What Is Deadnaming and Why Is It Harmful?
| What Is Deadnaming and Why Is It Harmful? | | On December 1, Oscar-nominated actor Elliot Page announced that they are transgender. In a beautiful post to their social media accounts, the Canadian actor known for their star turns in Juno and The Umbrella Academy opened up to fans, writing: “Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot." It was a powerful statement and an even more powerful moment for both the actor and the LGBTQ community. And it was, obviously, also a newsworthy one. Within minutes of Page’s post appearing on Instagram, news outlets across the world began reporting on their announcement; and while many (thankfully) used the actor’s real name, Elliot, a few outlets and people on social media continued to refer to the actor by their former name (also known as their deadname), and that’s not OK. Here’s why. | | | | |
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