China’s transgender people too scared to come out like Elliot Page – ‘You become a freak’

Many applauded Page’s courage after the Canadian actor came out as trans in December, but for China’s transgenders the reaction is usually much more hostile

Many suffer domestic violence, bullying, job discrimination and ‘conversion therapy’, but NGOs and activists are pushing back one small step at a time

Reading Time:4 minutes

Former dancer and now talk show host Jin Xing is one of the most famous and outspoken transgender figures in China.

Published: 7:15am, 8 Dec 2020Updated: 5:07pm, 8 Dec 2020

When Juno star Elliot Page, known as Ellen Page until December, came out as transgender, his social media pages were instantly filled with blessings and love from actors, musicians and other celebrities.

“Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot,” the Oscar-nominated actor wrote in a statement posted on Instagram and Twitter on December 1.

“I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life.”

Canadian actor Elliot Page at the premiere of There’s Something In The Water at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. Photo: Getty Images

Many applauded his courage and said they looked forward to his coming work. In China, however, coming out as transgender is a much more arduous path.

One of the most famous and outspoken transgender figures in the country is Jin Xing, a former dancer and now talk show host. She had wanted to be a woman as early as six and had her sex reassignment surgery in 1995, aged 28.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x