you can imagine, and I think that’s something that we share with our community; that they can celebrate someone who is brave and is telling the world - ‘this is who I am,’" she added. 

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