Elliot Page officially came out as a tramsgender, non-binary person yesterday.
The star of film and television programs such as X3: The Last Stand, The Umbrella Academy, Juno, and Super, uses the pronouns he/they, and utilized their announcement to spread important, yet frightening statistics about the transgender community.
Elliot Page’s Announcement
While Elliot Page’s newfound status as a celebrity whom people falling outside the traditional gender binary may look up to is wonderful, they are right to be concerned about the fall out. While our country is a far more progressive place than it was a few decades ago, the USA is not a place of consistent understanding and acceptance, particularly in regards to the LGBTQIA community.
There are countless dozens of people throughout this country who do not feel comfortable sharing their most authentic selves with the world for fear of judgement, misunderstanding, and harassment. As our NB hero Elliot stated, enough is enough.
Stand up for your neighbors, whether you “understand” their gender expression or not. Get educated, but more importantly, search your heart for love. Find love for everyone, regardless of how they live their lives, who they date, or how they choose to express themselves. There is beauty in each and every soul on this planet, and the sooner we, as a people come to realize that, the sooner those heartbreaking statistics will drop.
Why Elliot Page Matters To Me
Elliot Page’s announcement is the latest in an uplifting line of non-binary representation in entertainment news. Last month, famed comic book writer Grant Morrison came out as non-binary. Morrison uses they/them pronouns.
Just a few weeks ago, a new Flash character, Kid Quick, was announced for the upcoming DC event, Future State. Kid Quick is non-binary, and will first appear in “DC’S Very Merry Multiverse, out on December 8th.
In both cases, I desperately wanted to cover those stories but felt as though I could not and should not, as I had never came out. To cover those stories from my vantage point felt deceitful at worst, and seemingly disingenuous at best.
At the time, only my loving partner and a few of my closest friends knew that I identify as a non-binary person, and I was not ready to share that part of my identity with the whole world at that time. I am ready now.
Elliot Page Can Inspire Us All
My name is Corbin Shanklin, I am non-binary, and my pronouns are he/they. I am constantly learning more about myself, about gender, about this community, and most importantly, about love. If you are questioning your gender identity, or are not yet ready to share your most genuine self publicly, know this. You are loved, you are amazing, and you have a friend in me.
Every time that I go to rewatch Inception, or the adventures of Kitty Pryde in the X-Men franchise, I know I will feel joy for Elliot and for all of their fans across the globe.
Elliot Page will continue to portray the female character Vanya in The Umbrella Academy‘s third season coming to Netflix next year. Netflix is currently correcting all of the casting information on their service, changing Ellen to Elliot.
I sincerely hope that any and all of our transgender, non-binary, or otherwise gender non-conforming readers know that The Illuminerdi supports and accepts you exactly as you are. May we all find the strength, compassion, and bravery to stand with Elliot Page and this community, and never in opposition to them.
Source: Elliot Page
