Yahoo Sports Elliot Page: A-List Actor Said ‘I’m Going to F*ck You to Make You Realize You Aren’t Gay’
Elliot Page is pulling back the curtain on homophobia in Hollywood.
Page, who came out as a trans man in 2020 after identifying as a lesbian, detailed a verbal assault in 2014 by an unnamed male actor in his memoir, “Pageboy.” As part of a chapter titled “Famous Asshole at Party,” as excerpted by People magazine, Page wrote about being at a birthday party in Los Angeles where an “acquaintance” questioned his sexuality.
More from IndieWire
Billy Eichner Praises 'Sex and the City' for 'More Authentic' and 'Radical' Portrayals of Gay Men
Elliot Page Felt Like He Didn't 'Exist' Before Transitioning
“You aren’t gay. That doesn’t exist. You are just afraid of men,” the actor told Page, adding, “I’m going to fuck you to make you realize you aren’t gay.”
Page recalled seeing the male actor at the gym a few days later, where he said, “I don’t have a problem with gay people I swear.”
The “Juno” actor added, “I’ve had some version of that happen many times throughout my life. A lot of queer and trans people deal with it incessantly. These moments that we often like don’t talk about or we’re supposed to just brush off, when actually it’s very awful. I put that story in the book because it’s about highlighting the reality, the shit we deal with and what gets sent to us constantly, particularly in environments that are predominantly cis and heterosexual. How we navigate that world where you either have more extreme, overt moments like that. Or you have the more, like, subtle jokes.”
Page continued, “[In Hollywood] these are very powerful people. They’re the ones choosing what stories are being told and creating content for people to see all around the world.”
He summed up, “I’m purposely not sharing his name. But he will hear about this and know it’s him.”
Page recently opened up about feeling like he didn’t “exist” prior to transitioning.
“I realize I look different to people now who’ve known me from before, but I’m thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, there’s that person I’ve seen but never thought I’d actually get to see.’ It catches me by surprise sometimes,” Page said. “A friend will simply take a photo and then I get a glimpse, and it just sends this electric thrill through my body, this sort of spark. Because it’s funny — it’s seeing something new, but also not.”
He concluded, “I do feel like I barely made it in many ways.”
Best of IndieWire
Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
