Elliot Page is well known for his role as Vanya Hargreeves in the Netflix show “The Umbrella Academy.” He is going to return to continue his role with the show for the third season with no intent to change the character of Vanya Hargreeves.

On December 1, actor Elliot Page came out as transgender, using the pronouns he/they. He announced it to the public with a post on his Twitter and Instagram, and has an overwhelming amount of support from his followers and other celebrities, including Miley Cyrus and Kate Mara.  In his coming out post, he also used his platform to educate people about the transgender community.

“The discrimination towards trans people is rife, insidous and crual, resulting in horrific consequences,” he said. 

He later goes on to explain some statistics in relation to the transgender community. 

“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,” Page said in his post. 

He continued to go on to talk about the criminalization of transgender healthcare and the hatred that community faces. In the past 5 years, over 155 transgender people have been murdered out of hate, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

Page’s coming out has made a major impact for the transgender and LGBTQ+ community. It showed that not every person has to figure themselves out early in life – it takes months or years. With having a person who has the eye of the media to come out as transgender, it has helped people have a better understanding that these type of changes are not a result of a phase, but a person finding what’s most comfortable for them.

A proper way to respect a person’s coming out is to start using their proper names and pronouns, such as “I really like Elliot Page, HE is a really talented actor.” If a slipup occurs, just correct the mistake and move on as smoothly as possible – attention doesn’t want to be drawn to it. It is also important to know if the person is okay with other people saying that they are trans, in order to not force the person into coming out. But in Elliot Page’s case, he made it public.

Respecting people’s pronouns and identity helps boost a person’s confidence and gives them the power to help others and has a positive impact on the trans community. When a person comes out as transgender, there are two outcomes that are most likley to happen. A person could receive support and love, or a person faces hate and disrespect. While most strive for the outcome of love and support, there are still people who will not fully understand, and it is important to educate these people. Page did this in his coming out post.

“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,” Elliot Page said on December 1 on his coming out post, via Instagram. 

The progression of today’s society is making the world a safer place for all. It needs to be accepted that everyone goes through changes in their life and it is socially accepted that everyone is different. These changes can happen early in life later on, but what is important is helping a person become their true self.