Alan Cumming has returned the honorary OBE award he received from the Queen in 2009, saying his eyes were opened to the “toxicity” of the British Empire after her death in September.
the X men The actor announced in a post on Instagram to celebrate his 58th birthday.
He said he was “incredibly grateful” to receive the 2009 award, not only for his achievements as an actor, but also for his activism promoting equality for the gay and lesbian community in the United States.
“At the time, the Defense of Marriage Act prevented same-sex couples from marrying or enjoying the same basic legal rights as straight people, and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” openly prohibited gay, lesbian, or bisexual people from serving in the army,” he wrote.
The Scottish-born actor has lived in New York since 2000, where he currently plays the American version the traitors, said his feelings about the award had changed.
“The ensuing conversations about the role of the monarchy, and especially how the British Empire favored (and killed) indigenous peoples around the world, were eye-opening,” he wrote.
He added that conditions for the LGBTQ+ community in the US have changed for the better.
“Thankfully, times and laws have changed in the US, and the great good that the 2009 award brought to the LGBTQ+ cause is now less powerful than the doubts I have about the toxicity of the empire,” he wrote.
Cumming said he returned the OBE and gave his reasons for the move, while expressing gratitude for receiving it in the first place.
Author: Melanie Goodfellow
Source: Deadline
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