Elliot Page attends New York Premiere at NewFest Pride ‘Close to You’ at SVA Theatre in New York on June 1, 2024
Photo: Shutterstock
Elliot Page is going to teach us about the birds and the bees — specifically the queer ones.
The Oscar, Emmy, and Golden Globe-nominated actor is set to narrate Second Nature, an upcoming documentary about animals that exhibit same-sex sexual behavior and other “queer” traits often overlooked by both traditional nature documentaries and science broadly.
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Directed by Drew Denny, the doc will examine some of the more than 1,500 species that “engage in same-sex sexual behavior and parenting, change sex, form matriarchies, and more,” according to a release provided to Deadline.
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“The film debunks harmful myths about sex and gender, following trans trailblazer Dr. Joan Roughgarden and groundbreaking female, BIPOC and immigrant scientists who face fierce opposition for correcting the record.”
“For centuries, we have been told that when it comes to gender and sexuality, all these millions of species follow a certain set of rules,” Page says in a clip from the film. “But what if this narrative fails to capture the full spectrum of life’s diversity?”
“Homosexual behavior in nature is one of the best-kept secrets,” one expert notes in the clip. “It’s absolutely everywhere.” She goes on to list several species that are known to have homosexual sex or form same-sex pair bonds, including dolphins, penguins, black swans, and grey-necked geese.
At another point in the teaser, Roughgarden notes that not only do many animal species exhibit homosexual behavior, some also transition from one sex to another. “Some can even change back and forth,” she adds.
The clip is just a taste of what’s to come. According to Deadline, an hour-long cut of Second Nature will screen at the Frameline Film Festival later this month, where Page will also receive the festival’s Trailblazer Award. A feature-length version of the film is still in production.
“What a joy and honor it has been to narrate this beautiful, funny, enlightening and inspiring documentary,” Page said in a statement. “Second Nature reveals the full spectrum of life and how when it comes to gender and sexuality in nature, the diversity is endless. I learned so much and am thrilled others will too.”
“I’m so honored that Elliot will be the voice of our film,” Denny said. “Not only is he a phenomenal actor, but he’s an activist with a big heart-taking such care to use his platform to better the lives (and save the lives) of queer folks during this time of relentless attacks. We’re so impressed by him, and we are so lucky he’s joined our team.”
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