Foregoing kehuna privileges also known as כהן שמחל על כבודו -כבודו מחול, is a familiar concept in halacha. Although a kohen may not absolve himself of the torah restrictions placed on kohanim (such as marrying a divorcee or becoming tamei to the dead etc.), he may choose to forego one or all of the kehuna privileges based solely on his free choice and will.
Halacha spells out that the kohen is the one who may choose to forego a privilege, whereas a pressure placed on the kohen to do so isn’t considered the kohen foregoing the privilege but the one obligated to sanctify him foregoing that mitzvah.
This concept has important implications in not pressuring the kohen to return the pidyon haben coins, not overlooking the kohen for the first aliyah, encouraging the kohen to lead the bentshing after meals, and given the kohen the first speakers slot when he is equivilent in torah knowledge and practice to the lineup of yisroel and leviyyim speakers.
As a kohen, yes, you are entitled to give up on any of the above. But, you are the judge as to whether you are willfully foregoing your first rights, or being pressured into doing so.
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