"He further said, quoted by Mirror.co.uk: "Also, thankfully, times and laws in the U.S. have changed, and the great good the award brought to the LGBTQ+ cause back in 2009 is now less potent than the misgivings I have being associated with the toxicity of empire (OBE stands for Officer of the British Empire). "The actor told his 479,000 followers he wanted to share with them 'something I recently did for myself.' He further quipped: "I'm now back to being plain old Alan Cumming again. Happy birthday to me! "Cumming also expressed his "great gratitude" for the honour in the first place after explaining his reasons for his decision.

Source: The Times January 29, 2023 17:45 UTC