The groundbreaking trans actor has given early access to the first chapter of Pageboy to eager fans.
Two and a half years ago, the 36-year-old actor from The Umbrella Academy came out as a trans guy on Instagram, telling fans that he was “profoundly happy” to finally be himself.
In the months since, he’s been sure to document even the smallest transgender victories, including getting his passport photo updated.
Recently, he’s spoken out about how trans healthcare has changed his life, posting a shirtless photo and talking about how he can finally appreciate the little things.
He commented, “Soaking in the sun now feels so f*g good.” The happiness I now feel throughout my entire body is something I never imagined was possible.”
The star of Juno hasn’t had a completely smooth ride, though. In his first post after coming out, he expressed concern about the prejudice and violence trans people encounter and showed defiance toward the attempts of some right-wing politicians to make being transgender a crime.
He wrote an extended piece for Esquire last year on his struggles with gender identity and how being compelled to wear a dress for the Juno press tour almost “killed” him.
Now, in his much-anticipated memoir Pageboy: A Memoir, Elliot Page synthesizes and reflects on these events in one convenient package.
Page’s memoir will detail his challenges with his family, his romantic relationships, and his gender transition. The opening chapter reveals that this story is also about the key events that altered the course of his life.
In an excerpt from the opening chapter of Pageboy: A Memoir given exclusively to People, Elliot Page describes his life-altering first experience at a gay barcalled Reflections, when he kissed a woman named Paula and felt the “unbearable weight of self-disgust” momentarily dissipate.
“That time at Reflections was new for me, being in and experiencing a queer space,” the paragraph says. “Since I was a little girl, I felt like shame was being hammered into my bones, and it was corroding and poisoning me. But the happiness there elevated me, triggered a muscle response in my jaw, and kept my smile from wavering.”
Page talks about the moment he realized he wanted to kiss Paula as he watched her dance in front of him, which is a moment that many young LGBTQ+ people can relate to.
Page writes, “Then I did. In a queer bar” after he asks Paula for a kiss. In front of our neighbors and friends. I finally grasped the point of all those poems and saw their significance. Before, everything was icy, static, and devoid of feeling.
“Maybe for a second, I could allow myself pleasure … Here I was on the precipice. Getting closer to my desires, my dreams, me, without the unbearable weight of the self-disgust I’d carried for so long. But a lot can change in a few months. And in a few months, Juno would premiere.”
When asked by People about the excerpt, Page said that the first chapter just “came out” and he didn’t stop writing after that. He also discussed the book’s relevance in light of recent efforts by right-wing politicians in the US to restrict transgender people’s access to healthcare, sports, and bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity.
When Page added, “I think this period of not just hate, of course, but misinformation or just blatant lies about LGTBQ+ lives, about our healthcare, it felt like the right time,” she was speaking about the current political climate.
Pageboy: A Memoir will be published on June 6th.
Way to go Elliot! Here’s to being free and happy. What are your thoughts on the first chapter of his memoir. Go ahead and comment down below. Also, Sign-up to our newsletter if you found it entertaining. Have a great day!
