By .
Elliot Page is talking about the “ease” of coming out as a trans man.
The Canadian actor is on the new cover of People magazine, and in it he opens up about life after transitioning and “trans joy.”
READ MORE:
Elliot Page Is ‘Grateful To Be Here’ As He Opens Up ‘Difficult’ Transition Journey
“It definitely feels a way that I never thought I would get to feel, and that mostly manifests in how present I feel, the ease I feel and the ability to exist,” he says. “There’s been periods in my life where I really felt like I didn’t. So often it’s a lot more in the quiet moments. I think we talk about ‘trans joy’ and euphoria. So much of it is in the stillness. To have my shoulders back. I just was always kind of shut off, anxious. I used to never feel like my skin was my own.”
The 36-year-old also shares how important his transition has been for others in the trans community, particularly young people.
“When I’m walking down the street, and young people come up to me, it means the world to me,” Page says. “Them being themselves, having the courage to say, ‘This is who I am, and I’m gonna live authentically.’”
But Page also acknowledges that he has privileges that other members of the trans community unfortunately do not.
“The privilege I have, does not represent the reality of most trans lives,” he says. “The reality is trans people disproportionately are unemployed, disproportionately experience homelessness. Trans women of colour are being murdered. People are losing their healthcare.”
READ MORE:
Elliot Page Recalls Feeling ‘Self-Disgust’ During Bullying In The Presence Of Gender Dysphoria
Though Page admits that his own transition came with its own serious difficulties, adding, “I do feel like I barely made it in many ways.”
As for how he finds joy now, the actor says a lot of that comes from his friends and loved ones.
“It catches me by surprise sometimes. A friend will simply take a photo and then I get a glimpse, and it just sends this electric thrill through my body, this sort of spark,” Page says, “Because it’s funny—it’s seeing something new, but also not. I realize I look different to people now who’ve known me from before, but I’m thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, there’s that person I’ve seen but never thought I’d actually get to see.’”