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Gender Hero: Elliot Page

Gender Hero: Elliot Page

William Schneider

Department of Psychology, Sinclair Community College

PSY2180: Psychology of Gender

Dr. H Pitsikalis

13 February 2022

Salam, M. (2020, December 1). Elliot Page, Oscar-nominated 'Juno' star, announces he is

transgender. The New York Times. Retrieved February 7, 2022, from

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/01/movies/elliot-page-transgender-juno.html
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Elliot Page is an actor from popular shows such as The Umbrella Academy and Tales of

the City. Elliot came out as transgender in December of 2020, and the media has deeply covered

his story. His pronouns are he/they, and his journey has been covered by news platforms such as

The New York Times and The Oprah Winfrey Network. In a letter written by Elliot on Instagram,

Elliot says, “I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me

along this journey.” He then asks for patience, stating that, “My joy is real, but it is also fragile.

The truth is, despite feeling profoundly happy . . . I am also scared.” Due to Elliot’s popularity

and the value of his entertainment, a formal “coming-out” probably seemed necessary for him.

Prior to coming out, a role in Juno led to extreme gender dysphoria, as the film's premise is

based on teenage girls and being pregnant. An article by The Wrap summarized an Oprah

Winfrey interview with Elliot discussing Juno and how it made him feel. “I felt like I almost

couldn’t express just the degree of pain that I was in.” In the same interview, Oprah discusses the

fact that not all transgender people choose to physically transition. Page, however, has been very

vocal and extensive in the sharing of his transition through social media. Page then discussed the

LGBTQ+ progression in Hollywood, stating that “There’s just so far to go,” he said — and

whether he ever felt typecast. “You would never ask a heterosexual actress that, as being

typecast as straight,” Page said. “Why would I not want to play those roles? Quite frankly, I

would be thrilled if it’s every role I ever played again.” (New York Times). Elliot not only speaks

out for himself, but for every trans and LGBTQ+ youth in the world.

For me, Elliot Page is an inspiration. Not only has Elliot been thrown into the public's eye

due to this coming out process, but Elliot has handled it with grace and poise. There is an

extreme societal impact that going through such an experience has. Page has forced the general

public to think about trans people and have some sort of understanding of what they are going
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through. I remember hearing Page’s name on the news every day, and slowly watching websites

and informational pages changing his pronouns from she/her to he/they. This made me think

about my personal gender identity. Watching an idol go through such a change in public is

extremely impactful for LGBTQ+ youth. If I were to have the opportunity to sit down with Elliot

and have a conversation, I would start off by asking how the general public has impacted his

transition and coming out. For me, coming out as gay was a fairly easy process; I told my family

first, and everyone else followed. There was no backlash or scrutiny. I cannot imagine the impact

that the public and media had on Elliot. To be such a massive public figure and go through a

personal change is significant. Societal change only starts when a public figure such as Page can

outwardly express their feelings and emotions about the truth. For our learning purposes, Page

falls under one of our first lessons about the LGBTQ+ community. Furthermore, Page falls under

our lessons about gender and the impact that it has on society.

Page has majorly impacted society in several different ways. The idea of a gender hero

can mean many different things to different people, and Elliot Page encapsulates the idea of a

gender hero for me. The ability to publicly come out and calmly handle all of the repercussions

associated with coming out is quite amazing. Elliot Page is an idol for many, and creates a

thought into the public's mind forcing them to consider the lives of trans and LGBTQ+ people.

Elliot Page is a gender hero unlike any other, and continues to make waves today.
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References

Amore, S. (2021, April 30). 5 highlights from Elliot Page's groundbreaking Oprah Winfrey

interview. TheWrap. Retrieved February 7, 2022, from https://www.thewrap.com/elliot-page-

oprah-winfrey-interview-highlights/

Salam, M. (2020, December 1). Elliot Page, Oscar-nominated 'Juno' star, announces he is

transgender. The New York Times. Retrieved February 7, 2022, from

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/01/movies/elliot-page-transgender-juno.html

Salam, M. (2020, December 1). Elliot Page, Oscar-nominated 'Juno' star, announces he is

transgender. The New York Times. Retrieved February 7, 2022, from

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/01/movies/elliot-page-transgender-juno.html