Alan Cumming, a 58-year-old actor, has returned the OBE he received in 2009 at Buckingham Palace during the late Queen Elizabeth’s birthday honors for his “activist work for equal rights for the homosexual and lesbian community” in the US.
On Friday, January 27, Cumming declared that he had retracted the award due to “toxicity” inside the British Empire.
He composed;
“The death of the Queen and the discussions that followed regarding the monarchy’s function, in particular how the British Empire made money at the expense (and murder) of indigenous peoples around the world, really opened my eyes.
The great benefit the award gave to the LGBTQ+ cause back in 2009 is now less potent than the concerns I have being associated with the toxicity of empire, because to the happily altered times and laws in the US (OBE stands for Officer of the British Empire).
“I’ve reverted to my previous self, Alan Cumming. To me, a happy birthday!
Following an explanation of his choice, Cumming also expressed his “deep thanks” for the honor in the first place.
Gay couples could not “enjoy the same basic legal rights as heterosexual individuals” at the time they accepted the prize because same-sex marriage was banned at that time.
