Oscar Nominee Elliot Page Announces He Is Transgender

Actor Elliot Page, who received an Oscar nomination for his performance in the 2007 film Juno, announced Tuesday that he is transgender. He posted a public letter on Twitter and Instagram:

"Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot. I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived in this place in my life."

The posts received expressions of support from hundreds of thousands of followers, on both platforms, within hours of publication.

"I can't begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self," Page wrote. "I've been endlessly inspired by so many in the trans community. Thank you for your courage, your generosity and ceaselessly working to make this world a more inclusive and compassionate place."

In Page's post, he asked "for patience. My joy is real, but it is also fragile."

"I am also scared," Page acknowledged. "The discrimination towards trans people is rife, insidious and cruel, resulting in horrific consequences."

His worries are not unfounded. Last month, the Human Rights Campaign reported that 37 transgender and gender non-conforming people were violently killed in 2020. More than any other year since the organization began monitoring data in 2013.

Page is one of an estimated 1.4 million transgender people in the United States. In his post, he promised to do his best in making the world a better place for the trans community.

"To all trans people who deal with harassment, self-loathing, abuse and the threat of violence every day: I see you," Page wrote. "I love you and I will do everything I can to change this world for the better."

Dustin Jones is an intern on NPR's News Desk. [Copyright 2020 NPR]