Ellen Page has made headlines with her discussion about her sexuality. The actress opened up about her sexuality during a speech at the inaugural “Time to THRIVE” conference in Las Vegas, an event organized by LGBT group The Human Rights Campaign.

Page started out her speech discussing trying to push back against the “crushing standards” Hollywood places on the public. “Standards of beauty, of a good life, of success, standards that I hate to admit have affected me,” she said. “You have thoughts planted in your head, thoughts you never had before, that tell you how you have to act, how you have to dress, and who you have to be. And I’ve been trying to push back, to be authentic, to follow my heart, but it can be hard.”

After talking about how people should love each other as well as themselves, Page said, “…I’m here today because I am gay, “And because maybe I can make a difference, to help others have an easier and more hopeful time.” She went on to say that she felt she had a “personal obligation and a social responsibility.”

Page said she decided to be open about her sexuality because she was “tired of hiding. “…I am tired of lying by omission,” she said. “I suffered for years because I was scared to be out. My spirit suffered, my mental health suffered and my relationships suffered.” Page said she was standing at the event “on the other side of all that pain.”

You can take a look at the full speech below the post. Congratulations to Page for having the courage to fully be herself; I’m sure she’ll inspire others to fully embrace themselves and their sexuality. You can also learn more about Time to THRIVE at timetothrive.org.

What do you think about Page’s speech? Give your opinions in the comments section below.

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By Monique Jones

Monique Jones blogs about race and culture in entertainment, particularly movies and television. You can read her articles at Racialicious, and her new site, COLOR . You can also listen to her new podcast, What would Monique Say.

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