In an exclusive interview with Esquire magazine, Elliot Page recalled the time when he crossed Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles and was yelled at by a "big dude" who threatened to kill and "gay bash" him.
The Umbrella Academy actor came out as transgender in December 2020.
But in addition to feeling the immense joy of publicly embracing his male identity, he subsequently became the target of transphobic hatred, "cruelty and vitriol."
Page said a guy who was "less than an arm's length away" started berating him on the one day he decided to leave his hotel.
The man called out to Page:
“f*ggot! Don’t look at me! You f*ggot, f*ggot!”
The Oscar-nominated actor said, "I couldn’t even just go, like, 'I’m not looking at you.'"
"I was just trying to cross the street, and I couldn’t because it was Sunset Boulevard and there’s traffic, so I decided in my brain—because he was so tall—that I couldn’t do anything physically."
"If I said something, he could retaliate. If I turned around, that could trigger something else."
"So I thought, 'I’m just going to have to bet on standing completely still and staring straight ahead'."
But the disturbing encounter didn't end there.
After the man yelled more gay slurs, he started walking away. But when Page started to cross the street, the man continued screaming at him from behind, yelling:
“I’m gonna kill you, you f'king f*ggot! I’m gonna kill you, you f'king f*ggot!"
"I’m gonna gay-bash you!”
Page said he ran.
"I was alone—I ran into a convenience store, and as I was opening the door he yelled, 'This is why I need a gun!'”
In regards to the things trans people face on a daily basis and being called "sensitive," Page said:
"Yeah, I don’t think people really get it."
When Page came out as gay in 2014, he said it was different.
"Transphobia is just so, so, so extreme," he said. "The hatred and the cruelty is so much more incessant."
He had discussed how living as the wrong gender had damaging effects on his life and mental health while in the spotlight.
During the 2007 premiere of Juno at the Toronto International Film Festival, he was told to wear a dress when he had planned to wear a suit.
“They had me wear a dress, and . . . that was that," recalled Page.
"And then all the Juno press, all the photo shoots—Michael Cera was in slacks and sneakers. I look back at the photos, and I’m like . . .?”
The LGBTQ+ advocate and activist continued:
"And it’s easy for people to roll their eyes, but you know what? No. That was really extremely, extremely f'ked up."
"I shouldn’t have to treat it like just this thing that happened—this somewhat normal thing. It’s like: No. Regardless of me being trans!"
"I’ve had people who’ve apologized about things: 'Sorry, I didn’t know, I didn’t know at the time.' It doesn’t matter! It doesn’t matter if I’m trans or cis."
"Lots of cis women dress how I dress. That has nothing to f'king do with it."
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