This trans teen comedian from Belle River has some advice for Elliot Page - Action News
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This trans teen comedian from Belle River has some advice for Elliot Page

Belle River comedian Louis Brady says Elliot Page, a Canadian actor who recently came out as transgender, shouldn't focus on other people's opinions because "they're not you and they're not transitioning."

'Don't feel bad correcting people'

Louis Brady, a trans teen from Belle River, says his initial thoughts when Page came out as transgender was that he might receive a lot of media attention that can be overwhelming. (Stacey Janzer/CBC)

Belle River teen comedianLouis Brady says Elliot Page, a Canadian actor who recently came out as transgender, shouldn't focus on other people's opinions because "they're not you and they're not transitioning."

The gay, transgender 17-year-old said that he wasn't surprised to hear Page, a Halifax-born actor, share that he is transgenderbecause, to him, it's like any other trans person coming out.

Page,who is known for his Oscar-nominated role in Juno, addressed his social media followers Tuesday withalengthy Instagram post, in which he shared that he is transand that he uses thepronouns he or they.

"I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life. I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey," wrote Page, who also starred inInceptionand most recentlyThe Umbrella Academy.

"I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer. And the more I hold myself close and fully embrace who I am, the more I dream, the more my heart grows and the more I thrive."

Elliot Page attends The IMDb Studio Presented By Intuit QuickBooks at Toronto 2019 at Bisha Hotel & Residences on September 07, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Rich Polk/Getty Images for IMDb)

When Brady heard the news, he said while it's important, he "didn't really think about it."

"In my personal opinion actors are just people with cooler jobs. So I thought it might be harder for him because he is such a big name and because he is obviously going to get a lot more attention from the media whereas if someone like me comes out it's not going to be such a big deal ... so Ifelt for him in that way but in the idea of him being an actor Idon't see it being any different for me doing it than for himdoing it."

But Page's announcement does give attention totransgender men a spotlight that Brady said is often focusedon transgender women.

"Transgender men don't get as much media attention and although I wouldnever want to take away any representation for transgender women, because they are just as fully important as us, I think it also is important to talk about both sides of the spectrum and to give opportunity to everyone in an equal platform," he said.

Brady said these moments also serve to educate people.

"I feel that it's important that we educate people on this because Ifeel like it makes it a lot easier for people like me to come out and to live as ourselves if everyone around us is aware because it'sreally hard when you are constantly being asked who you are and what you are and feeling as though you have to prove yourself to everybody and you have to constantly explain who you are it's really exhausting."

Being trans himself, Brady shared some advice for Page.

"Don't feel bad correcting people because it's important to you and it's always a good idea to be understanding of other people not understanding because it is a newer thing in our world but I also think it's important that we don't let people off on oh whatever it doesn't matter because it does matter," he said, adding that he still gets mis-gendered.

Brady continued to say that Page should avoid reading the comments on articles about himself.