Actress Ellen Page, who was nominated for an Oscar for her role in "Juno," came out as a lesbian on Friday at a Las Vegas conference for gay teens.
"I am tired of hiding and I am tired of lying by omission," the 26-year-old actress said in a speech at the event sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign.
"I'm here today because I am gay. And because ... maybe I can make a difference," she said. "To help others have an easier and more hopeful time. Regardless, for me, I feel a personal obligation and a social responsibility."
Page, who in 2007 played a pregnant teen in "Juno," also starred in "X-Men: The Last Stand." She is working on "Freeheld," a drama about a terminally ill police detective fighting to assign her retirement benefits to a lesbian lover.
Page said she suffered for years because she was scared to be public about her sexuality.
"My spirit suffered, my mental health suffered and my relationships suffered," she said.
The Human Rights Campaign, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy group that posted her speech on its website, congratulated Page for completing the "arduous journey" of coming out.
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