On Friday, Ellen Page, best known as an actress in films such as Juno, Inception and Whip It, took the stage at the Human Rights Campaign as a keynote speaker for the LGBTQ-positive organization’s first-ever Time to THRIVE event. The Gala, a conference for LGBTQ-identified youth, was held in Las Vegas, with the aim of bringing together said youths and those who advocate for their rights.
Her speech was about eight minutes long and concentrated mainly on congratulating those who tirelessly give their time and energy to the Human Rights Campaign, giving hope to LGBTQ-identified youth who often feel like they have no one to turn to.
From her first words, it was obvious she was emotionally invested in the issues she was discussing, evident by the slight quake in her voice and fervor in her speech. Toward the end of the speech, according to Forbes, she paused slightly before stating, “I’m here today because I am gay. And because … maybe I can make a difference.”
Page came out in one of the most visible ways possible—but very much on her own terms. Though an SNL sketch from 2008, in which she portrays a woman questioning her sexuality after attending a Melissa Etheridge concert, had raised questions from the mass media about her sexual orientation, by and large, her personal preferences have stayed out of the spotlight.
Immediately following her announcement, amid claps and cheers from the audience, Page continued, saying she “was tired of lying by omission” and that she’d “suffered for years because [she] was scared to be out.”
Her story is, unfortunately, not unique. Ellen DeGeneres, now one of the most prominent openly gay media figures, kept her sexuality hidden for years and said she feared she would be unable to break into Hollywood if she was honest about who she was.
Similarly, Anderson Cooper, popular news anchor and investigative reporter for CNN, following years of rumors surrounding his sexuality, came out as gay July 2, 2012 and said, “being gay is a blessing.”
Still, he acknowledged that it makes him “sad and frustrated that anyone has to ‘come out’ at all.” He felt pressured to get to a certain place in his career before allowing people to know him as gay, proving that although we have made progress as a society in accepting people for who they are and the merits they have independently of whom they love, we have a long way to go.
For every person in the spotlight who makes the brave decision to be open about whom he or she is attracted, the more normalized it becomes. Forbes elaborated eloquently: “The more prominent people in film, sports and music who are open about their sexuality, the less stigma there will be for young people who are struggling with their sexual identity.”
For now, I join the Human Rights Campaign in congratulating Page on her brave decision to live her life openly. As more and more people come forth, society will begin to change. I can’t think of a more fitting sentiment to be expressed on Valentine’s Day. In Page’s words, “I’m standing here today with all of you on the other side of that pain, and I am young, yes, but what I have learned is that love, the beauty of it, the joy if it, yes, even the pain of it is the most incredible gift to give and to receive as a human being. And we deserve to experience love fully, equally, without shame and without compromise.”
Send your thoughts to Justine at technician-viewpoint@ncsu.edu.
