‘Umbrella Academy’ star Elliot Page announces he is transgender in powerful statement

“Umbrella Academy” star Elliot Page announced that he is transgender and his pronouns are he/they in a powerful statement shared Tuesday on social media.

Page, also known for his Oscar-nominated lead role in “Juno,” explained why he felt both “lucky” and “scared” to open up about his identity amid widespread discrimination and violence against the transgender community.

“I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey,” he wrote. “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.”

Later in his post, Page cited “staggering” statistics of violence against transgender people, more than one in four of whom “has faced a bias-driven assault, and rates are higher for trans women and trans people of color,” according to the National Center for Transgender Equality.

“My joy is real, but it is also fragile,” he continued. “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 violence.”

Upon his announcement, Page has received an outpouring of support from LGBTQ advocacy groups, including the TGI Justice Project, Lambda Legal and GLAAD, which praised the performer’s work, behind and in front of the camera.

“@TheElliotPage has given us fantastic characters on-screen, and has been an outspoken advocate for all LGBTQ people,” GLAAD posted on Twitter. “Elliot will now be an inspiration to countless trans and non-binary people. We celebrate him. All trans people deserve to be accepted.”

Also celebrating the news are several of Page’s entertainment peers, including comedian Kumail Nanjiani, singer Miley Cyrus, actress Ruby Rose, playwright Jeremy O. Harris, trailblazing trans actress Jen Richards and Page’s “Umbrella Academy” costar Justin H. Min, who tweeted, “welcome to the fam, Elliot.”

“I’ve been a fan of Elliot’s for a very long time and am excited to see him continue his fantastic work in the years to come,” Nanjiani wrote.

“Your heart has always been big and you’ve used your platform to show up for the entire community for years,” tweeted transgender-rights activist and writer Raquel Willis. “Thanks for the gift of your truth!”

Page’s wife, Canadian dancer Emma Portner, rallied behind her partner as well, writing on Instagram, “I am so proud of @elliotpage. Trans, queer and non-binary people are a gift to this world. I also ask for patience & privacy but that you join me in the fervent support of trans life every single day. Elliot’s existence is a gift in and of itself. Shine on sweet E. Love you so much.”

Read Page’s full announcement below.

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,” he wrote. “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.

I also ask for patience. My joy is real, but it is also fragile. 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 violence. To be clear, I am not trying to dampen a moment that is joyous and one that I celebrate, but I want to address the full picture. The statistics are staggering. The discrimination towards trans people is rife, insidious and cruel, resulting in horrific consequences. In 2020 alone it has been reported that at least 40 transgender people have been murdered, the majority of which were Black and Latinx trans women. To the political leaders who work to criminalize trans health care and deny our right to exist and to all of those with a massive platform who continue to spew hostility towards the trans community: you have blood on your hands. You unleash a fury of vile and demeaning rage that lands on the shoulders of the trans community, a community in which 40% of trans adults report attempting suicide. I am one of those people and we won’t be silent in the face of your attacks.

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 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.

Thank you for reading this.

All my love,
Elliot