In a shocking turn of events (a.k.a. not shocking at all), adorable Canadian actress, Ellen Page, came out on Valentine’s Day at the HRCF’s Time to Thrive Conference, making it a fantastic V-Day for all those single lesbians out there. The news itself doesn’t come as a huge shock, because people have been assuming Page preferred the ladies for years, but her announcement itself was actually pretty great.
I consider myself pretty cold-hearted most of the time, I mean, I get paid to make fun of and judge celebrities, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t cry into my cat a little this morning when I watched Ellen’s conference speech. I’ll blame my period for all these lame ass emotions #girltalk
Ellen gave an incredibly moving 8-minute speech about the hardships of being gay and fighting for equal rights?and I genuinely cannot remotely make fun of in any way. Then, she dropped a bomb of obvious, that, even though we all kind of figured it anyway, was still extremely moving:
I'm here today because I am gay. 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. 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.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWIaYZEHOIg
I always dig it when actors and actresses who successfully play heterosexual characters come out as gay. A few years ago, some critic whose name I can’t recall because I don’t bother remembering the names of fucking idiots, said something along the lines of “out gay actors cannot successfully play heterosexual characters.” I believe this particular douche bag was referring to Sean Hayes and Jonathan Groff.
So when actresses like Ellen, who have been Oscar nominated for playing notably straight characters, come out, I feel like it’s slapping people with that idiot mentality in the face. I mean, if gay people couldn’t successfully play straight, how is How I Met Your Mother one of the biggest comedies on TV? HUH?!
In case you haven’t noticed, I like to use a lot of gifs in my blogs, primarily eye roll ones, but for you, Ellen, I’m throwing out a wink.
And, like Andy Samberg, I am not very good at winking.