The best Valentine’s Day surprise for some may have come in a small package in the shape of actress Ellen Page. The 26-year-old “tiny Canadian,” as she describes herself on Twitter, known for “Juno,” officially announced she’s gay at a Las Vegas event sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign on Friday.
Some may wonder why this is news; either because “My Ellen-Page gaydar has been going off since 2009,” or “It’s 2014. Isn’t everybody gay these days?” While I understand both of these reactions, it’s still a big deal for a celebrity to publicly come out.
Even though Page coming out was about as shocking as finding there is a long line at a campus Starbucks between class changes, it is still important for the LGBT community. And yes, even though it is 2014 and people have become more accepting of different sexualities, no, not everyone is gay. According to a 2012 Gallup poll, 3.4 percent of Americans identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, which, although a significant portion of the population, is still a minority.
Americans are also becoming more supportive. A 2013 Gallup poll found that 52 percent of Americans would vote for a federal law legalizing same-sex marriages in all 50 states, which has grown sharply from 32 percent who said the same in a 2004 ABC News/Washington Post poll. However, there are still many setbacks to equality. On Feb. 11, the Kansas House of Representatives approved a bill allowing anti-gay segregation. When passed, the law “will allow any individual, group, or private business to refuse to serve gay couple if ‘it would be contrary to their sincerely held religious beliefs,’” according to Slate magazine.
Yet, there has been progress. The attitude in Hollywood toward LGBT people has noticeably changed. When the dancing Ellen of talk-show fame came out 17 years ago, in April 1997, Degeneres’ award-winning sitcom was canceled within a year.
Now, Page’s announcement is somewhat softened by the recent “coming outs” of other actors such as Jim Parsons, Victor Garber and Zachary Quinto. Neil Patrick Harris’ sexual preference hasn’t kept him from becoming a star on “How I Met Your Mother” and grossing $15 million per season for the show. And Ellen Degeneres recently won her 14th People’s Choice Award.
Though the “star persona” is an influential part in which roles actors are cast, I doubt this announcement will hurt Page’s career.
However, some question whether Page was really brave for coming out. There are critiques like, “So, she’s gay? So what? That doesn’t mean she deserves a gold medal.”
Just because she came out in a more accepting atmosphere in front of LGBT youth at a Human Rights Campaign doesn’t make her any less brave. Sharing anything deeply personal about yourself warrants commendation, especially when you are in a position of power and you have the opportunity to inspire others.
Her coming out is not more important than anyone else’s, but it does have a wider effect. I’m proud of Page for using her position to create conversation and doing so in a very eloquent speech at that.
And like Page noted, she couldn’t have been standing on that stage delivering those words if it weren’t for all of the lesser-known, but just as notable, advocates behind the campaign.
[Lauren Adamson is a UF journalism junior. Her columns appear on Tuesdays. A version of this column ran on page 7 on 2/18/2014 under the headline "Ellen Page’s coming out sparks debate"]
