US: Elliot Page exposes Hollywood homophobia in ‘Pageboy’
While it is objectively easier to be queer in Hollywood than in many other parts of the world where homosexuality is illegal, there is still more homophobia than one might suspect in the American entertainment industry. Elliot Page explores this topic in his new memoir, “Pageboy,” published June 6.
A Book of Resistance
Page, who started acting as a child and gained wide fame for his Oscar-nominated role in “Juno” (2007), was born on February 21, 1987. Assigned female at birth, he came out as a trans man in December 2020 Since then, the actor has used Instagram to document his transition and his activism for transgender rights.
“Writing a book has come up a few times over the years, but it never felt right and, frankly, it didn’t seem possible. I could barely sit still, let alone concentrate enough to complete such a task,” Page writes in the book’s introduction, explaining that for a long time all his mental energy was wasted trying to hide his discomfort. “Finally, I can be with myself, in this body.”
Noting that many books have helped him through tough times, or maybe even saved his life, he hopes his story can also help others “feel less alone” on their journey. Sharing a diversity of experiences “is an important step in resisting all those who want to make us invisible,” adds Page.
‘Simply existing’ felt overwhelming
Told in non-chronological order, Page’s story jumps back and forth between various phases of her life, depicting the atmosphere of movie sets, different “first time” experiences and relationships. It also explores his time growing up in Nova Scotia, Canada, in two different households – half with his overworked single mother and the other half with his father’s new family, which included two half-siblings and a tough stepmother for Page.
The recurring theme throughout the memoir is that Page was never completely comfortable in society, and that it took her a long time to fully realize that gender dysphoria was poisoning her life.
Source: DW
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