Arienne Thompson

USA TODAY

When Inception actress Ellen Page came out on Valentine's Day, Hollywood applauded her bravery and wrapped her in its embrace, but she was anticipating a much different reaction from the outside world for her bold move.

"I expected so much more hate," she admits to Flare magazine. But the aftermath "was just remarkably positive, which is beautiful, because it's indicative of the change that's happening."

Page also admits that it took her a long time to feel comfortable in her own skin and to even build up the courage to be her true self.

"You think you're in a place where you're all, 'I'm thrilled to be gay, I have no issues about being gay anymore, I don't feel shame about being gay,' but you actually do. You're just not fully aware of it. I think I still felt scared about people knowing. I felt awkward around gay people; I felt guilty for not being myself."

Ultimately, she decided that coming out in a very public way was the only way to shed her insecurities and live a full life. "The more time went by, the more something just happened, an 'Oh my God – I want to love someone freely and walk down the street and hold my girlfriend's hand.'"

And, she says, it was important for her to surrender her privacy as a celebrity for something this significant.

"You hear things like, 'People shouldn't know about your life because you're creating an illusion on-screen.' But I don't see other actresses going to great lengths to hide their heterosexuality. That's an unfair double standard."