Elliot Page becomes first trans man to feature on Time magazine cover

34-year-old Oscar-nominated Canadian actor and producer Elliot Page has become the first transgender man ever to appear on the cover of Time magazine.

Formerly known as Ellen Page, he will appear on the forthcoming issue of the magazine under the headline, “I’m fully who I am.” It is the first interview Page has given since disclosing in December last year that he is transgender.

The cover was shot by trans photographer Wynne Neill, who posted the cover image to Instagram, describing it as a “dream assignment.”

Page put up a post on Twitter, sharing the cover with a message, “With deep respect for those who came before me, gratitude for those who have supported me & great concern for the generation of trans youth we must all protect, please join me and decry anti-trans legislation, hate & discrimination in all its forms.”

Page, who has appeared in movies like X-Men and Inception, currently stars in the leading role in Netflix hit “The Umbrella Academy”, and had previously been nominated for various awards for the Oscar-winning 2007 independent film “Juno.”

The actor wrote on Instagram at the time that he could not “begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self”. In the interview with TIME reporter Katy Steinmetz, he discusses the struggle for trans equality, and the mixed reaction to his announcement when he decided to come out.

“Extremely influential people are spreading these myths and damaging rhetoric — every day you’re seeing our existence debated,” he said in the interview about his struggles. “Transgender people are so very real.”

Earlier, Laverne Cox became the first trans woman to appear on the cover of the Time Magazine when she featured on the cover in 2014 under the headline “The Transgender Tipping Point”.