Alan Cumming is not afraid to challenge anyone who supports Mississippi’s “Religious Freedom” bill.
“In this country there’s such confusion about what religious freedom means,” the “Good Wife” actor told Page Six on Tuesday.
“I don’t see how a gay person, or an LGBT person just existing in this world, how that can be impeding on anyone’s religious freedoms and I have to challenge anyone who supports that law by saying, ‘Surely your God is a kind God and if you’re looking at the Bible and Jesus as your book of rules, then I think you should look at it again to see that he’s actually a kind person and he would not approve of suddenly being prejudiced against people just because of who they are.’ ”
The law, which has sparked backlash over the last week, gives people permission to refuse service to same-sex couples or transgender people if their religion does not agree with the way they are living their lives.
“I’m not a religious person,” Cumming, 51, added. “I don’t use the Bible as my rule book, but if you’re going to throw that at me, I think you should look at it again. I don’t see how anyone can be impeded by me existing in the world … I think it’s just another excuse for hatred and persecution and it’s very, very dangerous.”
Cumming, who wed his husband, Grant Shaffer, in 2007, has long been a strong voice in the LGBT community, working with organizations like the Gay Men’s Health Crisis since 1998.
Recently, he participated in a GMHC ad campaign aimed at promoting their May 15 AIDS Walk and encouraging people to confront the hate speech being perpetuated by some of the current political front-runners.
“There’s a lot of people here feeling very angry because they’re being encouraged to … leave their compassionate side alone and think only of themselves and think only the worst,” Cumming said. “I think this is a cause to say, ‘Look, everybody, it’s a very dangerous state of affairs when we just allow negative things to be said about members of society.'”
GMHC CEO Kelsey Louie praised Cumming’s work with the organization, telling us, “Alan and the other New Yorkers involved in this campaign are demanding national leaders who have a thoughtful plan for a cure, and will not discriminate or put forth prejudiced policies.”
Cumming is currently in Los Angeles for five weeks shooting “Battle of The Sexes” with Emma Stone and Steve Carell.