Elliot Page has shared his upset at the wave of bills targeting the transgender community in the US, calling them ‘upsetting, cruel and exhausting’.
The actor, who came out as transgender in December, has urged his social media followers to contact politicians and voice their opposition to the legislation.
It comes after politicians in Alabama and North Dakota approved bans on transgender women and girls playing on sports teams that match their gender identity.
There have also been other Republican-led states that have introduced bulls which critics describe as anti-trans, including laws which ban gender-confirming surgery for transgender youths.
Elliot, 34, wrote on Instagram: ‘As I watch the movement of these bills attacking trans youth across the US, especially this week in Florida, Alabama, Texas and North Dakota, I am thinking of my trans siblings and the collective pain that our community must endure to battle again and again for our right to exist.
‘These bills are upsetting, cruel and exhausting.’
The Umbrella Academy star continued alongside a photo of him holding a sign reading ‘protect trans kids’: ‘Call your representatives. Tell them to oppose legislation that discriminates against us.
‘Tell them our access to health care is an inalienable human right. Tell them to let trans kids play sports. Tell them that #TransPeopleBelong – we always have, and we always will.’
Earlier this month, Arkansas became the first US state to outlaw gender-affirming medical treatments or surgery for minors, and this year has also seen a record number of anti-transgender bills introduced in the US, according to the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBT advocacy group.
It was claimed by those who back restrictions on transgender women in sport that it is ‘essential to maintain fair competition’ for female athletes, while those opposed say they unfairly target the transgender community and are not based on science.
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