58-year-old actor Alan Cumming who was presented with an OBE at the Buckingham Palace during late Queen Elizabeth's birthday honours in 2009 for his ‘activism for equal rights for the gay and lesbian community’ in the US, has handed back the award.
Cumming announced on Friday, January 27, that he handed back the award over 'toxicity' in the British Empire.
He wrote;
"The Queen’s death and the ensuing conversations about the role of monarchy and especially the way the British Empire profited at the expense (and death) of indigenous peoples across the world really opened my eyes.
"Also, thankfully, times and laws in the US have changed, and the great good the award brought to the LGBTQ+ cause back in 2009 is now less potent than the misgivings I have being associated with the toxicity of empire (OBE stands for Officer of the British Empire).
"I’m now back to being plain old Alan Cumming again. Happy birthday to me!"
Cumming also expressed his 'great gratitude' for the honour in the first place after explaining his reasons for his decision.
At the time of accepting the award, same-sex marriage was illegal and gay couples could not ‘enjoy the same basic legal rights as straight people.'
No comments:
Post a Comment