Campaign to win official apology for Alan Turing

Yakub Qureshi

August 16, 2009

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Campaigners are fighting to clear the name of Alan Turing, who was prosecuted in the 1950s for homosexuality

A CAMPAIGN has been launched to win a posthumous apology for computer pioneer Alan Turing over his conviction for homosexuality.

The brilliant mathematician, who spent his key years at Manchester University, is hailed as one of the founders of modern computing.

But a conviction for homosexuality effectively ended his career. Troubled Turing went on to commit suicide in 1954, aged just 41.

Now a group of admirers of the scientist - named as one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century by Time Magazine - are lobbying the government to make a posthumous apology.

Codebreaker

The Cambridge graduate was one of Britain's best wartime codebreakers - part of the team at Bletchley Park which unravelled the secret of the Enigma code machines used by German U-boats. Turing was awarded an OBE in 1945 for his wartime services to the Foreign Office and moved to Manchester to help work on the pioneering Mark 1 computer.

He was prosecuted for gross indecency for having sex with a man in 1952, but escaped jail after being offered an alternative of taking an experimental hormone treatment to reduce sex drive.

However, the case effectively ended his career and Turing fell into despair. His body was found by a cleaner at his Wilmslow home in 1954 - next to him was a half-eaten apple laced with cyanide. It was not until 1967 that laws against gay men were lifted.

More than 500 people have now signed the petition on the 10 Downing Street website to call for an official apology 'recognize the tragic consequences of prejudice that ended his life and career'.

Hounded

John Graham-Cumming, a leading British computer expert who launched the campaign, said: "I think that Alan Turing hasn't been recognised in Britain for his enormous contribution because he died in his forties and almost certainly because he was gay.

"It is atrocious that we don't recognise this man and the only way to do so is to apologise to him. This man was a national treasure and we hounded him to his death.

"One of the things for people in the computing world is that he was part of the war effort but we don't give him recognition in the same way as other heroes. To me, he was a hero in the second world war."

Since his death, plaques, buildings and statues have been raised in Turing's honour. The computing world's equivalent of the Nobel Prize has been called the Turing Award since 1966.

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zoomer, The Moon (16/08/2009 at 14:56)

How can you make a apology of a law that at the time was relevent? If you apologise about this man you have to apologise to every other gay person who was criminalised at the time,And where do you draw the line do you apologise for other rules and laws that have changed over the years,like womens right to vote the list goes on we have to move with the times ,alan turing has been remembered and people are proud of the part he played in the history of the computer.We also need to remeber people like tom kilburn also involved in the start of computers.

Acid, Chadderton (16/08/2009 at 16:25)

Spot on zoomer. You don't mince your words do you? ;-)

john davis, Broughton, Salford (16/08/2009 at 16:57)

This man is and was above apology, he was a genius of his time, troubled by his sexuality but still a genius and what would a pardon mean anyway as it was law at the time, laws change, have those who were hanged by error been pardoned?.

Pippa, Manchester (16/08/2009 at 21:46)

Zoomer's said all that needs to be said.

Eric Oulashin (16/08/2009 at 21:58)

To zoomer: Making an apology for a law that at the time was relevant is basically apologizing for a mistake in times past - similar to how the pope not too long ago apologized for the persecution of Galileo in his time.

Regarding Turing and (in general) laws against homosexuality, as long as someone's not hurting people, I don't see why society has seen fit to impose laws such as that. Why should we care what people do in their private lives?

Mark,Radcliffe. (16/08/2009 at 23:04)

Have I missed something ? When was Oscar Wilde granted his posthumous apology....

Dave Dave (17/08/2009 at 01:16)

john davis -

I wouldn't say being prosecuted for your sexuality was the same as being "troubled" by it.. more like "persecuted" for it.

Plus you ask whether those who were hanged in error have received a pardon.. well, yes, of course they have if they've been found to have been hanged in error by the courts!

Real Manchester (17/08/2009 at 07:54)

To think that most commenters on here want to bring back the dark ages...I'm ashamed to think there was such laws only a couple of generations ago.

armen haczmerian (17/08/2009 at 08:12)

oh please. i am happy we've got freedom of sexual preferences in this country but please, stop carrying on this gay hysteria and intense gay propaganda... it's tiring!

red (17/08/2009 at 08:17)

Who would the apology actually be for though? Unless Mr Tuning's ancestors would appreciate it, I can't see who else would benefit from it.

The fact that the laws were changed reflects that the powers that be, and society now accept that the law was wrong, and in doing so acknowledges the errors of the past. And surely this man is only one of very many who was persecuted - why should one man receive an apology and others not - one life being as equal as the next??

I don't mean to belittle this man's suffering, or achievements, but haven't we got enough problems to be dealing with in the here and now, rather than making amends for things we didn't do, which have already been fixed.

citycentre, manchester (17/08/2009 at 08:19)

Did this occur during the crime free golden age so many people here want us to return to, a time of "respect" and people hounded to suicide?

Angie33 , Manchester (17/08/2009 at 08:23)

red.I can see who would benefit from it.They are admitting that due to the ignorance of the time homosexuals were persecuted.Now we know better.Present day people who persecute homosexuals could benefit as they dont seem to be aware present day understanding.

SamV, Manchester (17/08/2009 at 09:40)

How can you make a apology of a law that at the time was relevent?

zoomer, The Moon

How was the law against homosexuality ever relevent?
The slave trade used to be completely legal but I think that most people agree that was a bit of a mistake and should be apologised for. The same could be said for the law against homosexuality. It might have been illegal at the time, but its a pretty stupid law for a "civilised" country to make.

1970, hell (17/08/2009 at 09:59)

Who are the group who are running the campaign? why no direct comments from them? or is this more than likely our not great, looney left city council at it again? with there not so hidden agenda ,A great man, who no doubt saved many lives via his good work,so lets just leave it at that and remember him for all the good he did.

zoomer, The Moon (17/08/2009 at 10:05)

SamV, Manchester
Just like we have relevent laws today in the future no doubt some group will think some laws are wrong.We cannot keep apologising for the past,its time to worry what is happening now.Its been 60 years since the last war are we still going to ask the germans to keep aplogising for hitler,Of course not ,its stupid we can spend forever keep apologising for what we did.

Almighty God, Salford (17/08/2009 at 10:21)

It's a bit late now, he's already dead.

Drew-Peacock, Our House (17/08/2009 at 11:38)

We've given posthumous pardons to soldiers in the WWI who were shot for being "cowards", only to learn later that they were suffering from what we now know is PTSD.
This man was hounded to his death for being gay, he was even "experimented" on to reduce his sex drive as an alternative to serving a prison sentence!
People are asking "why should we do this now, he's dead, etc etc"...Well, the reason is in the history books he is still seen as a criminal, yes he was at the time, let the history books read that this happened and that later on we realised how this tragic, brilliant man took his own life after being a tortured soul in a very different world to the one which we live in now where intolerance was the doctrine and where people were scared for their own lives to be who they really were.

L_M, Manchester (17/08/2009 at 12:01)

Whilst I disagree with persecution of any group of society I fail to see the merit of a posthumous apology. Alan Turing was not the only man convicted of homosexuality, he just happened to have made some significant achievements in his lifetime - will any of the other thousands of people who have been convicted of such "crimes" receive an apology? What is actually being said here is that Turing should receive an apology because he has a powerful legacy, if he hadn't had the success he had then the fact is he wouldn't be getting an apology. Put simply, you only get an apology if you've done something memorable.

FrostySnowman (17/08/2009 at 12:09)

Will the teenage boy who was charged along with Turing for the same offence also receive a pardon? ncidentally he was charged with gross indecency, not homosexuality. I really don't think this now matters - and as zoomer points out, how can retrospectively apologise for something that was law then - where do you draw the line.

MikeSlad1956, Oxfordshire (17/08/2009 at 13:07)

We could apologise to all the poor people,including children, hanged for stealing food.

Englisc Stannes, North Manchester (17/08/2009 at 13:14)

Shame he wasn't rich and famous like some of the cambridge spy ring. Funny how they were allowed to get away it. I think an apology would never do from this government from what this poor tragic man had to suffer. The only good action is to name a building or college as a mark of respect in Manchester.

nyb, ex manc (17/08/2009 at 13:34)

This ridiculous fashion for extracting apologies from Governments for incidents from history, is getting to a farcical situation. Some of my relatives and the relatives of many millions of Irish people were killed in the potato famines. Perhaps we should all extract a meaningless apology from todays UK Government.

SamV, Manchester (17/08/2009 at 13:55)

The only good action is to name a building or college as a mark of respect in Manchester.
Englisc Stannes, North Manchester

Wot, like the Alan Turing Building which houses the School of Mathematics at Manchester University?

zoomer, The Moon (17/08/2009 at 15:04)

"Alan Turing way" is a respectful way to remember him,Ive always asked for a place like the "Chinese theatre" In america where they have stars to remember the entertainers ,why cant we have somewhere similar for all the people who started the industrial revolution from manchester "Weaving etc Engineering,"People like Rutherford the atom king,and whitworth without him we wouldnt have engineering he gave us the standard thread on nuts and bolts and the standard measurement in engineering,and we have many more inventors etc,Why cant we have the square infront of the townhall covered with famous peoples names so that visitors know who and where these famous people came from.And a number could be placed net to names and a leaflet could give the details what a great idea for people visiting manchester for the first time...history in the making..

That bit of fluff, under the sofa (17/08/2009 at 15:22)

Zoomer, because celebrating success, achievement and wealth creation is not the Manchester City Council way.

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