Elliot Page appeared on the cover of Time magazine to expand the world's perception that "gender" used to be confined to duality, and that "transgender" meant a return to the path of knowing oneself;
On December 2, 2020, a tweet rocked Hollywood, attracting 228,000 retweets, 105,000 retweets, 1.784 million likes and retweets in more than 20 countries in one day;
Elliot Page, who made his debut at the age of 10 and established himself as an actor in juno at the age of 20, came out again after speaking at the LGBT civil rights advocacy group Human Rights Front in 2014, this time posting a public statement on his own community that said, "Hey friends, I want to tell you, I'm transgender." 」
Behind the seemingly relaxed words, multiplied by 34 years of role-playing, countless times to convince themselves to spend their birthdays as a girl, is a back-and-forth self-examination, is for gender identity time and time again to break and rebuild.
"It's hard for me to describe how perfect this moment is, and I finally love myself enough to be true enough to be true," Elliot Page said in a statement at the end of 2020. As soon as the conversation turned, he retracted his full joy, admitting that it also made him uneasy.
"Even though I've had quite a bit of privilege, I'm still afraid of this reality. Fear is the emotion that still lingers today.
"He (Elliott Peggy) even broke down in tears when I didn't ask any questions," Time Magazine reporter Katy Steinmetz wrote on the cover. 」
This sentence, as if let us through the thin pages, we can feel Peggy's trembling arms, he cried and smiled and said: "I'm sorry, I'm moved, but, this is cool, right?" With tears in his eyes, he set his mind, put his hand in his heart' nest, closed his eyes and said, "Deep excitement and gratitude led me here, and there was a great mix of fear and anxiety." 」
Time magazine vacates the cover for Elliot Peggy, as if to declare that we don't talk about anything else at the moment, and that's what's going on in the world. As a result, Elliot Peggy became the first transgender person ever to appear on the cover of Time magazine.
transgender
Transgender
Transgender people's gender identity or gender expression is different from the gender they are designated for. Some transgender people will choose to undergo sex-change surgery to achieve a gender identity that matches their physical appearance. In addition to transgender men and transgender women, transgender people may include gender cool/nonconventional sex, pan-gender, fluid or genderless.
Why did Time magazine choose to cover him at the moment?
Even now, the concept of gender in most countries of the world is oversimplified, as if chromosomes are destined to carry a specific mission, urging you to be what you look like and who you are.
On April 4, Time magazine posted this interview on Facebook, and the single post attracted more than 2,700 comments, including a discussion about whether Elliot Page was news, with some saying, "I'm happy for him, but it's personal marketing, not news." 」
But is Elliot Peggy's second appearance newsworthy and worth talking about?
(Extended reading:"I'm transgender, please call me Elliot" Oscar-nominated Best Actress Alan Page twice came out and bravely beddled himself)
If there is no model, we will become monsters
Transgender people don't know what they really think because there's no mirror that lets them see what's deep inside.
The lack of role models has long been a reason why it is difficult for the relatively vulnerable to affirm their worth, and Eliot Page's appearance as a star in the world's most extensive film industry has undoubtedly made him the most famous transgender person.
Peggy said in an interview with Time magazine that the paradigm is extremely important for herself, and for most people who are still on the path to gender identity.
Peggy says the biggest influences so far have been on transgender host Janet Mock and actor Laverne Cox, and ultimately, it was american transgender writer P. Carl who brought him closer to him, "I saw myself in P. Carl's memoir, Becoming a Man, and it finally enabled me to accept transgender identity and be who I am." He said.
Reflection is an important concept put forward by Peggy. All, including himself, have long been subject to pre-existing norms, so much so that the true self, like a phantom, becomes an illusion that cannot be recognized by himself and others, but if there is now someone in front of you, it can help you reflect yourself.
"If there's one person there, they can see it and say, "You know what? I'm like him! If there were no examples, we would be monsters. Peggy said.
Photo| Dazhi Images/AP Images
Gender is not what you think, "gender is a changing journey"
"Transgender" was the most common way Elliott Page called himself during this time, and he was more comfortable with his status as a "non-binary transgender person" or "queer" than "male", for which he did not have to endorse specific masculinity, and he was not that male.
"I think it's a complicated journey, and it's an ongoing process," Elliot Page has something to say about breaking gender dualism, and to say it publicly.
From duality to diversity, Elliot Peggy, in addition to representing himself, also faces the whole era. He made no secret of his experience of breast reduction surgery, which gave him a whole new life.
"Surgery not only changed lives, but also saved lives. He mentioned that after the operation, the physiological characteristics of non-male and non-female, but also let him have a strong criticism and reflection on the gender ditomy, and such reflection, through reporting, through more responses and discussions, to the public.
Elliot Peggy's first interview as a transgender person, time magazine asked transgender photographer Wynne Neilly to take an interview for him, with trans-era significance, some people say, even if not this moment, Peggy jumped on the cover of Time magazine, sooner or later.
Gender identity is a complex journey and an ongoing process.
What should I do if the stigma of gender replacement surgery is unresolved?
After the magazine's release, Peggy wrote on her personal Twitter account, "Thank you to the people who supported me for their great attention to transgender youth." We must all protect ourselves, and join me in condemning all forms of anti-transgender legislation, hatred and discrimination. 」
U.S. Senator Rand Paul has publicly told Rachel Levine, the first transgender member of the transgender U.S., that gender replacement surgery is equivalent to genital mutilation, arguing that "genital mutilation is considered particularly cruel because it almost always targets minors and violates children's rights." 」
It can be seen that there are still many places, many people, for transgender surgery has a stigma, and these stigma, in the case of transgender people, is undoubtedly a barrier to their own way.
Gender replacement surgery
reassignment surgery
It is a surgical technique through which transgender extrinsic signs are changed to a pair of physical sexes, such as transgender men and women, so that their gender becomes consistent with their gender identity.
In Taiwan, according to a 2008 letter from the Ministry of the Interior, transgender people who want to make gender changes must present a diagnosis certificate from two psychiatrists, and must undergo a full gender replacement procedure (except for replacement surgery), i.e. transgender men have to have their breasts, uterus, ovaries removed, and transgender men are required to have their breasts, uteruses, ovaries removed before they can change their gender on their identity cards. The policy of compulsory surgery has undoubtedly fallen into the framework of "gender duality" and ignored the possibility of more meta-gender identity.
In response, the Taiwan Partnership Rights Promotion Alliance (TUC) made two explicit recommendations for "gender change registration" on the International Transgender Day (3/31) last year (2020):
First, cancel compulsory surgery.
Nearly eight years have passed since the first national report review of the conventions, and a third national report review will be launched next year, which calls on the government to eliminate compulsory surgery as soon as possible to prevent transgender people from having to choose between self-identification and physical integrity (reproductive function).
Second, gender replacement surgery is included in health insurance payments.
At present, gender replacement surgery is classified as cosmetic surgery, health insurance is not paid for, the transgender people have a great financial burden, we believe that the legal gender recognition of transgender people not only helps to reduce their social life experience violence and discrimination, which is to ensure the health, education, employment and even health care, police, justice and other public services close to the use, is also extremely important.
On November 20 last year (2020), the day of International Transgender Day, the Coalition of Partners tried to reverse the "change of gender registration" system by challenging compulsory surgery with judicial action, but the judicial side has yet to follow up actively.
Back to the path of knowing yourself, gender is fluid, self is fluid, how you define your true self, should have nothing to do with absolute physical sex.
At the end of an interview with Time magazine, Elliot Peggy said softly, in a firm and gentle tone, "We know who we are, and people stick to these firm ideas because they feel safe, but if we can celebrate being born, all the wonderful complexities, then the world will be a better place." 」
If we can celebrate being born, all that wonderful complexity, then the world will be a better place.