X-Men Fan Favorite Actor Just Returned Their Highest Honor
X-Men 2 star Alan Cumming recently returned his OBE to the British government.
In a recent Instagram post, the X2: X-Men United actor Alan Cumming returned his OBE, citing toxicity among the British Empire as the reason for giving up the honor. Peacock‘s The Traitor host Alan Cumming received the Office of the Order of the British Empire over 10 years ago from Queen Elizabeth II. Given out to individuals for their service to the community, the actor was awarded for his activism among the LGBTQ community, but now he says he is just “plain old Alan Cumming again.”
Over his career, Alan Cumming worked to promote LGBTQ rights by attending fundraisers and supporting prominent charities. In 2009, Queen Elizabeth II noticed his work and awarded Alan Cumming the OBE for his work fighting for the LGBTQ community.
Back in 2009, America was a very different place for people in the LGBTQ community. Two major Clinton-era policies still stood in place limiting the rights of the LGBTQ community in America: the Defense of Marriage Act and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
The Defense of Marriage Act prevented LGBTQ couples from getting married and enjoying the same basic legal rights as their straight counterparts. In the military, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell kept openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual people from serving.
Upon receiving the award in 2009, Alan Cumming accepted the OBE with honor. The British citizen spent much of his early activism working to fight for equality for the LGBTQ community in America and saw the award as a sign of the royal family’s support for his work.
Queen Elizabeth II passed away recently. Her death on September 8, 2022 turned many people from across the globe’s attention to the long-standing traditions of the royal family. While the Queen’s death was mourned by many, it was bittersweet to others.
The British royal family, and Queen Elizabeth II, have a tumultuous past. Queen Elizabeth II herself has a number of controversies tied to her name. From the death of Princess Diana to the numerous allegations of racism from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The British royal family remains a modern figurehead of a bygone colonial era. The British Empire used to be the largest in the world, stretching across the globe and upsetting the livelihood of numerous indigenous communities. While some say Queen Elizabeth II only inherited the nation’s horrific past, many others note how she did nothing to rectify it.
Even with much of the historic British Empire disbanded, the effects of an imperialist nation were still felt by numerous indigenous communities. For instance, in 1952, the Mau Mau insurrection began in Kenya. The British military responded brutally and imprisoned millions of Kenyans.
Alan Cumming, who will be in the upcoming movie Marlowe, relinquished his OBE on his 58th birthday. For him, giving up the award was a gift to himself. Citing the misgiving of the British Empire and Queen Elizabeth II, Alan Cumming decided now was the time to give back the title.
In 2009, the Marriage Equality Act had yet to be passed. Gay and lesbian couples could not get married in the United States. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell prevented members of the LGBTQ community from serving in the military. Today, these policies have been overturned.
To Alan Cumming, the good the OBE brought to the LGBTQ is not needed as much nowadays. Today, the OBE symbolizes support for the Queen and the misgivings of the British Empire. Alan Cumming decided it was time to part ways with OBE and pave a new path into the future for himself, the LGBTQ community, and the many indigenous communities wronged in the past.
