I’m not sure when swimsuit season is supposed to technically officially start, but as far as I’m concerned, this year it kicked off the moment Elliot Page posted his first post-top surgery shirtless pool pic on Insta.
“Trans bb’s first swim trunks,” the Oscar-nominated actor captioned the photo of his killer beach bod.
The photo shows Page stepping out of a pool in a red bathing suit and more abs than it should be legal to own. But most notable is the 1,000-watt smile on the 34-year-old’s face. He’s positively beaming. I guess this is what they mean by “gender-euphoria.”
Of course, the post represents way more than your average thirst trap. Since coming out as trans, Page has talked openly about the intense, often debilitating discomfort he felt with his body before transitioning. While he’s gone to great lengths to make it clear that not all trans people undergo surgical procedures, in March he described having top surgery as lifesaving. “It has completely transformed my life,” he told Time.
He reiterated that sentiment in his recent interview with Oprah Winfrey: “I wanted to share with people just how much it has changed my life,” he said. “I do believe it’s lifesaving.”
Page’s post comes as a welcome antidote to a potentially harmful 60 Minutes segment which aired on CBS last night. The piece, anchored by Lesley Stahl and ostensibly about the attacks on gender-affirming healthcare for trans youth, devoted a disproportionate amount of airtime to people who have detransitioned. As Jezebel’s Esther Wang wrote today, “America got a segment that gives the misleading impression that gender-affirming care is readily available for young people, and framed the process of transition as one ultimately of pain and regret.”
Someone should introduce Stahl and the producers at 60 Minutes to the beaming boy in Page’s photo. And Page should introduce me to his trainer.
