俳優アラン・カミングさん、英勲章返上　大英帝国の「有害性」に抗議

【ロンドンＡＦＰ＝時事】英スコットランド出身の俳優アラン・カミングさんは５８歳を迎えた２７日、「大英帝国」の「有害性」に抗議し、１４年前に授与された大英帝国勲章を返上したと明らかにした。（写真はカミングさん）
　主に米国を拠点とするカミングさんは、演技と米国での性的少数者の権利を向上させる活動を評価され、２００９年に大英帝国勲章のオフィサー章（ＯＢＥ）を授与された。
　カミングさんはインスタグラムで、昨年エリザベス女王が死去した後、君主制の役割について改めて考えてみるようになり、「特に、大英帝国が世界中の先住民の犠牲（と死）の上に利益を得てきたやり方に目が覚めた」と吐露した。
　米国では同性愛者の権利が向上しており、勲章を授与されたメリットは「帝国の有害性と結び付けられる懸念を考えると、今はそれほどない」「だから、この勲章を返上して理由を説明し、授与された時はとてもうれしかったと改めて感謝を伝えた。私は今、ただのアラン・カミングに戻った。ハッピー・バースデー・トゥー・ミー！」とつづっている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/01/30-15:03）

Scottish actor Alan Cumming said on Friday he had returned a UK state honour in protest at the toxicity of the British Empire, 14 years after receiving the award.
Cumming, who is largely US-based, was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2009 in recognition of his acting and his work for LGBTQ+ rights in the United States.
But he said he had reflected further on the role of the monarchy after the death last year of Queen Elizabeth II.
That refection, and especially the way the British Empire profited at the expense (and death) of indigenous peoples across the world really opened my eyes, Cumming said in an Instagram post marking his 58th birthday.
Gay rights had advanced meanwhile in the United States, and any benefit from the award was now less potent than the misgivings I have being associated with the toxicity of empire, Cumming said.
So, I returned my award, explained my reasons and reiterated my great gratitude for being given it in the first place. I'm now back to being plain old Alan Cumming again. Happy birthday to me!
The queen's death also forced a reckoning for Welsh actor Michael Sheen, who handed back his OBE late last year and urged an end to the heir to the British crown being named prince of Wales.
Further back, Beatles songwriter John Lennon returned his MBE medal -- which ranks below an OBE -- in 1969 in protest at UK involvement in a Nigerian civil war and its support for the US war in Vietnam.