A significant suit. Elliot Page’s outfit to the Oscars meant a lot more to him than a simple tuxedo. The 35-year-old actor explained during an Instagram Live that the outfit was a manifestation of “trans joy.”
“I feel the best I’ve ever felt. I feel the way that I really never thought was possible,” the Juno star said during a discussion with trans activists Raquel Willis and Chase Strangio. “I know the challenges I’ve gone through and I know how difficult it has been for me. The enormous amount of privilege, the enormous amount of resources I’ve had absolutely, unequivocally saved my life — from therapy to surgery and so many things between.”
But having access to such privileges gave him the ability to experience “trans joy” on “such a core level.” He went onto explain that arriving at the Academy Awards in a tuxedo was one such manifestation.
“The degree now that I can feel present, simply that I can feel present in a space without this incessant underlying anxiety or some sort of feeling like I need to flee … more specific ways, it’s wearing a suit last night. All those things are really special, wonderful, joyful moments where you’re looking at a photograph and it’s really cool to see yourself for the first time — or the person you already saw but here they are, like, they’re f—king emerging.”
Page announced his new pronouns and new name in a December 2020 letter shared via Instagram. “I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey. I can’t being to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self,” he 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.”
He went to explain that he is asking for “patience” during this time, as he is also “scared” of the “invasiveness, hate, jokes and violence” that coincide with being trans.
In March 2021, the star gave his first interview since coming out to Time magazine, where he explained that the COVID-19 pandemic gave him the time to think about his identity. He also mentioned that undergoing top surgery “completely transformed” his life.
