Elliot Page has taken to social media to express their "trans joy" with a shirtless photo of themselves.
Posting to Instagram, the 36-year-old opened up about the importance of gender-affirming care and how this has impacted their life alongside a selfie taken out in the sun.
In the shot, the former Umbrella Academy star can be seen smiling into the camera wearing only a snapback cap.
"Dysphoria used to be especially rife in the summer," he wrote in the caption. "No layers, just a T-shirt - or layers and oh so sweaty - constantly looking down, readjusting my oversized T."
"It feels so f’ing good soaking in the sun now," they continued. "I never thought I could experience this, the joy I feel in my body. I am so grateful for what gender affirming care has allowed me and I look forward to sharing more of my journey soon."
Page also hashtagged the post "trans joy" to which many fans loved.
Taking to the comments, thousands gathered to commend the star on their courage to speak out about medical care, specifically for the trans community.
"The feeling of sun kissing post surgery skin is Trans Joy," commented one user, while another added: "I will never understand how anyone could be upset about you living a joyful life."
A third also thanked the actor for reminding them about their own upcoming surgery, saying: "This is hyping me up! I have top surgery in FIFTY days! Thank you for this reminder!"
And a surgeon Karen Tang also joined in on the conversation writing: "Gender affirming care is MEDICAL CARE! It treats a potentially deadly medical condition, and gives people back their lives. So thrilled to see your joy and euphoria - everyone deserves to feel this way in their own body!"
The news comes at a time where the issue of medical care has become a hot talking point after many states look to ban certain gender affirming care points. As per the Association of American Medical Colleges, who cited research by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law in California, 15 states have enacted or are considering laws to prohibit certain gender-affirming treatments for youths and to impose penalties on health care professionals who provide it.
Speaking of the effects of restricting the care, Katherine Imborek, who is the co-director at the UI Health Care’s LGBTQ Clinic in Iowa said: "It decreases depression, anxiety, and suicide attempts," adding that it is "a medical necessity, like providing insulin to a person with diabetes."
This is why Page's post comes at a necessary time for the country.
In December 2020, Page announced to the world that he was transgender after originally stating that he was a gay woman back in 2014.
"Transphobia is just so, so, so extreme. The hatred and the cruelty is so much more incessant," they said during an interview with Esquire last year.
However, over the past few years, he has taken the time to really get to know his new external self even despite the overwhelming glare of the spotlight.
"I can't overstate the biggest joy, which is really seeing yourself," Page said speaking about what he has learned since their transition.
"I know I look different to others, but to me I'm just starting to look like myself. It's indescribable, because I'm just like, there I am. And thank God. Here I am," he continued. "So the greatest joy is just being able to feel present, literally, just to be present. To go out in a group of new people and be able to engage in a way where I didn't feel this constant sensation to flee from my body, this never-ending sensation of anxiety and nervousness and wanting out.
"When I say I couldn't have ever imagined feeling that way, I mean that with every sense of me."
Despite it being a difficult journey to get to where he is today, he seems to be proud to know who he is.
"I could not picture myself as a woman aging," he told the outlet. "Obviously. It was just like, what is my future? There's not a future. That's kind of what it felt like. I would say, verbatim: I've never been a girl. I'll never be a woman."
We're super happy that the star is living the life he has always dreamed of!