Actress Ellen Page Comes Out as Gay

Ellen Page came out as a gay woman, last night in Las Vegas at the Human Rights Campaign's THRIVE conference benefiting youth LGBTQ. In her speech, Page announced, "I am here today because I am gay." Her statement was met with applause, cheers, and a standing ovation.

"I'm tired of lying by omission," said the Juno star. "It is such an honor to be here at the inaugural Time to Thrive conference but it's a little weird, too. It's weird because here I am, an actress, representing at least in some sense an industry that places crushing standards on all of us."  The HRC's mission is to promote safety, inclusion, and well-being for LGBTQ youth.

"You're here because you've adopted as a core motivation a simple fact that this world will be a whole lot better if we just made an effort to be less horrible to one another," said Page.

To the crowd of educators, mental health providers, pediatricians, religious leaders, recreational athletes, and youth development staff, Page said, "If we just took five minutes to recognize each other's beauty, instead of attacking each other for our differences, that's not hard. It's really an easier and better way to live. And ultimately, it saves lives... Because loving other people starts with loving ourselves and accepting ourselves. "

Towards the end of her speech, Page declared, "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. And we deserve to fell love fully, equally, without shame and without compromise."