Actress Ellen Page publicly came out as gay for the first time Friday during an emotional speech at the Human Rights Campaign's first national conference in Las Vegas.
Page spoke for nearly eight minutes at the Time to Thrive conference, commenting on the foundation's life-changing efforts, and its work toward achieving equality for the LGBT community. Halfway through her speech, the Juno star revealed her sexual orientation.
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"Loving other people starts with loving ourselves and accepting ourselves, and I know many of you have struggled with this, and I draw upon your strength and your support in ways that you will never know," Page said, her voice shaking slightly. "And I am here today because I am gay."
In response, the crowd gave Page a standing ovation, which continued for nearly 30 seconds, while she smiled and said, "Thank you." The actress went on to explain that she decided to come out publicly because she was tired of hiding.
"I suffered for years because I was afraid to be out," Page said. "My spirit suffered, my mental health suffered and my relationships suffered. And I'm standing here with all of you on the other side of that pain."
Page is best known for playing a pregnant teenager in the 2007 film Juno for which she earned an Oscar nomination. She also starred in 2011's Academy Award-winning Inception and 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand.
Time to Thrive began Friday, and continues through Sunday; the conference aims to promote safety and inclusion among LGBTQ youth, according to its website.
"Love — the beauty of it, the joy of it and yes, even the pain of it — is the most incredible gift to give and to receive as a human being," Page said near the end of her speech. "And we deserve to experience love fully, equally, without shame and without compromise."
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