Ellen Page of “Juno” and “X-Men: The Last Stand” announced Friday at the Time to Thrive convention that she is, in fact, gay.
Her words at the conference focused on the welfare of LGBTQ youth were strong and significant. She received a standing ovation, which speaks volumes for the amount of acceptance in the community.
And yet it is surprising that coming forward about her true sexuality is a major event for others.
Much of our modern-day society, including Marquette, prides itself on being open-minded and tolerant of all sexual orientations. And yet it continues to come as a surprise when someone says he or she is homosexual. In the entertainment and other public American industries, if one never openly comes out as gay, it is just assumed that he or she is heterosexual. It is simply the accepted norm.
Marquette students face these challenges as well. When trying to figure out if a person is gay or straight, we tend to jump to conclusions based on what we have grown used to or our personal perceptions. Rather than openly engaging in conversation regarding sexuality with new acquaintances, we make assumptions and further demonize any deviations from the norm of heterosexuality.
Sexual orientation has long been indistinguishable from personal identity, and the prevailing assumption many of us have is that people are heterosexual until they admit to being homosexual.
Page and, recently, football player Michael Sam, received waves of support from those in the entertainment and sports industries. It is great that they are accepted by their peers and they can begin to move forward without the secret of their sexuality being up for question.
I respect Page and Sam for speaking the truth about who they are, but I hope that we can stop making a fuss when people reveal that they’re homosexual. I realize coming out and going against the grain must be incredibly difficult, but I think as a society we need to make this more of an acceptable thing to do.
Today’s political and social climate in the United States and on college campuses continues to develop and react to sexuality differently in a positive way. Marquette’s Gender and Sexuality Resource Center helps to facilitate open discussion about the issues surrounding sexual identity, and it is important to take advantage of such forums for conversation.
It is great Page felt she could come forward and share a piece of her identity she kept under wraps. Her willingness to go up against the societal act of surprise is commendable, but the many societal barriers regarding sexual orientation persistently make this action difficult for many across the United States and on our own campus.
