Computer Pioneer Alan Turing Pardoned of Violating Law Forbidding Homosexuality

Time ^ | December 24, 2013 | David Kedmey

[lbryce]

Original Title:Computer Pioneer Alan Turing Pardoned of ‘Gross Indecency’

Alan Turing, the British mathematician who laid the theoretical groundwork for modern computing and cracked coded messages from the Nazis, received a royal pardon on Tuesday.

Turing was convicted under a late 19th-century law that criminalized homosexuality. He was forced to undergo chemical castration in 1952.

U.K. Justice Minister Chris Grayling requested the pardon, calling the sentence “unjust and discriminatory.” Said Grayling: “Turing deserves to be remembered and recognized for his fantastic contribution to the war effort and his legacy to science.”

[lbryce]

The left-wing is angry that his contributions to the war effort during WWII, cryptography, computer science, couldn't save him.

[2ndDivisionVet]

It’s almost like we’re talking about ancient history, isn’t it? Just like the movie “Biloxi Blues” where the two sodomites were shipped off to the stockade. Now they are the Golden Children and shall not be insulted.

[WilliamRobert]

All wings aside and all religion aside this sentence was brutal and extreme. It is not my place to pass judgment for this or any mans sins against God and his word. I am against the homosexual agenda but this is plain wrong.

[Cicero]

I was familiar with and admired Alan Turing’s mathematical work, but had no idea he was a sodomite.

Therefore, this royal pardon—presumably ordered by the UK’s apparently gay Prime Minister—has precisely the opposite effect from that intended.

[lbryce]

I completely concur with your assessment and commend you for expressing the sentiments I myself was unable to muster.

[matginzac]

BFD....
Maybe the question should be, why was it illegal in the first place?

[Mr Ramsbotham]

Where does Oscar Wilde go to get his reputation back?

[dennisw]

Alan Turing, the British mathematician who laid the theoretical groundwork for modern computing and cracked coded messages from the Nazis, received a royal pardon on Tuesday.....

He was a WW2 hero so I have nothing against making a kind gesture to his name and whatever family remains. The same mind quirk that made him a mathematical genius probably made him gay>  There were other British gays who served high in their intelligence services who worked for the Russians and sabotaged Britain post war

Guy Francis de Moncy Burgess (16 April 1911 – 30 August 1963) was a British ... He was part of the Cambridge Five spy ring that passed Western secrets to the ... While assigned to the British embassy in Washington, Burgess lived with Kim  ...

Kim Philby   Guy Burgess etc

[AnAmericanInEngland]

Nope, royal pardons are only issued by the Queen, and are quite rare.

[blueunicorn6]

He wasn’t sentenced to castration. Look it up.

[oblomov]

Did you know? Turing originally conceived his famous Test as a test of gender, not artificial intelligence.

[Bobalu]

On his deathbed Oscar Wilde raised his head, looked at the room and quiped “Either this wallpaper goes, or I go”

[aft_lizard]

Chemical castration, while maintaining his man bits is nonetheless a castration. And yes technically he had a choice, he chose being free and castration over imprisonment and experimental treatments.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

On his deathbed Oscar Wilde raised his head, looked at the room and quiped “Either this wallpaper goes, or I go”

Gee, I wish I'd said that.

[Alter Kaker]

There were other British gays who served high in their intelligence services who worked for the Russians and sabotaged Britain post war

Yes, true, but to a large extent this was because of the threat of exactly what happened to Turing. If homosexuality is illegal and subject to career forfeiture and severe punishment, then homosexuals are vulnerable to coercion and extortion. Who wants to lose their career and wind up in jail, chemically castrated?

[T-Bird45]

Questionable headline, IMO - the law forbade homosexual acts, not homosexuality. A fine line, perhaps, but one that should be noted.

[donmeaker]

He was injected with estrogen, and grew breasts.

He continued his wicked ways, but traveled to Norway for pleasure.

Castration? No, just unable to diddle young boys for a while.

[Bobalu]

The same mind quirk that made him a mathematical genius probably made him gay

I can't say one way or the other but it is interesting that another brilliant and quirky Briton designed most processors in use in the world today. Every freeper uses many of these computers every day. They are based on the ARM processor (Advanced RISC Machine) and 35 billion of them have been produced.

Sophie Wilson, formerly Steve Wilson, is the designer of the ARM processor.

Nearly every modern communications device has this as its processing core.

European Inventor Award 2013 nominee in the lifetime achievement category: Inventor: Sophie Wilson - youtube

A cameo clip of Sophie from the BBC film "Micro Men"
the BBC film "Micro Men" on youtube

[Mathews]

“Homosexual Activity” is vague. Did he get caught with his boyfriend or did he rape a young boy? The article I read did not clarify.

[Cicero]

Yes, of course. But in modern times, the Monarch is expected to do what is suggested by the Prime Minister or his duly appointed representative, in this case apparently the Justice Minister. The Queen has sometimes taken actions that, I think, go against her own beliefs, as may be seen in her choices of some pretty questionable Archbishops of Canterbury over the years. I don’t say that’s the case here. But she wouldn’t have taken this initiative unless urged to do so by the Government.

As for other comments, I don’t disagree with the argument that his punishment went beyond what was fair. But I’m not sure what good it does to issue a pardon now, since the main effect will be to let people know that he was a homosexual. That fact previously escaped me.