Elliot Page Burns Up Social Media with Shirtless Selfie

Elliot Page took to Instagram to share a shirtless selfie and muse about the difference gender affirmation care has made in his life.

"Dysphoria used to be especially rife in the summer," Page wrote. "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, I never thought I could experience this, the joy I feel in my body," the 36-year-old star of "The Umbrella Academy" added.

"I am so grateful for what gender affirming care has allowed me and I look forward to sharing more of my journey soon."

Page signed off with "#transjoy".

Fans flocked to the comments section to leave notes of support and appreciation.

"I will never understand how anyone could be upset about you living a joyful life," one commentator wrote.

"This is hyping me up!" another shared. "I have top surgery in FIFTY days! ❤️ Thank you for this reminder!"

"My partner recently had too gender affirming surgery as well and we have both looked up to you for strength. I absolutely adore #transjoy ♥️ keep being amazing !" another commenter said.

Other messages reiterated the same point Page made about being comfortable in his body post-transition. "This is my first summer post top surgery," the post said. "Wearing tank tops is my new favorite thing. So freeing! Thank you for being an inspiration to so many!"

"Gender affirming care is MEDICAL CARE! ❤️👏 " posted another person. "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! ❤️❤️❤️"

Page, who has also authored a memoir about his struggles and his journey toward healing, has been open about the traumatizing effects of being forced to live as a woman when he knew deep inside he was a man, and has testified to the life-saving importance of appropriate medical care to transgender people.

In an interview with Esquire last year, Page recounted being bullied at school, almost getting bashed by a random stranger, and how a film studio insisted that he wear a dress to the premiere of his 2007 breakout film "Juno."

Variety recalled that "The Jason Reitman-directed abortion drama served as a breakthrough for Page, who earned an Oscar nomination for his performance as the title character."

Referring to times when "people actively were like, 'No, you need to wear a dress' in very, very, very pivotal moments," Page recounted how for "the premiere of 'Juno' at the Toronto International Film Festival," he "said I wanted to wear a suit, and Fox Searchlight was basically like, 'No, you need to wear a dress.'"

"And they took me in a big rush to one of those fancy stores on Bloor Street," the actor, who came out as transgender in late 2020, went on to say. "They had me wear a dress, and... that was that."

Variety noted how Page called the studio's treatment of him "fucked up," and "pointed out there are many heterosexual cis women who don't like to wear dresses, so it's not like this is just a trans issue."

Page also noted that for cisgender people, the depth of the pain he felt might be impossible to comprehend. "Oh, fuck you, you're famous, and you have money, and you had to wear a dress, boo-hoo," Page imagined cis-het people thinking.

"I don't not understand that reaction," Page allowed. "But that's mixed with: 'I wish people would understand that that shit literally did almost kill me.'"

In his first post-transition interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Page explained that gender affirmation care had been life-saving and spoke to the needless trauma that anti-trans legislation inflicts on young people.

"There is such an attack on trans health care right now, when already there is such lack of access or trans people who don't even want to go to the doctor," Page told Oprah. "What you are hearing from certain lawmakers are actual complete and utter- they're lies in terms of what they're saying about the health care."

"And the reality of the health care is that it's supported by medical institutions and it saves lives," Page continued. "And if you are going to do this and if you are also not going to allow trans kids to play sports, children will die, and it really is that simple."

The situation has grown worse since that 2021 interview, with each successive year shattering previous records for anti-LGBTQ+ - and anti-trans, in particular - bills being introduced, deliberated, and passed in Republican-led state legislatures across the country.