Elliot Page and Lilly Wachowski Help Lawsuit Fighting Anti-Trans Law in Arkansas

ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty; David Livingston/Getty Elliot Page; Lilly Wachowski

Elliot Page and Matrix director Lilly Wachowski are fighting against an anti-trans bill that limits healthcare access for trans youth in Arkansas.

The two stars have joined a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) that is fighting against House Bill 1570 that prevents doctors and medical officials from giving trans youth necessary medical treatment and referring them to gender-affirming care, according to the brief shared by the ACLU.

The bill was passed in March 2021, with its proponents arguing that transgender children "need to grow up first." But a judge blocked the legislation from going into effect in August after the ACLU filed its lawsuit. Elliot and Wachowski, who are both trans, have joined a group of more than 50 notable people who filed an amicus brief as part of the lawsuit on Jan. 19 in support of overturning the law.

Wachowski, 54, said her "films at their core try to center love and connectivity" and that she is "proud to have lifted up" queer and transgender voices "in front of as well as behind the camera."

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"When I started living as my true self, I would sometimes catch short sharp glimpses of my reflection in windows and cars as I'd walk along or ride my bike," Wachowski said in the brief. "It would make my heart skip a beat. The silhouette of my shadow on the ground cast by the afternoon sun was exhilarating and life affirming. If no one else did, the Sun saw me as I am."

Page wrote he most values "moments when I connect with those who have been moved by my journey or work I have created that has positively impacted their lives."

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The Umbrella Academy star also opened up about why it was so important to receive healthcare, saying he saw positive outcomes after receiving top surgery.

"I couldn't believe the amount of energy I had, ideas, how my imagination flourished because the constant discomfort and pain around that aspect of my body was gone," he said.

TLC star Jazz Jennings also participated in the brief, writing that receiving gender-affirming treatment when she began puberty, and later receiving hormones, helped her lead a happy childhood.

"I never looked masculine. I developed alongside my peers as a female teenager. I was able to lead a happy childhood because I was able to live as the girl I knew I was," Jennings, 21, said in the brief.

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The bill, proposed by Rep. Robin Lundstrum and Sen. Alan Clark, contradicts the science of gender identity, falsely positing trans and nonbinary identities as a "choice."

"Those kids are precious," Lundstrum said during a House panel last year before the bill passed. "Some of them may choose to be transgender when they're older. That's okay, that's their choice. But when they're under 18, they need to grow up first. That's a big decision, there's no going back."

Several medical groups, including the American Psychiatric Association, have argued otherwise. "Patients and their physicians, not policymakers, should be the ones to make decisions together about what care is best for them," the APA wrote in a statement.

The bill does make a so-called exception for intersex people, meaning those born with chromosomal makeup and hormonal production that does not fit the typical binary of male or female bodies. There's also an "exception" for people facing difficulties as a result of previous gender-affirming treatments.

A self-portrait by Lilly Wachowski Lilly Wachowkski

In December 2020, Elliot told the world he was transgender in a heartfelt Instagram post where he wrote, in part: "I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer. And the more I hold myself close and fully embrace who I am, the more I dream, the more my heart grows and the more I thrive. To all trans people who deal with harassment, self-loathing, abuse and the threat of violence every day: I see you, I love you and I will do everything I can to change this world for the better."

Wachowski confirmed to Netflix's Film Club that she and sister Lana intended for the film franchise, The Matrix, to be a trans metaphor. (The first three films came out before the two transitioned.)

"That was the original intention but the world wasn't quite ready," Lilly said at the time. "I'm glad that it has gotten out. The Matrix stuff was all about the desire for transformation but it was all coming from a closeted point of view."

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In March 2016, Lilly told The Windy City Times in a statement, "Being transgender is not easy. We live in a majority-enforced gender binary world. This means when you're transgender you have to face the hard reality of living the rest of your life in a world that is openly hostile to you."

"I am one of the lucky ones. Having the support of my family and the means to afford doctors and therapists has given me the chance to actually survive this process," she continued. "Transgender people without support, means and privilege do not have this luxury. And many do not survive."

If you or someone you know need mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.