‘Gaycation’ Hosts Ellen Page And Ian Daniel Confront Gay-Killing Hitman

Since publicly coming out as a lesbian in 2014, actress Ellen Page has become an LGBT activist. The Juno actress has even started her own documentary series, Gaycation, which she hosts along with her best friend and fellow activist, Ian Daniel. The series takes Page and Daniel around the world to explore LGBT communities throughout various cultures.

Gaycation Goes To Brazil And Meets Up With A Gay-Killing Hitman

Gaycation recently took the pair to Brazil, where Ellen and Ian ended up in a rooftop confrontation with a gay-killing hitman. The subject of their interview in this Gaycation episode is a contract killer who specifically targets gay victims, because he so earnestly disapproves of the gay lifestyle.

“To be honest with you, when we were on the roof of a house in the favela and this guy came up, the feeling in my body shifted,” Ms. Page says of meeting the hitman, who, incidentally, works as a police officer by day.

Naturally, the assassin is disguised on camera, hidden beneath oversized sunglasses, a bandana, and a hat. His voice is altered as well, as viewers learn, when the killer responds to Page’s question of whether murdering innocent people conflicts with his duties to uphold the law.

“No, I think every pigsty needs to be cleaned up,” he replies. “They are worse than animals… If they cross my path I will take care of them.”

At this point in the interview, we learn that the hitman doesn’t yet know all of the facts. He’s about to be told that both Page and Daniel are gay, but, before Ellen makes the revelation, she gets permission from her crew, knowing that it may put everyone’s life at risk.

Ms. Page said she definitely noticed a change in the man’s demeanor, after she told him the truth about Gaycation. He no longer made eye contact with Ellen or with any of the production team members.

Gaycation Is Not The Cute Romp Around The World That It Sounds Like

From the title, one might expect a tour of exotic vacation sites with special slant towards hot spots that cater to the gay community, but, if that’s what you’re expecting, prepare for some culture shock of your own. Ellen Page, working with long-time friends Ian Daniel and producer Spike Jonze, wanted to create something more, a series that would explore LGBT communities around the world, but also address issues from a hard-hitting journalistic standpoint.

“No matter what country you’re in, you’re going to find LGBT people who are vulnerable and struggling,” says Ms. Page. “For me, it was also a journey of learning more about LGBT history and culture and also to demonstrate what it means to be a gay person and travel around the world.”

When asked whether Gaycation is intended to inspire the LGBT community to travel or whether the show is meant to stir up advocacy, Ellen says she hopes the documentary series will do both. Certainly, she would like to showcase vacation spots where it would be okay for gay couples to show public affection, but, Page adds, she won’t shy away from places like Brazil, where violence against the gay community is running rampant.

Already in Gaycation‘s first season, the show has made history with an exclusive opportunity. Never before captured on film, Ellen Page and Ian Daniel took their crew to Jamaica, where the gay community celebrated the first ever public Pride event.

“After having been there for two weeks and meeting a lot of people who face a lot of difficulties, it was pretty unbelievable to see people out in the middle of Kingston with rainbow flags,” Ms. Page said. “It was basically like a flash mob, nothing official. I felt really grateful to them for letting us film.”

The next episode of Gaycation airs on Wednesday, March 9, on Viceland TV.

[Image by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images ]