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Trump supporters are giddy over the fact that Jussie Smollett was found guilty yesterday on five counts of disorderly conduct for filing a false report to Chicago police saying he was the victim of a hate crime. They’re so excited, it seems, that they’ve taken to deadnaming Elliot Page on Twitter for sport.
Related: Jussie Smollett is about to go through some things after yesterday’s guilty verdict
Shortly after the verdict was announced, the MAGA crowd began circulating old footage of Page talking to Stephen Colbert about bigotry in America, during which he mentioned Smollett. In addition sharing the video, many used Page’s deadname, causing it to briefly trend.
This clip of Ellen Page talking about Jussie got 19 million views https://t.co/vRf2s6AXwc
— MAGA Country Poso (@JackPosobiec) December 10, 2021
Per Wikipedia:
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Deadnaming is the use of the birth or other former name (i.e., a name that is “dead”) of a transgender or non-binary person without the person’s consent. Deadnaming may be accidental or used to intentionally dismiss, deny or reject a person’s gender identity.
Page’s interview with Colbert happened less than a week after Smollett reported the alleged attack, and long before anyone, including the police, had all the facts. Three years later, we know the complete story. It was wrong for Smollett to lie, but Page was right to believe him in that moment.
We’re not going to amplify the bigots deadnaming Page, but we will note that when his deadname started trending, people quickly stepped up to remedy the situation…
His name is Elliot Page.
— Sam ? (@MrsQueenBartley) December 10, 2021
"Ellen" Page is trending today because a bunch of simpletons think if Jussie made up a racist crime, real racist crimes dont happen. They use an Elliot Page clip just to get a twofer in & demean him with their transphobia. The deplorables are as lame as ever.
— Slartibartfast (@v3ronika9) December 10, 2021
Tweeting "Elliot Page" because "Elliot Page" is Elliot Page's name.
— Hunter Webb (@HunterWebb) December 10, 2021
It's Elliot Page because Elliot is his name; deadnaming is disgusting and transphobic.
— ???Dannie D??? (@DannieD01) December 10, 2021
Conservatives are resurrecting a clip of Elliot Page defending Jussie Smollett in 2019. They're not doing that with any other clip of any other celebrity defending him. Gosh, you know, I wonder…I wonder if they picked his clip because they want to bully a trans man. Thoughts?
— Alexis Vandom ????? (@VandomVA) December 10, 2021
Since he's trending, just gonna say that I think Elliot Page is hella sexy.
Like bonkers hot.
— Elizabeth C. McLaughlin (she/her) (@ECMcLaughlin) December 10, 2021
Not people on Twitter deadnaming Elliot Page AND missing the point. Your double whammy of bigotry makes for a good block list.
I am so furiously mad right now.
— Mxiety (@mxiety) December 10, 2021
I also hope Elliot Page has an absolutely wonderful day.
— Full of Frap (@FullofFrap) December 10, 2021
People are deadnaming Elliot Page over a clip where he defended Smollett when literally everyone was fooled by the faked hate crime. They are fucking scum.
— Josh Whelan (@matrixman124) December 10, 2021
Elliot Page is fucking awesome. It's a shame Twitter allowed his deadname to trend earlier.
But I'm posting with his real name, because lets keep that one on top.
— Erin, Trail Mom (@ErinInTheMorn) December 10, 2021
All the deadnaming happening to Elliot Page right now on this site feels so painful.Why are there so many people who make their hobby/past time causing pain
what is this sadistic place we call "social media"
I've never had to go through this, but I am so sorry for those that do
— Jessie (Stuff'n) Star (@JessieStarTF) December 10, 2021
Elliot Page appreciation post
— Derek Van Dyke (@DerbyCityDerek) December 10, 2021
The fact that people are deadnaming Page for sport is another sad consequence of Smollett’s actions, and an example of the ripple effect lying about hate crimes can have. It emboldens bigots, fueling their hatred, and giving them ammunition to use against other marginalized people. Still, the vast majority of people who report hate crimes are telling the truth and so it’s important to take all reports seriously.
Graham Gremore is the Features Editor and a Staff Writer at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
Hank31
Trans activists are constantly making up new rules for interacting with, or even talking about, them. “Deadnaming” is a term contrived by TRAs in recent years. It never used to be a problem for transes, who would casually and easily talk about their past lives and their prior names. It was understood that their pre-transition names are part of their lives and their reality and that it is not an attack or an insult to reference their actual prior name. TRAs changed this so that not only can we not refer to their birth names, but we have to pretend that their made-up trans name was always in place, as if it traveled back in time.
cliche guevara
Ahh…. the princess of Queerty is hysterical. Trans people have no impact on your live, your issues are in your head right? The discomfort you are feeling is called gender dysphoria… girl, embrace your gender and give up the self loathing.
radiooutmike
WTF is so difficult about it?
Sounds like you are upset about nothing. And unless you open up about some unkind or out-moded name/nickname you had; so we can call you by it…STFU!
Cam
Awwww, @Hank31, who obviously has some major unresolved gender issues comes on in hysterics any time a trans person is mentioned.
We get it, just like most rabid homophobes turn out to be self hating closet cases, you hate people like Elliott for doing what you’re too terrified to do, be themselves.
And by the way, your troll game is sad and weak.
Hank31
@radiooutmike Upset? Me? No. I think it’s transes who are upset about names. They are so upset that they claim they will commit suicide if people say their birth names.
Chase Strangio, a trans lawyer at the ACLU, tweeted that she sometimes fails to pay her bills b/c she doesn’t check the mailbox in her apartment. Why doesn’t she check her mail? Because she is worried that there may be some stray piece of mail which is addressed to her birth name. TRAs harm society and themselves with this endless BS.
Ken A.
She went by Ellen during that interview, not Elliot. So I don’t know what all the hoopla is about. Just more people pretending to be “WOKE” to make themselves feel better. This Smollett case is not unique. There have been other gays who faked gay bashing who didn’t suffer any repercussions so what makes this case so special? Other than crying wolf and losing his career. Giving us gays a black mark.
Ronbo
Anyone else notice that it’s not Elliot who is complaining? Some extremists just seem to WANT to fight and burn bridges.
Sqwoah
Don’t be surprised when the ghost of stupid things spoken in the past come back to haunt you.
Mister P
It’s all about manners. Is it so awful to be mannerly and nice?
Canadiancub
Ok one person dead named and it was on a repost that used the name “Ellen”. Like these aren’t the type of people who deserve the benefit of the doubt. But those are also not the type of people who keep up with who’s transitioning. I’ll never understand people getting all butthurt on the behalf of others. I’m sure Elliot is just fine chilling beside his private pool lmao
Hank31
She may or may not be chilling by a pool, but whereever she is, she is defo not fine.
Chrisk
Hank31
Damn you’re a nasty piece of work. Just STFU troll.
Ken A.
@ChrisK
Seriously? He disagrees with something, expresses his opinion on something, like you and everyone else and you call him a troll because he isn’t part of the Hive mind. One sad thing I’ve noticed about the community, is if people don’t believe exactly like everyone in the hive, the hive turns on them. Reminds me of North Korea or more or less evangelical Christians. This is a sad state that has happened to the community when we can’t just agree to disagree but instead destroy the one who disagrees. It doesn’t change anything btw, no one who got cancelled changed, JK Rowling still going strong,well, she’s much too powerful for cancel culture, Piers Morgan, didn’t stop him, and Ben Shapiro didn’t shut up.
ryeguypdx
But there’s a larger point here, and a more detailed reason that “MAGA” followers are “gleefully” reposting the footage. It shows how dumb our constant rush to judgement is, how immediately certain we become of our positions, and how intense the moral outrage that follows when anyone doesn’t see things our way. Our insistence that the rules we just made up be followed to the letter, or else it’s bigotry, everywhere, hatred everywhere. It’s just not…working. Smollet demonstrates it, Page’s response to Smollet demonstrates it, this article’s response to Twitter’s response to Page’s response demonstrates it. Everybody just needs to take a breath. The world doesn’t have to be on fire; we can drop the matches whenever we want.
Ronbo
This.
tallskin4
oh, it’s so utterly terrible all this deadnaming of the trans folks
We should be really, really grateful that all the trans folks in the US and particularly in Terf Island UK haven’t all committed suicide due to this ghastly transphobia. In fact I am surprised there are any trans folk still alive after all the sad suicides by trans folk.
On top of all the suicides, I am surprised any trans folk still live at all considering the hideously high trans murder rates! Murder rates higher than for any other group across the world. It’s depressing what poor trans folks have to endure with gangs of Terfs waiting to murder them.
LeBlevsez
Despite our many problems here in the U.S., we do have a continuing tradition of progress toward inclusion. It will eventually include parity for Trans people, Your personal contribution is likely nothing more than a jaunty hat and, if your post here is any indication, vapid attempts at irony that I can only assume are issued from twixt snaggled teeth.
Hank31
I assume this is sarcasm. The total number of transes murdered in the UK in the last 10 years is zero. In the US, there have been a couple of dozen per year and in the last few years it’s run at about 50 (compared to 16,000 for the population). It’s a lower murder rate than for the general population.
Meanwhile, no one knows what the homicide picture is for LGB people b/c no one cares enough to keep track. Our own organizations, which we founded and fund, spend their time on transgenderism and couldn’t care less about LGB homicides.
cliche guevara
Hey, 4skin is back from whatever rock it lives under. Remember when you made a bunch On nonsense claims about people and attributed them to a psychologist who never made them? That was pretty awesome I look forward to more of deranged clown show.
tallskin4
cliche guevara
Sorry, I fell asleep there. Did you say something interesting?
tallskin4
LeBlevsez
Blokes dressing up as women is a great kink I am sure
However, many of us don’t think cross dressing is a progressive cause at all, contrary to your assertion that it is. On the contrary we find it deeply reactionary buffalo dung.
cliche guevara
Well you certainly didn’t take you time away to work on your trolling game it’s a sad as ever.
tallskin4
cliche guevara
Oh you did say something! What was it again?
Ronbo
Has Quee.rty become a gated community with comments removed and moderated out of existence? We worked hard back and many died for representation; yet, now our own people are doing what we worked against. Graham, you are better than this.
Sqwoah
I don’t think he is
inbama
Actually, freedom of speech has improved on Queerty.
There’s none on the sister site LGBTQ Nation.