Ellen Page , the star of the movie "Juno," announced that she was gay before an audience at a Human Rights Campaign event in Las Vegas, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The Human Rights Campaign posted the news on its Twitter account.
The 26-year-old actress told the crowd "I’m here today because I am gay," adding "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."
Page was speaking at the Human Rights Campaign's THRIVE conference, an event supporting LGBTQ youth. Page spoke of the pressures of a life in the spotlight, and the toll that celebrity can take on one's life.
"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," the star of the upcoming movie "X-Men: Days of Future Past" said. "Not just young people, but everyone. Standards of beauty. Of a good life. Of success. Standards that, I hate to admit, have affected me."
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Page expressed displeasure with gender stereotyping, and pointed to examples of "courage all around us," including football player Michael Sam, "Orange Is the New Black" star Laverne Cox and musicians Tegan and Sara Quinn.
The Human Rights Campaign posted Page's remarks online. Watch the amazing warm reception to her coming out at minute 5:20 in the video above posted by the Human Rights Campaign.
You can read the full speech here.
Page has previously advocated for women's empowerment and lamented sexism in the entertainment industry.
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