Gay actor Alan Cumming receives OBE in Queen’s birthday honours
Scottish actor and gay rights campaigner Alan Cumming has received an OBE in the annual Queen’s birthday honours list.
Cumming, who now lives in New York, used his honour to highlight the “inaction” of the US government on gay rights.
Writing on his blog, he said: “The fight for equality for the LGBT community in the US is something I am very passionate about, and I see this honour as encouragement to go on fighting for what I believe is right and for what I take for granted as a UK citizen.
“Thank you to the Queen and those who make up her birthday honours list for bringing attention to the inaction of the US government on this issue. It makes me very proud to be British, and galvanised as an American.”
The X-Men star added: “I am really shocked and delighted to receive this honour. I am especially happy to be honoured for my activism as much as for my work.
Despite some reports, he will not be known as Sir Alan. Only those receiving the highest honours of knighthoods may use ‘sir’ before their names. However, he may put OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) after his name.
Other honours recipients included celebrity hairdresser Vidal Sassoon, US economist David Blanchflower, Delia Smith, golfer Nick Faldo and Dracula actor Christopher Lee.
