Ellen Page, who famously portrayed the pregnant teenager Juno in the movie of the same name, has come out as a lesbian, admitting her “spirit suffered, my mental health suffered and my relationships suffered,” due to hiding her sexuality, according to The Telegraph.

Ellen PageEllen Page has helped hundreds of non-famous people be themselves with her statement

She made her statement on Friday at a Las Vegas conference for gay teens, and in doing so, provides another important step for the acceptance of gay culture within mainstream society. "I am tired of hiding and I am tired of lying by omission," the 26-year-old actress said in a speech at the Time to Thrive conference 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,” she added. "My spirit suffered, my mental health suffered and my relationships suffered. And I'm standing here today, with all of you, on the other side of all that pain."

The stigma attached to homosexuality within the world of acting isn’t quite as that of the sporting world. Which is why Michael Sam - the first openly gay NFL top prospect told a Texas newspaper – represented a monumental step in the quest for ultimate equality.

The world of the NFL is an incredibly homophobic sport, as any male dominated sport generally tends to be. He announced that he was gay in an interview with Chris Connelly on ESPN's Outside the Lines, becoming one of the first publicly out college football players. If he is drafted in the 2014 NFL Draft or signed by an NFL team as an undrafted free agent, he could become the first publically gay player NFL history.