I'm not even that sure where to start. Elliot Page coming out, I have goosebumps
just starting to talk about it, this is a really big deal for trans representation,
even for non-binary people. I'm gonna read what they wrote on their twitter, but I am so,
I'm like, I am so excited because this is a really big deal. If you haven't already heard,
Elliot Page has come out as trans. I first saw it on his Twitter. Quick disclaimer, I am not going
to be using Elliott Page's dead name. Not in this video, not ever. Elliot, and he/they. That's one
thing that you can do for a trans person today, and it's free, so. The last moment that I can
think of that really felt exciting and noteworthy in this kind of "celebrity representation" way is
Caitlyn Jenner. And no offense, but Caitlyn Jenner was neither the hero that we wanted,
nor needed. You may know Elliot Page from Umbrella Academy, Juno, I particularly loved them
in Inception, and X-men. He is really well-known, such a popular actor, and he's trans! This is,
I don't even know what to say about it, let's just dive right into what he said on twitter. Hi
friends, I want to share with you that I am trans and that my pronouns are he/they. HE!
THEY! I can't even tell you how happy this makes me. 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 also feel lucky to be at this
place in my life and get to be witnessing this moment for this person this is so important to me.
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. What a positive and wonderful message: I love myself so much that I am willing
to pursue authenticity in my identity. They're not doing this narrative of "I'm trans and I hate
myself," and instead they're presenting "I love myself enough to be honest about being trans." I'm
literally getting goosebumps. 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. This is another reason that this is such an important thing:
Elliot Page is an activist. Elliot Page came out as being a part of the lgbtq community in 2014
and since then I have seen them talking about trans representation, I have seen him
talking about environmental racism! This is not small. I also ask for patience. My joy is real
but it is also fragile. I'm... the amount that he is being vulnerable in this post. 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. I
think the order of words in this part of his post is very interesting. The invasiveness
is the number one thing, followed by the hate, then he says the "jokes," another huge problem,
cis people just want to make jokes, and of violence. Which is no small thing.
Trans women are being murdered at a rate that is wildly unacceptable especially Black trans women.
That is a problem that needs to be addressed. All trans people can rightly be afraid of violence,
but I find it so interesting but that's the fourth thing on a list of four. 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. I have goosebumps again, I have goosebumps again. This is exactly what
I was talking about. In their coming out, as a white person who knows about privilege, who has
already said the word privilege in this message, who has a position of power in our society,
they are choosing to use this moment to talk about Black and Latinx trans women being murdered. That
is the picture of what I'm hoping for from a person in his position with his privilege and
power when they are discussing being trans, or the reality of being trans. I don't want to put him
on a pedestal, but I'm legitimately excited that someone in the mainstream is saying words that I
would hope they would say in this situation. And it's not so much about Elliot the person, it's
more about this moment, this thing that he's doing for trans people. 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 toward 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. Enough is enough. 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. Oh, I just wish I could give him a hug. He didn't have to say that. He
didn't... I think one thing that kind of could get lost in this, is that he didn't have to say
these things. He is being extremely concise. He's being extremely direct, and he's saying people who
are spewing hate are specifically to blame. You have blood on your hands. Those words are chosen
so carefully. What he has done in this moment is relevant and will hopefully have positive effects
on trans representation, and on the quality of trans people's material lives. 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. This message that being trans is
about growing and thriving about loving yourself. Being trans is hard for me because of how society
makes me feel about myself, not because accepting myself as trans hurts. That feels fantastic. It's
the rest of it that's hard. 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. I actually feel hopeful
about this. I actually feel, I guess inspired might be the right word.This has the potential
to be a moment in time, a turning point. Elliot Page coming out has the potential to be
healing. It gives young trans people something maybe to aspire to, and it demonstrates for other
white trans people of means, that if you are trans and you are not using that as an
opportunity to highlight the issues of Black trans women Latinx trans women, and all trans
people who have mental health issues, then you're not using the full power of your privilege and
access to better your community. And I think that is the model that Elliot Page is presenting here,
not that he's the first to ever present it, but that's what he's saying: "I'm trans,
that means I love myself enough to be authentic, and it means that I'm going to stand up,
and I'm going to do anything I can to make the world a better place." And I... I'm really excited
to see what Elliot Page does to make the world a better place, and also what opportunities exist
for trans and non-binary people as a result of this moment in our history. If you enjoyed this
video, if you like content about gender, please subscribe. Leave a comment, maybe share it with
someone who doesn't understand the significance of this moment for trans representation. And if you
are able, please consider becoming a patron on Patreon. I will see you later, buh-bye!