Ellen Page came out this past week, calling her previous silence a lie of omission.

She said that she hopes to be able to make a difference for others like her, bringing up the topic of how the nation in general, as well as Hollywood, treats people who are different. Page came out as gay at the Time to THRIVE conference in Las Vegas on Friday while giving what became a truly inspiring speech. The news immediately hit the Internet, and in true twenty-first century fashion celebrities poured out well wishes on Twitter. "Props to @EllenPage for helping so many people through their daily struggles by courageously leading by example and coming out on V Day!" wrote Emile Hirsch. Other celebrities quickly followed, with tweets of "Congratulations!" making the topic go viral.

Page's announcement and her subsequent remarks bring the issue of sexuality back into the limelight. While celebrities struggle with coming out of the closet, so to speak, they often do so on the platform of supporting other gay individuals around the country and the world who do not feel like they can be themselves, whether from pressure from family, friends, society in general or some combination of all of those factors. As gay marriage is currently one of the biggest hot-button topics in the country, well on its way to the Supreme Court, there are still tons of people around the country who do not feel comfortable addressing their sexuality publicly. 

Page's speech reminds us that people are people and it is important to be supportive of one another, to keep the issue in the limelight as we fight for equality for every man and woman in the country. Celebrities continue to tweet to support her brave decision, and Page reminds us that we each have the opportunity to be supportive of someone else in our own lives, regardless of whether we agree with their decisions.