This past Valentine’s Day, couples everywhere ran around feverishly buying heart-shaped boxes of chocolate, flowers, and making dinner reservations in attempt to create the perfect romantic night for their significant others. This was not the case, however, for 26 year old Oscar nominated actress, Ellen Page, who was preparing for what might have been one of the most significant nights of her life so far.
In Las Vegas, Nevada, the Human Rights Campaign’s Time To Thrive Conference kicked off on February 14th, 2014. With a vast crowd and multiple iconic speakers lined up for the 2-day event, it’s safe to say that the love pressure was in the air. Despite her nerves, Ellen Page delivered a genuine and inspiring speech on human love, kindness, and equality, all while staying true to her quirky, individualistic self. She displayed immense courage as she openly came out in front of America as being gay. Page described the act of coming out as “a personal obligation and a social responsibility,” and admits her hopes of “mak[ing] a difference to help others have an easier and more hopeful time.”
Ellen Page’s pledge “to be authentic and follow my heart” is a lesson that permeates through not only the LGBTQ community, but through our generation as a whole. She rawly presents herself as a vulnerable young woman, and relates herself to the infinite number of others in her position. Her empowering speech recognizes the struggles of our youth; she breaks down the barriers between being gay and being straight. To conclude, Page delivers a beautiful and simple message, “we deserve to experience love fully, equally, without shame, and without compromise.”
Coming out is not an easy task for many, which is why it is important to support and recognize those who have had the courage to do so. UMass Amherst offers a variety of community support and resources for anyone who is seeking help with their sexual identity, or to those who are just generally curious about the LGBTQ community. The diversity on this campus is extraordinary, and there can’t be enough said about the measures that our school takes in order to ensure feelings of safety for all. The Stonewall Center “provides support, advocacy, and programming for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, queer, intersex, asexual (LGBTQIA) and allied students, staff, and faculty at UMass Amherst and for the larger Pioneer Valley.”
A special thanks to Ellen Page for standing up for what she believes in, and to all of those who have chosen to do so as well. Collegiettes, members of the LGBTQ community, and allies, I leave you with a tasteful quote from the beloved Macklemore, “Live on, and be yourself.”
P.S. If you have not checked out her speech yet…