The “Alan Turing” law has allowed for the pardon of several thousand people in Great Britain who were previously convicted due to their homosexuality. This is in tribute to the genius who was prosecuted in 1952 for his sexual orientation.
During World War II, the brilliant mathematician Alan Turing played a major role in analyzing the Enigma machine, which was used by the German armies to send coded messages to their troops. His methods allowed for the code to be broken and, according to several historians, shortened the Nazi regime’s resistance capacity by two years.
In 1952, his homosexuality led to legal proceedings against him. To avoid prison, he chose chemical castration. Two years later, at the age of 41, Alan Turing committed suicide in his home’s bedroom in Manchester. Queen Elizabeth II posthumously pardoned him in 2013. He was recognized as a war hero only 55 years after his death.
Today, the Alan Turing law allows for the pardon of 65,000 homosexuals, including 15,000 who are still alive, who were previously convicted in the Kingdom due to their sexual orientation. Homosexuality was decriminalized in Great Britain in 1967.
