The Traitors host Alan Cumming praised for wearing a trans flag on stage at the Emmys
Alan Cumming wore a trans flag while accepting the Outstanding Reality Competition Program award for “The Traitors” onstage during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards (Getty)
Bisexual actor and TV host Alan Cumming has been widely praised for wearing a transgender flag medal on stage at the Emmys on Sunday (15 September).
Cumming, who hosts the US version of hit reality show The Traitors, was accepting the award for Outstanding Host of a Reality Series, finally knocking fellow LGBTQ+ legend RuPaul off the top spot. Mama Ru has won the Outstanding Host award for the previous eight years in a row.
In his acceptance speech, Cumming said, “We are so grateful because we are a new show, and you guys, when you like something, you tend to stick to it, which is a good quality, so we appreciate it all the more.”
He thanked “everyone in our castle, the cast and crew, that works so hard and get so wet by the Scottish weather.” He also gave his native Scotland a shout out noting, “I owe it everything; it’s such a beautiful co-star.”
But it was the small object on his chest, rather than his words, that garnered the most reaction online. He was wearing a small medal – a “military merit” – that he’d improved by adding a trans flag.
After LGBTQ+ advocacy organisation GLAAD shared a clip of him on stage wearing the trans “medal”, people flooded the comments with praise and thanks.
One person wrote: “Alan Cumming is an international hero. He makes me proud of my Scottish heritage.”
Another added: “He’s so deliciously flashy that it took me a minute to spot the trans ribbon! Love him!”
Alan Cumming has been a vocal trans ally for many years.
In 2020, the Cabaret and The Good Wife actor shared a very strong message for people who get upset about everyone sharing their pronouns, namely, “F**k you.”
In 2021, he delivered a plea for trans equality, suggesting that transphobia is often a simple “fear of the unknown.”
Writing in The Times, he alluded to the anti-trans trope that being trans is a passing fad, explaining: “To anyone who thinks this way, I thank you for your concern. But I ask you to consider that maybe trans people seem to be more common these days because, for the first time, the climate makes them feel safe to come out and present in the way they feel is their best selves.”
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