Actress Ellen Page delivered a passionate speech condemning politicians who “hate people” as she accused the US vice president of being homophobic.
Page, who married her wife Emma Portner in January last year, appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert in the US on Thursday.
The 31-year-old star of films including Juno and Inception became emotional as she accused President Donald Trump and his Vice President Mike Pence of discriminating against the LGBT community.
.@EllenPage is fed up with leaders who promote hatred and intolerance. #LSSC pic.twitter.com/apxXzye5SF
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) February 1, 2019
Mr Pence, who was the governor of Indiana from 2013 to 2017, has long been accused of holding anti-LGBT views.
Page said: “I am fired up tonight, it feels impossible not to feel this way right now, with the president and Vice President Mike Pence, who wishes I couldn’t be married.
“Let’s just be clear. The vice president of America wishes I didn’t have the love with my wife. He wanted to ban that in Indiana.”
Page said Mr Pence advocates conversion therapy, although a spokesman for the politician has denied the allegation and told the New York Times in 2016 a “past campaign statement had been misinterpreted”.
Page accused Mr Pence of attacking the LGBT community while he was governor, before adding that she thinks there is a link between anti-gay rhetoric and violence being carried out against members of the community.
She pointed to the case of Empire actor Jussie Smollett, who earlier this week was allegedly the victim of a homophobic and racist attack.
Page said: “Connect the dots. This is what happens. If you are in a position of power and you hate people and you want to cause suffering to them, you go through the trouble – you spend your career trying to cause suffering, what do you think is going to happen?
“Kids are going to be abused and they are going to kill themselves and people are going to be beaten on the street. I have travelled the world and I have met the most marginalised people you can meet.
“I am lucky to have this time and the privilege to say this. This needs to f****** stop.”
The audience burst out into sustained applause while an emotional Page collected herself.
Page was appearing on Colbert to promote her new Netflix show The Umbrella Academy.