In an effort to build a space for queer people like myself, every Tuesday I’ll be posting interviews, opinion pieces, listicals, reviews, and more focused on the LGBT community (and occasionally about the Latinx community since I am Latinx.) Welcome to Queerly Not Straight! Enjoy and leave a comment below if you have a suggestion for what I should cover next.
Elliot Page is living their best life this summer and it shows. In a recent Instagram post, Elliot shared their first post top surgery photo. The caption of the post read, “Trans bb’s first swim trunks #transjoy #transisbeautiful.” And honestly, I couldn’t agree more. Page is sharing their joy at finally being in a body that matches with who they identify as. And having that moment and sharing it with the world is important for those who are trans and see themselves in Page.
It’s also really important to see Page living their best life because we don’t get to see enough of “trans joy and prosperity.” Too often, when we see trans stories on the news or in our shows and movies, they are stories of tragedy and hardship. And we need to take moments like this to uplift trans joy and show that the trans community is more than what the media presents it to be. There is joy. There is love. There is happiness.
I must note that everyone’s journey isn’t like Elliot Page’s. They have the resources, money, and the team to help them transition. Page is not the “standard” when it comes to the transgender community but he is a member of this community nonetheless. He is a man with this body, and if your body is different from Page’s you are still a man, just as much as any cis man out there.
You are valid. You are loved. And you are who you choose to be. No one can take that from you.
Queerly Not Straight posts every Tuesday with opinion pieces, listicals, reviews, and more focused on the LGBT community (and occasionally about the Latinx community since I am Latinx.)