Elliot Page of 'Umbrella Academy', 'Juno' fame announces he's transgender

Elliot Page, known for his roles in Umbrella Academy and the X-Men series, has announced that he's transgender in what comes as a major win for the non-binary community.

"Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot," the 33-year-old Elliot Page said on his social media accounts.

"I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life," he said further, adding that it was "remarkable ... to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self."

Formerly known as Ellen Page, Elliot was assigned female at birth — or AFAB — and describes himself as transgender and non-binary, meaning that their gender identity is neither man nor woman.

In his announcement today, the actor expressed gratitude to the trans community for feeling "endlessly inspired by so many" and for "ceaselessly working to make this world a more inclusive and compassionate place."

Trans violence

However, Elliot Page emphasised that despite being a happy moment, he felt his joy was "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," he stressed.

The Canadian star made use of his announcement to highlight the importance of transgender rights, the plight of the queer and non-binary communities, and the violence against the transgender folks, terming the statistics as "staggering".

"The discrimination towards trans people is rife, insidious and cruel, resulting in horrific consequences," he said, urging politicians and leaders working to legislate against the transgender community to be more responsible.

"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. 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," the actor wrote.

'I see you, I love you'

Elliot Page also shared support and solidarity to all his fellow non-binary and transgender people who were struggling, intimidated, and harassed.

"I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer," he said. "I see you, I love you and I will do everything I can to change this world for the better," he wrote in his message to the trans community.

Page began acting at the age of 10 and has appeared in films such as Juno, X-Men: The Last Stand, Inception, and X-Men: Days of Future Past. He married dancer-choreographer Emma Portner in 2018.

Moments after Elliot Page announced his new name, congratulations and praise began to pour in. His posts on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook garnered 1.34 million, 935,000, and 91,000 'likes', respectively.

Congratulations pour in

Portner, his partner, was among the first people to congratulate him, saying she was "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," she wrote, saying Elliot’s existence was "a gift in and of itself."

The official account of streaming service Netflix lauded him, saying they were "so proud of our superhero!"

"WE LOVE YOU ELLIOT," said the Umbrella Academy team.

Actress Anna Kendrick said his words were "so beautiful and so eloquent."

"He is reminding me that we can all be brave and joyful, even when things are scary," Kendrick added.

A friend shared how Page was there for their transition and that "i’m proud that i could be there for you too."

Others urged people not to deadname Elliot Page and to refrain from transphobia. Deadnaming is when people refer to a person, who has announced their new name after explaining that they are transgender, by their birth name.

GLAAD, an American NGO, shared "a tip sheet for journalists who are writing about Elliot Page today."

Someone said Elliot Page's announcement would help transgender people who have not come out yet to gauge how their families felt about them.

Another person pointed out how Elliot's coming out has stirred quite an interesting and wholesome exchange on Twitter.

Page "making the world safer for trans people today than it was yesterday," said one user.

And finally, how to remind someone of who Elliot Page is if they get confused: