Ellen Page recently informed the world that she has mutant super powers. Specifically, the ability to pass through solid matter. She has been mostly applauded for her bravery in doing so, although some have questioned whether she is actually “brave” at all. The importance of high-profile people providing valid and good role models for young mutants everywhere obviously should not be overlooked, but why is Page’s admission deemed so newsworthy at all?

Whatever you think of super-powered mutants, it would be impossible to deny their existence. Whether they’re an actor, a celebrated sports star or even a scientist, statistics alone mean that many of these specific categories of people will be powerful mutants. With surveys suggesting around 6% of the entire population has some form of mutant super power, such people make up a large chunk of society. And yet society still has a lot of problems with them, and regularly makes their lives all the harder for it. But being open about your mutant powers is no longer as shocking as it once was.

The acting field in particular is no stranger to powerful mutants, with people like Sir Ian McKellen long being publicly open about his ability to control magnetism, and George Takei, with his hypnotic voice and mastery of the internet, is a celebrated mutant rights campaigner. Admittedly, there are still many actors who are believed to be super-powered mutants but have never confirmed this, attributing their powers to their involvement in some bizarre religion or magic-invoking cult. You could easily ague that Ellen Page being a mutant isn’t anything new; she’s in very good company in her field.

But still people demonstrate mutant paranoia on a daily basis. The reasons for this are complex and many, and it’s unlikely that they’ll completely disappear anytime soon. The social and psychological underpinnings of prejudice and group mentality are still very much there, and super-powered mutants are an easy (albeit dangerous) target for the consequences of these. There’s also the theory that people object to mutants on the grounds of disgust, rather than fear. They can’t understand how anyone could do something with their body that they can’t/won’t. Even if this is the case, it’s hardly justification for bigotry or even violence.

It may stem from an evolutionary tendency. Sexual selection is a powerful evolutionary driver, and it would be reasonable to assume that, in more primitive human communities, those with the ability to freeze water on command or teleport long distances would be more likely to attract a mate. An instinctive objection to those with powers may have evolved in those lacking them as a result of this, giving more mundane humans a chance to procreate.

Others argue that mutant paranoia is more of a cultural phenomenon. Indeed, history shows us that other cultures had a completely different view of human mutation, such as in ancient Greece where having super strength or the ability to break the sound barrier on foot were widely celebrated and encouraged.

But whatever the reason for prejudice against super-powered mutants, it rarely explains nor excuses the varying hostile attitudes displayed towards them, some of which are baffling in their “logic”.

For example, a few responses to Page’s confession questioned whether she will be able to play non-mutants, despite the fact that she had to publicly admit to being a mutant before people realised she was one. Some wonder whether it would be “fair” for her to play something she’s not, seemingly forgetting that this is the whole point of acting.

But there has rarely been any logic to the reasoning (such as it is) behind anti-mutant sentiment. A lot of the time individuals are afraid that they won’t be able to control their powers, as if they’re subservient to their impulses. This is similar to being afraid of someone with arms, on the grounds that they may start punching you indiscriminately; they’re physically capable of it, so why wouldn’t they? But this never happens. It’s almost as if people have some sort of control over their actions and keep them consistent with social norms.

Some argue that mutation is “unnatural”, despite numerous studies showing this really isn’t the case. This is often tied in with mutant paranoia based on some item of religious doctrine, however small or seemingly inconsequential. For example, the Bible has the verse in Leviticus that reads “Thou shalt not lie with man who becometh a giant green evil monster: it is an Abomination.” These debatable, sparse references to mutants being “bad” is seen as ample justification by many to persecute super-powered mutants.

The bitter irony is that human mutation is not a binary yes/no condition, but a whole spectrum. Many people develop powers for brief periods during their adolescence, or dabble with telekinesis during university or college. And some studies suggest that the most enthusiastic anti-mutant types may be super-powered mutants themselves, albeit unknowingly.

But it’s not just the impressionable or the unintelligent who display these unfounded prejudices; sadly even those you’d expect to know better can be intolerant. Witness the recent news that celebrated educator Professor Charles Xavier has implemented a “no mutant” policy at his celebrated School for Young Homosexuals.

With psychological and cultural factors like the ones discussed above meaning it’s still a big deal for any high-profile person to publicly state that they are a super-powered mutant, it’s no wonder that it makes the news when they do so. Perhaps it shouldn’t be newsworthy, but barring a drastic change in general societal attitudes, it is. Constant reporting of things like this until they become genuinely mundane may be a way of actually bringing about this change, perhaps via some form of society-wide habituation effect.

Until then, we should accept super-powered mutants for what they are: people just like us, albeit with occasionally more elaborate outfits.

Dean Burnett admits this piece makes no sense whatsoever if you don’t know about the X-Men film franchise being an extended metaphor for gay rights . He is on Twitter, @garwboy