Ellen Page Comes Out: 'I Am Gay'
Juno star Ellen Page came out as a gay woman Friday at the Human Rights Campaign's THRIVE conference benefiting LGBTQ youth in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"I'm here today because I am gay," Page, 26, told the audience. "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."
She also said that she was "tired of lying" by staying silent on the rumors that have surrounded her sexual orientation.
"I also do it selfishly, because I am tired of hiding and I am 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 today, with all of you, on the other side of all that pain," she said. "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 to receive as a human being. And we deserve to experience love fully, equally, without shame and without compromise."
The Human Rights Campaign, which works for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equal rights, have already congratulated the Inception actress.
"Congratulations, @EllenPage for taking the steps to live openly and come out as lesbian. #comingout #timetoTHRIVE," the organization tweeted, along with a link to her full speech.
