Warning: This article talks about sexual assault and traumatic experiences.
Anyone who missed out on The Umbrella Academy season three needs to watch the Netflix series just to witness the sensitivity and tact with which the story deals with Elliot Page’s transition from Vanya to Viktor Hargreeves without exaggerating or treating it lightly. Sadly, this prime example of acceptance and inclusivity doesn’t extend to the entirety of Hollywood as the actor was openly threatened with sexual assault by an A-lister two months after he came out.
In his upcoming memoir Pageboy, Page has recalled (via People) how this actor first verbally assaulted him during a party back in 2014. This actor, whom Page chooses to simply label as an “acquaintance,” was adamant that the X-Men: The Last Stand star wasn’t gay.
“That doesn’t exist. You are just afraid of men,” this person further added, and then threatened to sexually assault Page to “make [him] realize you aren’t gay.” After saying such demeaning words and frankly, delivering an outright threat to force themselves on the actor, this individual had the nerve to say later that they “don’t have a problem with gay people I swear.”
What is even more heartbreaking, and speaks volumes of the boundless injustice directed at queer and trans people, is Page sharing that this was not a lone incident, as he has faced the same “many times” in his life.
“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 s**t 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. [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.”
Page has deliberately chosen to not name this actor, as many people present at the party that day would instantly remember the crude words uttered by the individual, who will “hear about this and know it’s him.”
I would like to truly believe that we are headed for a future where everyone respects an individual’s sexual and gender identity and even if they don’t, they understand that it is not their free right to interfere, judge, or throw insults. But this shaky bubble keeps adding new cracks every day.
Is it really that hard to treat another living being with the respect and compassion everyone deserves? Seeing that you still get all the politeness you don’t deserve from us, even while you are boasting about your “superpower” to turn everyone straight, I feel it won’t be too much to expect at least a modicum of what sane people call common human decency in return.
If you know someone suffering from sexual violence, contact RAINN or the National Sexual Abuse Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
