We loved Ellen Page as the rebellious pregnant teen in Juno. We loved her in X Men: The Last Stand. We love her even more now that she has declared her sexual orientation–on Valentine’s Day no less–to a standing ovation at the Human Right Campaign’s “Time To Thrive” conference for LGBT youth in Las Vegas.
“I’m here today because I am gay,” Page, 26, declared in her speech. “Maybe I can make a difference. To help others have an easier and more hopeful time. Regardless, for me, I feel a personal obligation and a social responsibility.”
The rising star sited Orange Is The New Black’s Laverne Cox and NFL hopeful Michael Sam as inspirations for her decision to confirm what had long been an open secret in Hollywood.
Juno
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GeriHew
Poor girl looks so nervous.
I hope she hasn’t swapped one closet for another because I think she’s bi.
northwest
Beautiful, moving speech. Awesome.
xcerpt
@GeriHew:
You believe you know her sexuality better than she does, then? You must not think she put much thought into this coming out speech.
I think you’re either a bisexual woman who believes all women are like you (and then you wonder why some L/Gs resent Bs), or you’re so ingrained in heterosexist culture that you bought those tabloid Skarsgaard/pregnancy rumors and you just can’t get over your perception of her being untrue. But that’s just what I “think”.
DShucking
Did she announce that she has Parkinsons?
DShucking
@xcerpt: Oh my god. Is she your sister or something?
watching1
xcerpt, I pretty much agree with you. Besides, it’s easier to sell being bi and not having doors shut in your face than selling being gay. Not by much, but TPB know it’s all about the viewers’ believing fantasy. Though I probably wouldn’t protest so strenuously on what you think GeriHew is about. 😉
But about the headline, wow, it’s a fucking big deal that she came out, regardless. But it’s even MORE important when it’s celebs we are pretty sure are in the closet. Especially those whom kids look to in any way, and she’s young enough that teenagers do. I think it’s more hurtful to watch someone not come out when you’re a queer teenager than it is to have no suspicion about them at all. I suspect Page knows this. It was an open rumor than she’d been toying with coming about before Alex, and it was disappointing to see her with him because she appeared to go back on that. I don’t doubt she got some feedback from fans about it.
Maybe it made no difference to her and she’d have come out anyway. But I do think it’s a bigger deal when it’s someone we’re already pretty sure is queer. Props where they’re due, please.
GeriHew
@xcerpt: Yes I am bisexual. And I think Ellen Page is too – I have done for years.
But after coming out like that I hope for her sake she is actually “gay” as in being “a lesbian”.
Cagnazzo82
Has anyone played the game ‘The Last of Us’ where one of the main characters has always been believed to be based off Ellen Page?
There’s a DLC that came out yesterday and well… Let’s just say the timing of the real Ellen Page’s coming out announcement couldn’t be any more eerily coincidental… Same exact day.
Perhaps the universe is working in odd ways on behalf of gays at the moment.
Interesting stuff.
whatamightygoodman
She also came out on SNL in 2008 😀 this is such a sweet skit http://www.thewrap.com/ellen-page-gay-lesbian-snl-sketch-2008
boring
@Cagnazzo82: Nope, but I did play Beyond: Two Souls which is a video game that actually DOES star Ellen Page.
Holy shit, why the fuck did I play Beyond: Two Souls.
Cam
@GeriHew:
Ahhh, the Bi-Natzi’s once again demanding that everybody is bi. Well, at least you’re predictable. Considering multiple female celebs have come out as “Bi”, most while dating or married to men, that would have been the easy route.
As for Ellen Page, congratulations! Nice to have more people coming out while their career is still going on. Can’t wait to see her next movie. 🙂
Queer Was Here
I loved watching her speech! Her struggling way of moving towards the big words is very recognizable, and makes it intimate in a sense. Her message about acceptance is simple, but to the point. Let’s welcome her as a new role model in the family!
Niall
Did anyone see the part where she talks about “lying by omission”? So many celebs could learn from that
watching1
Pretty sure she’s a lesbian. Knowing people who know her, at least. Doesn’t sound like she’s bi at all. And she would have been better off professionally if she had said that, so I don’t know why she’d say she’s gay if she’s bi. Plus, there’s Alex. Sorry Geri, I think you’re wrong on this one.
Cam
@Niall:
You said it!
Savage8862
This site is becoming just as cynical and mean-spirited as Perez Hilton website which I ditched years ago.
Cam
@Savage8862:
I Love random comments that won’t specify what has caused that response. There has been a straightforward report of Page coming out and mostly congratulatory commentary. Your issue with that is?
Maharajah
I knew it years ago, when I first met her. She is, in person, so very much like she is shown on film, young and shy yet capable of great strength and capacity. This is an evolution of her as a woman, as a Human and I can only say that she is an inspiration for living in the light and truth of being out. To her, here’s to finding greater love, acceptance and success in her future. Always was a fan, but now definitely a proud one.
Of pressing interest as well is that this jeopardizes another Hollywood actor’s closet as well because this revelation by what can now be deemed a beard, directly contradicts his stories. I wonder how Skarsgard is going to respond…
Savage8862
@Cam: I was referring to the headline for one: Juno Star Ellen Page Comes Out As Lesbian To No One’s Surprise as well as the “Bi” conversation for two, and the overall stories on this site.
Tracy Pope
Ellen Page’s speech was wonderful and whoever did or didn’t know before yesterday that she is gay doesn’t make her announcement any less important.
I’m glad she was brave enough to decide that taking a two step “I’m bi(not really, I’m gay)” approach wasn’t good enough..
TheNewEnergyDude
Way to go, Ellen!! Liked her before, and like her even more now. Excellent speech!
I was reading a news site that mentioned her coming out. There were quite a few comments with straight people saying “Who cares, I’m straight. You don’t hear me talking about it”. Much of Ms. Page’s speech could be applied to almost everyone and many situations, and those who do need to see it unfortunately won’t because they don’t realize how big a deal coming-out really is, even today.
To reiterate Ms. Page, thank you HRC, for truly making a difference in many lives.
hephaestion
I wish she’d now condemn the way her film “Juno” used the word “gay” as an insult. And it was the cool people in the film that did so, thus sending the message that it was fine to insult someone or something by calling it/him/her “gay.”
yesitsandrew
QUEERTY Comes Out As Bitchy Gay Stereotype To No One’s Surprise
yesitsandrew
Such a horrible headline to grab attention. Shame on you Queerty.
edwardnvirginia
EXCUSE US, for being simple working class people who were brave enough to be out years ago WITHOUT HOLLYWOOD SALARIES and PRIVILEGES, PERSONAL TRAINERS and AESTHETICIANS, MEDIA CONSULTANTS and PUBLICITY AGENTS?
WHY is this lady ALL OF A SUDDEN A ‘ROLE MODEL’?
AND therefore a role model for what?: that queers can come out when their RICH and/or PRIVILEGED and/or FAMOUS? Because that appears to be her motivation by citing to other celebrities.
We’re glad that she is able to ‘come out’, but we why she has done that as part of a publicity strategy, and apparently entirely clueless about the struggles and bravery of so many others with her celebrity, privilege, affluence, and power?
Cam
@Savage8862:
1. It’s not a surprise since it has been reported for years.
2. The “Bi” conversation? You mean somebody claiming that Page is somehow wrong and being taken to task for it? Perhaps a fainting couch would be in order.
TheNewEnergyDude
@edwardnvirginia: Jesus…bitter much? Sorry, but I just don’t agree, and quite frankly, your dismissiveness rubs me the wrong way. Just because she has more money than we do and is more well known we are, doesn’t mean she’s a human being. Considering she is probably under the microscope a lot more than we are, yeah, I would consider what she did pretty goddamn brave.
All of us should be able to remember how it felt before we came out. Even though we probably all did the research that we needed to do before we actually came out, where we heard things only get better after we come out, it was still so hard to believe that it would be like that for us after coming out. I can only imagine being a public figure would make it more frightening. It was frightening enough even with being just a regular person, and I’m sure a lot of other people out here could remember those feelings as well.
You need to step off and cut her some slack.
ted72
I’ve always liked her as an actor, now I respect her more so. I will watch her movies regardless.
Wingfield
Good for her. All those rumors and pictures of her with alex skarsgard. I wonder if they have a certain something in common. One can dream…
theundouchiestdouche
“To no one’s surprise”…
Not only was this surprisingly late to show up on Queerty given how quickly it spread on other sites, I’m annoyed that this is embedded between other news stories making it seem like it was posted earlier when it simply wasn’t.
And “to no one’s surprise,” I somehow missed the “to no one’s surprise” caption when Tom Daley came out. No one ‘deserves’ a “to no one’s surprise” caption, especially when they are making a statement for the better in their coming out and trying to make a difference.
Cam
@theundouchiestdouche:
It’s funny you said that because I saw it further down the page too and could have sworn it was not there before. You are right.
Why would Queerty not put it up as a recent post and instead drop it into the middle of the page? Doesn’t make sense.
sangsue
@Cam:
I’m a bi woman. And the chances that Ellen Page is bi instead of being a lesbian are slim at best. I’m not a BI-NAZI, but I’ve noticed that a lot of lesbians and gays hate bisexuals and claim we don’t exist. I’m attracted to men and women. Of course, there are people who just want women or just want men and I have no problem with them or assume they’re bi when they’re clearly not.
gauty
Woooow. You know what’s funny? there are more nasty, cynical and overall derisive comments to the news of her coming out on this site, than on any other mainstream site like Reddit or HuffPo (which are mainly frequented by non-LGBTQA folk). What a sad bunch you all are. Queerty is like the Youtube comments section of gay reporting.
GeriHew
@sangsue: I still think Ellen’s bi, but if she’s a lesbian I’m not bothered in the least because she’s clearly not biphobic.
As for Cam – I just feel sorry for him.
Cam
@sangsue:
Hi Sangsue,
By “Bi Natzi” I am referring to the people that come on here, attack gays, and claim basically that nobody is gay, everybody is bi, and that “Gay” or “Lesbian” doesn’t exist. It’s a small group, kind of like the weirdos that come on here and defend every right wing anti gay GOP congressman.
As for not believing Bi’s exist, I’ve met enough bi women, and well, fewer bi men, that I know you exist. 🙂
As for Geri, read your own comments before you feel sorry for anybody. Your desperation to claim that somebody is on “Your Team” speaks of some level of insecurity with your own self and sexuality it would seem.
GeriHew
@Cam: Your “Bi Natzi” jibe in this thread was clearly aimed at me and me only. And I don’t come on here and do any of the things you say these people do.
Peace out.
babybabybaby
What a surprised ….. yeah right…
Cam
@GeriHew:
No, what you did do was take a very impressive moment from Ms. Page and instead made it all about you claiming that basically she was lying and is really bi. That is exactly what those people do.
Niall
@GeriHew: You are(or rather your posts) the definition of ironic. I remember in another article how upset you seemed to be at people “thinking”/having a feeling that Tom Daley wasn’t into girls like he said, but 100% gay. You of course swooped in with a stick in your ass accusing all and sundry of biphobia and erasure. Now here you are in an article about a woman that has just come out as GAY, trying to affirm she actually is bi, because you some random person on the internet thinks so. See how ironic and hypocritical that is?
dougmc92
I had no idea she was gay- my gaydar must not extend to lesbians….I love how she said she was tired of ‘Lying by Omission’. So many celebs think that if the just keep mum, don’t say they’re str8, etc- they are fine/not hurting the community- but lying by omission is wrong. We’re at war- and conscientious objectors are not needed!
GeriHew
@Niall: So when someone comes out as bi, or in a way that suggests they not 100% gay, it’s perfectly fine for people to question that and say they think the person in question is really 100% gay?
But if someone comes out as gay, and someones says I think she’s bi but they hope she is actually a lesbian, that’s not fine?
?
Cam
@GeriHew:
Oh, are you pretending you never saw the actual discussions? What happens is, a nervous 18 year old will mumble that they are bi, and some gays on the site will make a comment like “Yeah, I did the same thing at first” and mentioning their own coming out experience. and then the bisexuals will foam at the mouth and condemn the posts as “BiPhobic” calling them all liars, and basically making themselves look foolish because the majority of folks on here either did the same thing or have friends that did.
In this instance is it as common for people to fully come out as lesbian and be lying because they are actually bi? Is that common? Do the majority of folks do that? No they don’t.
So if you are going to claim something is the same, please don’t try to alter the facts quite so much. Your comments did not mention any background or why you thought she was lying. Your statement had no background or history as context, because that isn’t what you do is it?
GeriHew
@Cam: I’ve seen the discussions. I know all the clichés.
Yes, it’s actually quite common for women to come out as gay/lesbian ( or apparently do so) and then later experience a change of identity. I know quite a few women who are clearly bisexual who identify as lesbian – all the time, most of the time, or just sometimes. I’d say that in some cases these women know they are not being entirely truthful and other times they don’t. Hence the term fluid sexuality.
If you want some examples of female celebrities who described themselves as gay and/or lesbian when they came out who have since changed sexual identity and had relationships with men:
Sheryl Swoopes
Sinéad O’Connor
Stephanie Adams
Clementine Ford
Jackie Clunes
Chirlane McCray
Holly Near
You may not have heard of all of them but they all have wikipedia pages. Clementine Ford’s page currently says she came out as bisexual in 2009. That’s not actually correct. She said she was gay in an interview with the Advocate. I think probably only two of them knew she was actually really bisexual at the time she came out. And one of those now says she’s straight and not bisexual -and no, she’s not some born-again Christian ex-gay nutcase.
I really don’t know why I think Ellen Page is bi. I’ve just always felt that about her since the rumours started going around about her 6 or 7 years ago. I honestly thought that when she finally came out that she would say she’s bisexual.
Niall
@GeriHew: Neither are okay, but you seem to have no problem proclaiming Ellen Page(who came out as gay) as bi based on solely your own convictions, but yet you took issue with the people who just like you were proclaiming Tom Daley(who came out as bi) as gay based on their own convictions. See how hypocritical you’re being?
GeriHew
@Niall: No. I’m not being hypocritical because I’ve said I hope she really is a lesbian.
Didn’t see anyone on Queerty say they think Tom Daley is gay but they hope he really is bisexual. And he didn’t say he was bisexual anyway. Just said he still fancies girls.