‘Juno’ and ‘Umbrella Academy’ Star Elliot Page Has Come Out As Transgender
By Lily Scheckner
By Lily Scheckner
In a passionate letter posted to social media on December 1st, Elliot Page came out as transgender. The actor, best known for his role as the snarky pregnant teenager in Juno, confirmed that they will use both he/him and they/them pronouns.
“I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey,” Elliot wrote. “I can’t begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self.” The letter, which now has over 3 million likes across various social media platforms, quickly gained national public attention and is still trending on Twitter. Many celebrities have come forward in support of Page, including several of his Umbrella Academy co-stars, such as Robert Sheehan and Emmy Raver-Lampman. This enthusiasm has been echoed by hundreds of thousands of fans, many of whom say they identify with Elliot’s coming out story.
Elliot took the opportunity to speak about the increasingly violent hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community. “The truth is, despite feeling profoundly happy right now and knowing how much privilege I carry, I am also scared,” Page wrote. “I’m scared of the invasiveness, the hate, the “jokes'' and of violence.” Indeed, Forbes reported that 350 transgender people were murdered in 2020, increasing almost 10% since last year. Shockingly, these deaths have rarely made news headlines, even when they were caused by something as horrific as being burned alive.
Elliot also spoke directly to the political leaders who have continued to turn a blind eye to this violence. “Enough is enough,” he wrote. “You aren’t being ‘cancelled,’ you are hurting people. I am one of those people and we won’t be silent in the face of your attacks.”
Elliot Page has starred in several prominent roles, including Juno, which earned him an Oscar nomination, Inception, and (most recently) The Umbrella Academy. This hit series, based off the comic books written by Gerard Way, reached 45 million views for the second season within the first month of its release, breaking several records. In November, Netflix confirmed that there will be a third season, leaving many fans wondering how the show’s writers will incorporate Elliot’s transition into the storyline. Some have argued that the role should be recast and played by a cisgender woman.
Despite this small controversy, Variety’s inside sources with Netflix have confirmed that Elliot will reprise his role as Vanya Harding, a violinist with amazing powers who feels estranged from her siblings. It is not yet known if Vanya’s gender identity in the show will change.
*This article was created using the GLAAD organization’s tip sheet for accurate and sensitive writing on this topic. Please feel free to check it out here.
“I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey,” Elliot wrote. “I can’t begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self.” The letter, which now has over 3 million likes across various social media platforms, quickly gained national public attention and is still trending on Twitter. Many celebrities have come forward in support of Page, including several of his Umbrella Academy co-stars, such as Robert Sheehan and Emmy Raver-Lampman. This enthusiasm has been echoed by hundreds of thousands of fans, many of whom say they identify with Elliot’s coming out story.
Elliot took the opportunity to speak about the increasingly violent hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community. “The truth is, despite feeling profoundly happy right now and knowing how much privilege I carry, I am also scared,” Page wrote. “I’m scared of the invasiveness, the hate, the “jokes'' and of violence.” Indeed, Forbes reported that 350 transgender people were murdered in 2020, increasing almost 10% since last year. Shockingly, these deaths have rarely made news headlines, even when they were caused by something as horrific as being burned alive.
Elliot also spoke directly to the political leaders who have continued to turn a blind eye to this violence. “Enough is enough,” he wrote. “You aren’t being ‘cancelled,’ you are hurting people. I am one of those people and we won’t be silent in the face of your attacks.”
Elliot Page has starred in several prominent roles, including Juno, which earned him an Oscar nomination, Inception, and (most recently) The Umbrella Academy. This hit series, based off the comic books written by Gerard Way, reached 45 million views for the second season within the first month of its release, breaking several records. In November, Netflix confirmed that there will be a third season, leaving many fans wondering how the show’s writers will incorporate Elliot’s transition into the storyline. Some have argued that the role should be recast and played by a cisgender woman.
Despite this small controversy, Variety’s inside sources with Netflix have confirmed that Elliot will reprise his role as Vanya Harding, a violinist with amazing powers who feels estranged from her siblings. It is not yet known if Vanya’s gender identity in the show will change.
*This article was created using the GLAAD organization’s tip sheet for accurate and sensitive writing on this topic. Please feel free to check it out here.