Covering the abs of celebrities is nothing new to us – and hardly a rarity on Instagram – but when Elliot Page shared an image of himself, shirtless, on the platform this morning, it was so much more than your typical selfie: it was a major moment for Page, and a major moment for trans visibility.
The actor, who came out as trans, non-binary and queer on December 1 last year while recovering from top surgery – a common gender-affirming procedure that some trans, nonbinary and queer people decide to undergo to alleviate gender dysphoria – in Toronto, told TIME the surgery was “not only life-changing, but lifesaving.”
The image celebrates his first pair of swim trunks and trans identity simultaneously, with many celebrities and fans commenting on how happy the actor looks and others pointing out Page’s impressive “eight-pack”.
In his first in-depth interview, Page told Vanity Fair last month that he knew he was a boy at a very young age.
“All trans people are so different, and my story’s absolutely just my story. But yes, when I was a little kid, absolutely, 100 per cent, I was a boy,” Page said.
“I knew I was a boy when I was a toddler. I was writing fake love letters and signing them ‘Jason.’
“Every little aspect of my life, that is who I was, who I am, and who I knew myself to be.
“I just couldn’t understand when I’d be told, ‘No, you’re not. No, you can’t be that when you’re older’.
“You feel it. Now I’m finally getting myself back to feeling like who I am, and it’s so beautiful and extraordinary, and there’s a grief to it in a way.”
