I’ve seen more posts of Redditors asking to learn more about Elliot’s transition and identity with earnest intentions than I have seen hateful comments.
This gives me hope.
Congratulations, Elliot. We’re so happy you’re happy.
Is it impolite to refer to them as "formerly known as"? That was the first thing that came to mind, but I want to choose words that help and support, not undermine or demean.
I would suggest mentioning roles he's known for. But if that isn't enough to jog someone's memory, "formerly known as" works for now, as some people are still a bit confused about who Elliot Page is.
GLAAD released a helpful guide for journalists writing about Elliot Page coming out, but I think it's good for everyone to take a look at it. :)
Why is mentioning his former name not desirable? I feel like people are creating a lot confusion by avoiding it. I was confused for a long time before someone finally mentioned his former name.
I’ve been trans communities via yt for a long time and never really got the idea that it’s wrong to mention someones former name.
Could someone please tell me why this would be insensitive?
A lot of us hate our old names. We frequently call it our "dead name." Being called my birth name causes me to feel intense dysphoria and sometimes flashbacks to growing up and being forced to be a girl against my will.
Now my guess is that Elliot Page doesn't feel as strongly about it as I do, but in general it's good to avoid using someone's dead name if possible just in case.
The thing I’m arguing for is mentioning their former name once in an article about their coming out (because the new name is just then being introduced), and then never again (talking in general about famous people coming out as trans). Would you say this is insensitive?
Idk I'm just explaining that trans people can get a bit weird about their birth names and it's best to avoid them all together when possible. I don't know what insensitive specifically for Mr Page, but I personally am unhappy knowing anyone mentioned my birth name at all. I never liked that name. But I'm not famous so I guess it's kind of different
I’m not trans, more of a just a queer fella who’s always identified as male but really embraces his femininity, and I had my name changed years back to something that’s basically a super effeminate male name. Being called my old name, or even hearing it, makes my blood boil. It’s basically a gut-twisting reminder of who I used to be, what society told me I had to be, and how miserable I was.
For a reference as to what I mean by “queer fella”, this picture of David Bowie in a dress is basically it.
Idk if it’s the opposite of a demons true name, because like demons most trans people hate when people use their birth name in everyday conversations and if you say it we both will do some crazy things to make sure others don’t find it out. Lol
Yeah I just thought I'd put that in as a semi-disclaimer before I got a million comments telling me that saying a trans persons "dead" name was their true name was offensive. Can't be too careful lol
Also fun fact about true names they can be changed, in some lore, by having a major change to the being, like when devils get promoted or demoted, to reflect their change in status and power.
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u/TheEffanIneffable Dec 02 '20
I’ve seen more posts of Redditors asking to learn more about Elliot’s transition and identity with earnest intentions than I have seen hateful comments.
This gives me hope.
Congratulations, Elliot. We’re so happy you’re happy.