Ellen Page came out Friday at the inaugural Time to Thrive Conference held by the Human Rights Campaign in Las Vegas. In a speech opening the conference, the former best actress nominee spoke about being a lesbian, publicly, for the first time.
Page came out in the middle of the speech which earned a standing ovation from the attendees.
In her remarks, Page says, “I am here today because I am gay. And because maybe I can make a difference to help others have an easier and more hopeful time. Regardless for me I feel a personal obligation and a social responsibility. I also do it selfishly because I’m tired of hiding. And I’m tired of lying by omission. I suffered for years because I was scared to be out. My spirit suffered. My mental health suffered and my relationships suffered and I’m standing here with all of you on the other side of this pain. And I am young, yes, but what I have learned is that love, the beauty of it, the joy of it and, yes, even the pain of it is the most incredible gift to give and receive as a human being.”
A few minutes earlier, the “Inception” and “Juno” star reflected on how difficult it is to be “authentic” as a working actress in Hollywood.
“It’s weird, because here I am, an actress, representing an industry that places crushing standards on all of us. And not just young people, but everyone. Standards of beauty, of a good life, of success. Standards that I hate to admit have affected me. You have ideas planted in your head. Thoughts you never had before. That tell you how you have to act. How you have to dress and who you have to be. And I have been trying to push back, to be authentic, to follow my heart, but it can be hard.”
The 26-year-old’s impassioned speech also served as a rallying cry for the young HRC attendees on hand to attend workshops on how to promote the “safety, inclusion and well-being for LGBTQ youth.” She finished by saying “Thank you. Thank you for inspiring me. Thank you for giving me hope. And please keep changing the world for people like me.”
Other notable names expected to speak during the conference this weekend include Chelsea Clinton, Magic and Cookie Johnson and Lance Bass.
It’s remarkable that in 2014, Page joins only her “X-Men” co-star Ian McKellen and Jodie Foster as the most prominent “out” actors working in the movie business.
Just yesterday it was announced Julianne Moore and Zach Galifianakis would join Page in the gay rights drama “Freeheld.” Page will be seen next reprising her role as Kitty Pryde in “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”
You can watch the entirety of Page’s moving speech in the video embedded at the bottom of this text.