Elliot Costello’s life was drastically altered in a way he never would have imagined in 2013 after traveling to an orphanage in Cambodia.
He was unaware, though, that a meeting would occur that would alter thousands of other people’s lives as well.
It all began in 2013 when Australian social entrepreneur Elliot Costello got to know a young child named Thea.
The 10-year-old girl, Thea, had been saved from a horrible situation, but regrettably, she had wound up in an orphanage. She had been sexually and physically abused for two years, and the torture had a lasting effect. Regretfully, if Elliot hadn’t existed, we might never have learned about this courageous young girl.
However, let’s start at the beginning.
Thea’s life was happy once she was born. The Cambodian girl was loved and cared for by her mother, father, and other family members just like any other child. Unfortunately, fate had other ideas for her. Her father unexpectedly passed away one day, and his loss was tragic in many ways. Not only had it been a painful and emotional experience, but Thea’s father had been the only provider for the family. The family was left in dire straits after his death.
When things became so awful for Thea, her mother had to make the painful choice to place her daughter in an orphanage since she was no longer able to care for her. Sadly, the little girl would end up spending a miserable life there.
The director of the orphanage allegedly sexually and physically abused Thea every day for two years, according to Polished Man.
Thea was eventually moved to another Hagar International-run orphanage in Phnom Penh. Australian social entrepreneur Elliot Costello became close to the boy during a visit there by playing games of naughts and crosses. The 10-year-old child, in spite of everything she had experienced, exuded happiness and optimism.
Thea used to constantly have nail polish on her tiny nails, so one day she wanted to paint Elliot’s. They had a great time together as they sat and chatted.
“I promised her that I would always remember her and her suffering,” Elliot remarked as she painted one of his nails
Elliot was inspired to try and modify men’s behavior after meeting with Thea in order to reduce the number of children who experience sexual abuse. In order to demonstrate support, he also came up with the idea to launch a trend where males paint their nails.
Another symbolic interpretation of painting one nail is that it stands for the one in five children who may experience sexual abuse. It is immediately clear from looking at the numbers that we must put in a lot of effort to solve this problem.
Nearly 70% of all reported sexual assaults involve minors who are 17 years of age or younger, according to the YMCA. Unbelievably, one in six boys and one in four girls will experience sexual abuse before they become 18 years old.
Elliot believes that since men account for over 90% of this kind of abuse against children, they should be the ones to drive change. In light of this, a large number of international superstars have joined the nail painting craze.
Polished Man is still working to provide a better, safer environment for children today. Their principal goal is to stop child sexual abuse. “Being a Polished Man means challenging violent behavior and language, both locally and globally,” the organization states.
Chris Hemsworth is one well-known person who has taken a strong stance; he posed for the organization with a painted nail.
It takes more than just remembering to purchase flowers, shouting rounds, or lifting a lot to be a @PolishedMan. Saying no to violence against children is the main goal, according to Hemsworth.
Famous surfers Kelly Slater and Zac Efron also participated in the social media challenge, and maybe more people will openly speak out against child abuse.
Although the campaign began quietly a few years prior, by 2014 it had drawn the interest of numerous prominent media outlets.
The organization has persevered in its hard work and has now existed for a decade. Polished Man claims that $8.7 million has been raised to fund trauma prevention and recovery initiatives for women and children who have experienced or are at danger of experiencing violence in Australia and other
Elliot Page’s Journey Into Finding His New Life in a Male Body
Actress Ellen Page made a remarkable change on her social media profiles on December 1, 2020, revealing a new male identity as Elliot. This unexpected transformation quickly gained widespread attention as Elliot’s posts began circulating online. Netflix promptly responded by updating the credits of their movies and series to acknowledge this change. On Twitter, an outpouring of support was evident, with a post expressing immense pride and love for the newly emerged Elliot.
Life in the body of a woman
Achieving success in the film industry while presenting as a female, Paige made a remarkable entrance into the world of acting at the tender age of 10. Her inaugural role as Maggie MacLean in Pit Pony proved to be an instant triumph, garnering her a nomination for the esteemed Young Artist Award and paving the way for numerous exciting career prospects. By the time Ellen reached 18, she had already amassed an impressive repertoire of over a dozen roles in diverse movies and television shows, a testament to her exceptional talent and unwavering commitment to her craft.
Page’s career reached a significant milestone with their prominent portrayal in the film Juno. Esteemed film critics showered Page with praise, recognizing their “astonishing talent,” while the movie itself was hailed as one of the standout films of the 2000s. At the young age of 20, Page made history as the fourth youngest nominee for the prestigious Academy Award for Best Actress, a truly remarkable accomplishment.
The start of a new life
Despite outwardly achieving success, Page grappled with a sense of incompleteness. From a young age, they carried a profound awareness of being different. Even in childhood, Page felt a stronger identification with being a boy, going as far as signing their name as Jason and expressing to their mother the desire to grow up as a man. Despite the passage of time, the persistent question of identity and the ongoing struggle for self-acceptance regarding their gender remained steadfast.
Just prior to reaching the age of 27, Page chose to share a personal revelation with the public. Initially, he openly acknowledged his attraction to women and subsequently disclosed that he had discovered his ideal partner in dancer and choreographer Emma Portner, whom he married in 2018. The trajectory of their relationship has been unconventional, as Portner had previously been married to a woman and divorced a man. However, the couple ultimately separated in 2020, with their divorce being finalized in early 2021.
Life in the body of a man
With unwavering courage, Elliot Page took to his social media platforms on December 1, 2020, to reveal his authentic identity as a man. Embracing the pronouns he/they and adopting the name Elliot, he fearlessly shared this significant decision with the world. The response was overwhelmingly supportive, with fellow celebrities and individuals alike recognizing him as a beacon of inspiration for transgender and non-binary communities. Even his spouse publicly expressed deep admiration, acknowledging the invaluable presence of trans, queer, and non-binary individuals as a precious gift to the world.
In another groundbreaking milestone, Elliot Page achieved a historic feat by becoming the first transgender man to be featured on the cover of Time magazine. For this momentous occasion, he made a deliberate choice to collaborate with a photographer who could genuinely grasp his unique experience and authentically capture his essence as a transgender man.
During an interview with Time, Elliot openly and sincerely shared details of his personal journey, including his gender-affirming surgery, which he described as not only transforming his life but also serving as a lifesaving intervention. Finally able to embrace his true identity as a man, Elliot expressed that he has always been the person he is today, deeply rooted within himself throughout his entire existence.
Elliot expresses his genuine excitement about being able to act as his authentic self in his own body, remarking, “No matter the challenges and difficult moments of this, nothing amounts to getting to feel how I feel now.” Finally living in harmony with his true self and appearance, Elliot’s life is now enriched with moments of pure joy that were once absent. Simple, everyday things like coming out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist now bring him happiness. Looking in the mirror, he can confidently say, “There I am,” as he revels in the newfound joy of being true to himself.
Undergoing the surgical transformation had a profound impact on Elliot, not only in terms of his physical appearance but also in igniting a newfound wave of creativity within him. Ever since coming out to his loved ones, he has been infused with a powerful sense of inspiration, leading him to embark on various creative endeavors.
This includes writing a film script, exploring his passion for music, and actively working on a memoir that aims to empower and uplift numerous individuals. While engaged in his work on set, Elliot has found that, apart from feeling at ease in his male body, there have been no significant changes to his professional experience.
Why Page talks about it so much
Elliot is often credited with inspiring numerous transgender individuals to embrace their true selves, but the actor holds a different perspective. Despite the overwhelming support received upon coming out, Page sees himself as an activist fighting for the rights of transgender people. He aims to raise public awareness about crucial issues using his platform and privilege. As he expressed, “My privilege has allowed me to have resources to get through and to be where I am today and, of course, I want to use that privilege and platform to help in the ways I can.”
In an interview, Elliot was posed with a thought-provoking question about what message he would convey to his younger self if granted the chance to travel back in time. After careful consideration, the actor responded with profound introspection, expressing, “I would assure my younger self that I was precisely the person I perceived, felt, and understood myself to be.”
But Elliot page isn’t the only famous person to transition, since there have been many before him and will be many after him. And it’s inspiring to see them flourishing after going under such a transformation. And sometimes actors have transformed themselves simply for a role, where the result was jaw-dropping.
Preview photo credit Ninha Morandini / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, elliotpage / Instagram
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