Elliot Page reveals how he responds when people misgender him
Back in December 2020, the 37-year-old Umbrella Academy actor publicly came out as transgender in a heartfelt post shared on Instagram.
“Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot,” he penned. “I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer. And the more I hold myself close and fully embrace who I am, the more I dream, the more my heart grows and the more I thrive.”
The Juno star addressed the adversity and violence trans people face, and added: “To all the trans people who deal with harassment, self-loathing, abuse, and the threat of violence every day: I see you, I love you, and I will do everything I can to change this world for the better.”
The Academy Award nominee stars in Dominic Savage’s film Close to You, which follows his character Sam as he returns to his family home for the first time since his gender transition.
According to The Guardian, Page’s character corrects his onscreen mother, played by Wendy Crewson, when she misgenders him.
The publication asked the actor if that was a “genuine slip of the tongue,” and he responded that “it was,” and shared that he chooses not to dwell on being misgendered unless it’s intended to be hurtful.
“I feel weird because I get misgendered all the time, and I don’t care unless someone’s trying to…” he said, explaining that he “wouldn’t correct Wendy as me”.
“I’d be like: ‘It’s fine. We’re going to move on from the moment. It takes a second.’ But, you know, I’m not me. I’m Sam here. And that moment was so perfect because that’s what happens,” he added.
The actor also revealed that his own mother, Martha Philpotts, occasionally slips up with his pronouns, but it’s never an issue. “She’s pretty good. I’m like, ‘Of course, it’s going to take you a second, Mom. It’s fine. You don’t need to beat yourself up about it!’” he told the outlet.
It’s not the first time the Inception actor, who has been candid about the highs and lows of his gender journey in the last four years, has spoken about how he deals with being accidentally misgendered.
Speaking to Variety in September 2023, Page said: “In those situations, I know the intent of people close to me in my life who are wanting to get it right. If someone misgenders me, I don’t take it personally.
“When someone does go to apologize, it’s great. But let’s move on to the next moment in our interaction. Let’s move on before it turns into a bigger thing and becomes about the person who did the misgendering and turns into this whole other energy,” he continued. “These things take a second. It’s all good.”
The Canadian star also offered some wise advice to anyone who wants to be a better trans ally but is afraid of making mistakes.
“For me, it’s about people taking individual time to educate themselves,” he said. “There are a lot of resources out there to learn more about trans people and the reality of our experiences. A question isn’t always a negative thing, but there’s a time and place and context and tone.”
Close To You has been released in US and UK theatres.
