Alan Cumming, a Scottish actor, caused controversy online when he revealed that he had returned the Best Officer of the British Empire (OBE) Medal he received in 2009. On January 27, the actor The 58-year-old took to Instagram to write a long letter about the recent “opening eyes” to the “poison trick” of the British Empire.
He declared:
“Fourteen years ago, I was really excited to receive it on the Queen’s Birthday Honors List in 2009, as it was given not only for my work as an actor, but also for my work as an actor. is a ‘gay and lesbian equal rights activist in the United States.’ .'”
Then he said:
“Fortunately, circumstances and laws in the United States have changed, and the enormous benefit the award has had on the LGBTQ+ movement in 2009 is now less powerful than the reservations I felt about joining the LGBTQ+ movement. tied to the poison of the empire.”
Alan Cumming, who became a US citizen in 2008, said some of the country’s anti-gay laws at the time were the ones he fought against. The Marriage Protection Act and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which bans openly gay people from serving in the military, are among others on the list.
Alan Cumming’s views changed after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Cumming recalled the message he sent after being awarded an OBE for the same work. He expressed “surprise” and “delight” at the recognition, saying:
“I am extremely passionate about the fight for equal rights for the LGBT community in the United States and I take this honor as motivation to continue fighting for what I believe is right and what I take for granted. as a citizen of the United Kingdom. Thank you to the Queen and the individuals on her birthday honor roll for calling attention to the US government’s inaction on this issue. I’m happy to be British and it gives me energy as an American.”
However, he said his thinking changed after Queen Elizabeth II’s death and that arguments about the British Empire dominated the debate.
Then he said:
“The Queen’s death and subsequent debates about the role of the monarchy, especially how the British Empire benefited from the cost (and carnage) of Indigenous peoples around the world , is a really eye-opening thing for me.”
Twitter responds to Alan Cumming’s decision to reinstate OBE.
After Alan Cumming’s Instagram post about the British Empire’s “poison” went viral, netizens had mixed opinions. Some commenters berated the actor for acting to gain attention, including one calling him a “traitor”. Others have pointed out that one must give up all titles and honors to become a citizen of the United States, thus calling the British Empire “poison” is untrue. Others praised Cumming’s brave decision to return the OBE, calling him “an absolute legend”. Cumming told The Hollywood Reporter on January 29 that he didn’t expect such an “international” reaction to his choice and that it “broke the internet.”
This lousy Scottish nationalist, Alan Cumming, just got his OBE back. An insult to our queen. He can also pay back all the money the BBC paid him. From UK licensees. After all, he hates the British! pic.twitter.com/Z8U2679whJ
– Sergeant Shutup (@sergeantsshutup) January 27, 2023
Alan Cumming on why he got his OBE back ✊ I agree with him. pic.twitter.com/4xPdIhAGNV
– Joe MacReany (@JMacreany) January 28, 2023
Categories: Entertaintment
Source: vcmp.edu.vn