Elliot Page shares the 'joy' he feels in his body after receiving gender affirming care

Elliot Page recalled his past feelings of dysphoria and shared the "joy" he has experienced since gaining gender-affirming care, in a recent social media post. The "Umbrella Academy" star started the summer with a shirtless picture of himself, reflecting on how challenging it was for them during the summer in the previous years as they experienced Gender Dysphoria.

He wrote in the caption, "Dysphoria used to be especially rife in the summer. No layers, just a T-shirt – or layers and oh so sweaty – constantly looking down, readjusting my oversized T. It feels so f**king good soaking in the sun now. I never thought I could experience this, the joy I feel in my body."

Gender Dysphoria (GD) is a term used to describe the psychological discomfort that arises from a mismatch between one's gender identity and the gender assigned to them at birth, reports American Psychiatric Association. While GD can develop in childhood, it may also occur during or after puberty, or even later in life.

Page, who uses he/they pronouns, also opened up about how their mindset for the summer has changed after receiving gender-affirming care. "It feels so f**king good soaking in the sun now. I never thought I could experience this, the joy I feel in my body," he wrote.

The "Inception" actor owes it all to receiving gender-affirming care. He shared, “I am so grateful for what gender-affirming care has allowed me, and I look forward to sharing more of my journey soon.” He also used the hashtag #transjoy at the end.

After coming out as transgender in 2020, Page has been outspoken about feeling confident in their body. He told Oprah Winfrey in a 2021 interview: “It’s the little things, you know. Getting out of the shower and the towel’s around your waist, and you’re looking at yourself in the mirror and go, 'There I am.' I’m not having the moment where I’m panicked. It’s being able to touch my chest and feel comfortable in my body for probably the first time.”

In an Instagram post of May 2021, Page shared his first shirtless photo, showing off his first pair of swim trunks and washboard abs. The "Juno" actor is an advocate of transgender rights and also shared how people can help stop the transgender healthcare bans in Texas after Republican lawmakers across the country restricted transition-related medical care for minors, per LGBTQ Nation.

18 states across the U.S. banned such care, with Montana being the latest state to halt gender-affirming care for transgender kids on April 28, 2023, when its Republican governor signed legislation that banned Zooey Zephyr, the first transgender lawmaker in the state, according to NBC.

Page is devoted to ensuring that the world accepts and understands trans people everywhere. "Extremely influential people are spreading these myths and damaging rhetoric—every day you're seeing our existence debated," he told TIME in 2021. "Transgender people are so very real." After separating from their wife, Emma Portner in early 2021, Page shared that the pandemic allowed him to explore his identity. "I had a lot of time on my own to focus on things that I think, in so many ways, unconsciously, I was avoiding. I was finally able to embrace being transgender and letting myself fully become who I am," he said.

Page said he started becoming aware of his identity at 9, recalling a haircut he got back then. "I felt like a boy," he said. "I wanted to be a boy. I would ask my mom if I could be someday." The actor mentioned that he is honored to be the voice on behalf of the trans community. "My privilege has allowed me to have resources to get through and to be where I am today and of course, I want to use that privilege and platform to help in the ways I can," he stated.