Alan Cumming has given himself a strange birthday present.
The actor has announced on his Instagram profile that he is renouncing his distinction as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE, for its acronym in English, where they are commonly used) that he was awarded in 2009. "Today I am 58 years old and I want to tell you something that I have recently done for myself.
I have given up my OBE ”, he has written.
He does it, he has explained himself, after a deep reflection that began last September.
“The death of the Queen [Elizabeth II] and the discussions that followed about the role of the monarchy and, in particular, about the way in which the British Empire benefited at the expense (and death) of the indigenous peoples of Everyone opened my eyes", he has sentenced.
Cumming, who has dual Scottish and American citizenship, is a popular face on film and on television.
Although he hasn't gotten to star in many movies, he has had roles in popular franchises like
James Bond, X Men,
and
Spy Kids
.
He also participated in the series
The Good Wife,
thanks to whose role as Eli Gold he was nominated for an Emmy three times.
It has been this solid and prolonged career, together with his activism in defense of the civil rights of the LGTBI collective, which led to him being granted that distinction by the crown.
“I am truly surprised and delighted to receive this honor.
I am especially happy to be honored for both my activism and my work," the actor said then.
However, his opinion has changed in these 14 years.
More information
Alan Cumming visits a refugee center in Lebanon
"The great good that the award brought to the LGBTQ+ cause in 2009 is now less potent than the misgivings that it causes me to be associated with the toxicity of the empire," explained the actor.
Then Cumming had just obtained American citizenship.
He turned to fighting some homophobic bills, such as the Defense of Marriage Act, which prevented federal recognition of same-sex marriages, or the "don't ask, don't answer" policy
. don't tell
”), which prohibited openly gay, lesbian or bisexual people from serving in the military.
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A post shared by Alan Cumming (@alancummingreally)
Cumming's resignation is read within a broader process, a collective reflection on the role of the crown and its relationship with the imperialist past of Great Britain, which has been opened as a result of the death of Elizabeth II.
When she was crowned, in 1953, she inherited a decaying empire, but managed to maintain a formal unity under the ambiguous structure of the Commonwealth.
Philip of Edinburgh went so far as to say that his wife did not practice so much as queen in this Commonwealth of Nations, but as a "psychotherapist".
The British case is not exceptional either.
Other European royal houses, such as the Netherlands, are coming to grips with their colonial past.
The presentation of Princess Amalia of the Netherlands during her official visit to the Caribbean these days can be read in this context.
The Order of the British Empire is an association of British chivalry.
It was created in 1917 by King George V and comprises five classes in the civil and military divisions.
There are the members, the officers (rank to which Cumming belonged), the commanders, the knights or ladies commanders and the Knight's or Dame's Grand Cross.
Its members include singers like Adele, Kylie Minogue or MIA, writers like Salman Rushdie, actresses and actors like Emma Thompson, Ewan McGregor, Kate Winslet or Benedict Cumberbatch, designers like Victoria Beckham or Ralph Lauren, athletes like Lewis Hamilton or the soccer player Pelé. , businessmen like Ana Botín or even politicians like Esperanza Aguirre.
Cumming isn't the only celebrity to backtrack on his honors.
In 1969, John Lennon reinstated him as an OBE for, among other things, England's support of the Vietnam War.
Most recently, Welsh actor Michael Sheen returned his OBE, awarded in 2009, after reading about the history of Wales and his relationship with the British Empire.
Now Cumming can enjoy another reinvention.
As he said when taking leave of his post: “Now I'm old Alan Cumming again.
Happy birthday".