Alan Cumming defends trans community in fiery Kimmel monologue

Scottish actor and presenter Alan Cumming delivered a blistering defence of the trans community during his guest-hosting stint on Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week, calling out what he described as “dangerous and baseless” anti-trans rhetoric in the United States.

In a powerful opening monologue on Tuesday night (22 July), the Traitors US host, 60, took aim at the persistent myth that trans people pose a threat in public spaces, particularly bathrooms - a narrative he dismissed as “utter nonsense”.

“Why on Earth would a rapist go to the bother of pretending to be trans in a country that actually treats rapists better than trans people?” Cumming asked the audience, drawing both gasps and applause.

Cumming, a long-time LGBTQ+ advocate, likened trans individuals to superheroes, describing them as “special and magical” people who grow up in a society that often marginalises and misunderstands them. “Like superheroes, evil billionaires want to get rid of trans people for no f**king reason whatsoever,” he said.

The actor didn’t shy away from criticising former US President Donald Trump, condemning his administration’s record on trans rights — including bans on gender-affirming healthcare and military service. Cumming highlighted the hypocrisy of Trump’s claims that trans people are a threat to women, pointing instead to the former president’s own history of misogynistic remarks and sexual misconduct allegations.

“There is, however, ample evidence that the president of the United States publicly brags about barging into beauty pageant dressing rooms and grabbing women by their p***ies,” Cumming said. “Wake up, America!”