pensionbenefits toAndree,despite theirdomestic-
partnershipstatus.
Thecouple’sstrugglereceivednationalattention,
and—withoutgiving toomuchaway— itseventual
outcomesetaprecedent thatrequiredauthorities
touphold therightsofdomesticpartnerships in the
sameway theywould formarriages.
At the timePagebecame involvedwith
Freeheld
,
shehadyet tocomeout,but this factdidnotdiminish
heremotional response to thestory. “Iwassomoved
by it,”shesays. “Idon’trememberhavinganyhesita-
tionbecauseofmycloseted-ness.”
MichaelShannon,whoplaysHester’ssympathetic
policepartner in the film, insists that thequestion
ofwhetherPagewas inoroutof theclosetdidn’t
evencrosshismind. “Itmadenodifference,”hesays.
“Someone’ssexuality isnodifferenta fact than their
heightorweight.”
Evenso,Page felt thatshehad tocomeoutbefore
the film’srelease. “It’s justunacceptablenot to.
“For twopeoplewho livedsoprivately,whowere
bynomeansactivists inany form for theLGBT
community, ina time thatIassumewouldbe the
most traumaticofStacie’s life—andobviously,
theendofLaurel’s— todosomethingsoexposedand
brave.”Thatstory,Pagesays, carrieswith itarespon-
sibility tobe true to thewomenat thecenterof it.
A
LSO, PAGEWANTED
tobe true toherself.
“Iwas justdone,”shesays. “It’sso toxic to
justbehiding; itbecomessoconsuming
withoutyouevenknowing it’sconsuming
Pageattends a
press event for
thefilm
Freeheld
during the 10th
RomeFilm
Festival.
66
DECEMBER2015
AMERICANWAY
PHOTO
VITTOR IO ZUNINO CELOTTO/GETTY IMAGES
“Forme, itwas agreat opportunity tobehonest,
to sharecertainelementsof
THEPAINTHAT IWENTTHROUGH
.”
