The Rise of Elliot Page

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All I want to do this week is write on Elliot Page. It’s also the last thing I want to do. Not because I don’t want to honor the Umbrella Academy star, who came out earlier this week as trans, but because that means talking about the fact that people – celebrities or otherwise – have yet to come out at all. That every time someone does, there’s a collective breath, anxiously waiting to see the reaction, to see if anything has changed.

Page, it seems, was prepared for it. Coming out on social media, the Oscar-nominated actor expressed his gratitude both for “coming to this place in my life” and for the support he has received, as well as for the work he has received. the trans community has accomplished to fight for equality. But, he added, “I’m also scared. I’m afraid of intrusiveness, hatred, “jokes” and violence. By sharing her true personality, Page is also opening up to a world of surveillance at a difficult time for everyone, and especially trans people. He noted in his post the amount of violence that trans people, especially those who are black and Latin, face and speak directly to transphobes, adding: “You are not ‘canceled’, you are doing harm. to people. I am one of those people and we will not be silent in the face of your attacks.

Perhaps that is why it is difficult to write. Any amount of ink spilled, regardless of its value, can cause negative reactions. Silence rarely helps anything, but it’s hard not to worry. The internet isn’t known for its general friendliness, after all, and a celebrity’s outing can often be proof of that.

After Page posted his post on Tuesday, the response was swift and mostly positive. At least at the beginning. On Instagram, everyone Large city stars Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson at Page’s Juno director Jason Reitman stepped in with his support. Just like the account for Umbrella Academy, who wrote “so proud of our superhero !! WE LOVE YOU ELLIOT !!! »On Twitter, Page’s X Men costar Patrick Stewart wrote, “I’m proud to be your friend” and fellow superhero Mark Ruffalo also offered his congratulations. Transgender activist Raquel Willis too expressed support, just like writer-actor Jen Richards. There were also, among over 45,000 responses, a variety of transphobic comments and arguments about identity and pronouns. But even these were largely rebuffed by other commentators coming to Page’s defense. They did the same when Conservative commentator Steven Crowder attempted to crack jokes at the actor’s expense.

Netflix revealed on Tuesday that Page will continue to play Vanya Hargreeves on Umbrella Academy, which is about to begin filming its third season. Vanya is a cisgender woman, but, sources say Variety there are currently no plans to change the character’s gender. The streaming service also said it is in the process of changing Page’s name in the metadata of all of its movies and shows.

It is unclear what goes beyond that for Page. Then again, we are in 2020 and what is happening to anyone is not clear. Over time, however, the actor’s brave move could inspire thousands, if not millions, and give Hollywood another immensely talented trans actor to hire. (Seriously, Elliot Page is an international treasure. Give him a thousand amazing roles to play.) Maybe that even means that one day people, not to mention actors, won’t even have to come out at all. Nothing will be presumed and everyone can tell you who they are as they see fit.