Up & Cumming: Actor Alan Cumming on the Battle for GLBT Equality
He's played a mutant, a mad scientist, a god. He's been a writer, a producer, a runway model. He's led pride parades, hiked the Great Wall of China and developed his own fragrance line. He sings, he dances, he fights for equality.
A Tony award winner for his role as the Emcee in Cabaret, Scottish actor Alan Cumming is also a tireless advocate, working hard to raise awareness for some of our most important issues of our time - including gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights and HIV/AIDS awareness. And he's one of our most articulate spokesmen.
Sitting in a café in downtown San Francisco, Cumming, a recent HRC Humanitarian Award winner, spoke at length with Equality editor Janice Hughes about being so active, being so out and being, well - just so fabulous.
Equality: Do you think the creative community has an obligation to be politically active?
Cumming: I think if you're an artist, then you are political by nature. You have to be political if you're actually in the arena of exchanging ideas and communicating things to people. It's not like a duty, it's almost like an inevitability that you want to share those ideas with people. Especially if you're one of a group that's being prejudiced against.
Equality: You've been described as "pansexual."
Cumming: I like "queer." That's my favorite. I like it because it defines more than sexuality, actually. It's more all-encompassing. In a way, I think it's really sad that people define themselves so clearly by a label or what their interests are, or what group you move within. It's self-ghettoizing in a funny sort of way, and actually I think they close themselves off to the potential of other experiences. I find women attractive. So I would say I'm bisexual. But you know, "queer" is easier for people to understand.
Equality: National Coming Out Day is October 11. Do you have advice for young people who are working toward coming out?
Cumming: I just think you need to say to yourself, "There's absolutely nothing wrong with who I am." There's so much shame attached to all forms of sexuality in America, let alone homosexuality. You have to say, "It's great being gay. I'm great. The person I am is good enough and absolutely as good as anyone else." We can only really ask for equality if we believe that there is no shame in what we are and who we are.
Equality: Do you think there is hope for marriage equality in the world?
Cumming: If you look at Spain and Canada. Spain has not only recognized gay marriage but also adoption for same-sex couples. It's really astounding what's happening, and America is really backward. We are second-class citizens, we're denied rights, we're derided everywhere. Just look at that on a purely on a civil rights basis - imagine if we were Jewish or black or disabled, how unacceptable that would be.
Equality: Is it harder for celebrities to be out than it is for other people?
Cumming: I don't think so. I think that's actually a lot of hoo-ha. It's much easier if you're famous. I don't get the thing about - that it's so difficult to come out if you're famous because it will affect your career. I don't think people care as much. I really don't.
Equality: Do you know other celebrities who are still in the closet?
Cumming: Yes. [Laughs.]
Equality: Have you enjoyed filming "The L Word"? What can we expect from your character when he debuts next season?
Cumming: It's been going great. It's hilarious, my God, wait till you see it. I play this guy who's a club promoter. He's a Mary Poppins kind of guy: he comes in, changes everyone - it's very racy. It's kind of soapy as well, which I like. It's really lovely, I quite enjoy this television in America.
Equality: You've volunteered for Planned Parenthood. Are you worried that changes on the Supreme Court might be dangerous for Roe v. Wade?
Cumming: Absolutely. It's really scary. All sorts of things could happen.
Equality: Last year, you trekked along the Great Wall of China to raise money for the American Foundation for AIDS Research. Do you think the U.S. government should do more for HIV/AIDS research and treatment programs?
Cumming: Yes, I do. It says it puts more money into HIV research than the last administration, but what's the point if you're not going to educate? It's f***ing insane. And what's the point of having more research without education? Because HIV and AIDS are shooting up, because people don't know what to do and they're not taught the dangers. And they're killing people.
Equality: Do you have any thoughts for ways to take action for educating what you have called "the terrified mass of Middle America"?
Cumming: It's just to be a presence and to not shut up and to remind them - to keep being there, going out there and going, "Hey, I'm not a scary person, I'm not threatening you, but I don't like being a second-class citizen. I don't see why anyone should be denied civil rights because of their sexuality. Don't you think?" More people need to be out and more people need to be vocal.
Equality: And as far as education, maybe Hollywood could write better scripts.
Cumming: Well, yes.
Equality: What is the most important thing to you in life?
Cumming: It's having a nice time. It's enjoying my life. But sometimes, I wouldn't mind doing more humanitarian-y things, somehow. But then, of course, my value would go down because I wasn't being famous anymore.
Equality: If you weren't an entertainer, what would you be doing?
Cumming: I'd be a gardener. The garden is my sanctuary. If I didn't work anymore, I would go there and live a quiet life.
Equality: What inspired you to create your own fragrance line?
Cumming: It was sort of like an art project.
Equality: Is it for both men and women?
Cumming: It's beyond gender. Girls like it too, girls wear it. Grant's [Alan's boyfriend] mum was wearing it last night, the sweetheart. It starts off kind of leathery and sexy. If you put it on, it makes you go, "Whoooh."
Equality: You could be like Paul Newman. He has his own spaghetti sauce.
Cumming: I was saying I want to be the queer Martha Stewart.
Equality: What's something most people don't know about you?
Cumming: I once got stranded on a desert island.
Equality: Should we go into that or no?
Cumming: No. Let's leave it at that. It's true. [Laughs.]