Oscar nominated actress Ellen Page comes out as lesbian: “I’m tired of lying by omission”

Ellen Page, the gifted young actress who was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in Juno, came out publicly as a lesbian last night.

Awesome!

This wasn’t a casual Twitter confirmation, a mention in the middle of a story or a strange Golden Globes speech though. She did it in a way that sets the bar high for others who will follow (hopefully a male star of her stature).

Ellen decided to give a thoughtful and from-the-heart speech at an event where it would have a lot of impact: The Human Rights Campaign’s THRIVE conference benefiting LGBTQ youth.

“I’m here today because I am gay,” she 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.”

“I am tired of hiding and I am tired of lying by omission. 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.”

“It’s weird because here I am, an actress, representing — at least in some sense — an industry that places crushing standards on all of us. Not just young people, but everyone. Standards of beauty. Of a good life. Of success. Standards that, I hate to admit, have affected me.”

“You have ideas planted in your head, thoughts you never had before, that tell you how you have to act, how you have to dress and who you have to be. I have been trying to push back, to be authentic, to follow my heart, but it can be hard.”

A tearful Ellen concluded her eight-minute speech by wishing the audience a happy Valentine’s Day and adding: “I love you.”