Elliot Page's authenticity 'will mean so much' to trans community, says Canada's Trudeau

OTTAWA: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday shared a heartwarming message for actor Elliot Page, who announced last night he was transgender, lauding his bravery and authenticity.

Justin Trudeau thanked Elliot — known for his roles in the X-Men series and Umbrella Academy — for sharing such a personal and delicate bit of information with his fans and admirers, saying he was grateful to the star for "speaking your truth".

"Your bravery and strength are inspiring, and your authenticity and vulnerability will mean so much to so many," the Canadian premier said on Twitter, in what comes as a major win for the transgender community.

"Sophie and I wish you the very best, and we send you - and the trans community - all our support," Justin Trudeau added.

Earlier, the 33-year-old Elliot had announced on social media that he was trans and his pronouns are he/they. The star 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.

Statistics of trans violence 'staggering'

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

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

However, he confessed to being scared of "the invasiveness, the hate, the 'jokes' and of violence".

In addition, Elliot Page also 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".