Ten years ago, one of the key successes was the movement to advance the civil rights of the LGBTQ+ community. While restrictions continue in too many places and we seem to have backtracked in some more conservatively run states, the movement is garnering more favor than not.
A few years before she passed away, we were reminded on how far we have come, when Queen Elizabeth signed a pardon for the then criminal behavior of Alan Turing for simply being a gay man. Turing was not an ordinary man, as his efforts helped shorten World War II by two years, in the estimation of more astute historians. Allied commander Dwight Eisenhower said Turing likely saved 750,000 lives through his efforts. What did Turing do? He led the efforts to break the Nazi’s Enigma Code working with a team of people at Bletchley Park near Oxford. He saved the lives of countless military and civilian people and helped end the crusade of one of the more vicious villains in history.
Turing committed suicide using Cyanide in 1954 after becoming an angry and depressed man. He was imprisoned and maltreated with his guards giving him estrogen treatment to control his perceived wrongful sexual urges. Historians have termed this “chemical castration.” This brilliant mathematician went on to contribute advancements to computer science and biology on top of his war contributions. Yet, we will never know what other contributions he could have made to society, as he was treated like an animal and, eventually, took his own life.
Treating people like you want to be treated is the greatest teaching I gleaned from the bible. It is the right thing to do. When Pope Francis answered a question on homosexuality being a sin, he made the most significant statement of the year – “Who am I to judge?” Yet, we still have too many who do judge acrimoniously and want to exclude people who act and believe differently. These folks deem LGBTQ+ people as not worthy to be loved by their god. I used a small “g” with purpose here, as the God I tend to believe in as an inclusive one. A god that excludes people deserves a small “g” because the people who created that image are being small-minded.
Turing was a war hero and was still treated like criminal when he committed no crime. A pardon sixty years later seems to be a far cry shy of what is needed. But, setting that aside, let me offer the same comment I make when I speak of women being treated as second class citizens and possessions around the globe. If you consider people as assets and intellectual capital, by treating them poorly and not giving them opportunity and liberty to live a productive life, then you are short-changing not only them, but society as well. What is interesting is the number of corporations who are realizing this and are leading change in spite of efforts to restrict rights.
Even if Alan Turing was just a Joe Schmoe, he deserved to be treated better than he was. The fact that he was one of the most brilliant mathematicians who saved many lives and made the world better, but was treated like an animal is a horrible tragedy. It makes me wonder how many other brilliant accomplishments have been squelched out before they ever began because of the infringement on the civil liberties or lives of people who were treated differently due to their sexual orientation, gender, caste level or color of their skin. Treat people like you want to be treated. Jesus’ Golden Rule did not have any caveats. We should not either.
musingsofanoldfart 
Note to Readers: I have written before about a black American Dr. Vivien Thomas who overcame racism to invent a cardiac surgical procedure working with Dr. Alan Blalock to cure a fatal Blue Baby syndrome due to poor blood flow. Thomas was not allowed in the operating room at first because he was black. But, the surgery required a deft hand and his work as a fine carpenter helped him perform the surgery.
The treatment of Alan Turing was nothing short of a national disgrace. Having played a vital part in the UK’s war effort, to be caste aside to face intolerance and prejudices left another stain upon the Establishment who could have stepped in ‘behind the scenes’ if they had had the backbone.
It took nearly twenty years to have this injustice overturned and his true place recognised.
The film ‘The Imitation Game’ honours him (There was also a looser version in 2001 ‘Enigma’)
Roger, thanks for the added context. I enjoyed “The Imitation Game” as it told a key part of the story. I also enjoyed reading “The Bletchley Circle.” One of the hardest parts of the movie is when they had to let some actions occur to avoid the Germans changing the code making their work for naught.
As with Turing, a social worker once said, how many good ideas and inventions were never created because the sources were never given the opportunity? If Turing was jailed while working on the Enigma code, how many Brits, Americans, etc. would have died – all 750,000 or some other large number?
Keith
As you say Keith the hardest part was letting some actions occur, using some lives to save more. Part of the dreaded logic of war which moves away from Ethics into the realm of The Means Justifies The End.
Roger, I like the phrase “dreaded logic,” but many things in war are not logical as you note. Keith
Turing was a genius and his persecution epitomized the madness and cruelty of the anti-gay attitudes of the time. Rather than the British government “pardoning” him, it should be acknowledging itself as being in need of his pardon.
What Jesus would have thought about cases like this is difficult to judge since the corpus of statements attributed to him in the Bible never mentions homosexuality. If he actually existed at all, he grew up and lived in the Israelite culture of the time, which was virulently homophobic (although the dominant “colonial” Greco-Roman culture was not), and he was not recorded as ever criticizing this attitude. He did explicitly affirm that all the Old Testament taboos remain in force until the end of time (Matthew 5:17-19), presumably including the death penalty for homosexuality in Leviticus. Most of the anti-gay material in the Bible is in the New Testament, expressed by people far closer to Jesus in time and culture than we are. So it can’t unambiguously be said that those who persecuted Alan Turing would have met with Jesus’s disapproval. We are better off relying on modern moral sensibilities than on those of ignorant primitives two thousand years ago, who were a marginal and backward culture even by the standards of their own time.
Infidel, thanks for the added context. And, your point is well taken. It is easy to get lost in the weeds of biblical verse and no question, the perceptions are based on the knowledge at that time. This is a key reason I look to the overarching messages which give us some guidance about treating others like you want to be treated and taking care of the less fortunate.
Thanks for your comment. Keith
Thanks for writing about this. My aunt was a lesbian in a time when it was considered criminal. She had to leave her country and hide who she was for much of her life. The only crime in her case was a society not willing to open their hearts and minds. So many good people suffering at the hands of ignorance and fear.
VJ, too many folks like your aunt had to hide their lives. Yet, when occasions came up which involved the health of a lover, until same sex marriage became law, the liver had to acquiesce to the wishes of family members.
Even today, SCOTUS ruled that the baker could refuse to serve a same sex marriage. SCOTUS missed a key point, that protecting someone’s rights is different than protecting someone’s rights to deny another’s rights. It is a subtle but key difference.
Thanks for your historical context. Keith
Such a good point, Keith.
Thanks for posting this tribute to Alan Turing. I mentioned him recently in one of my Paris posts: https://operasandcycling.com/parvis-alan-turing/
Nemorino, thanks for your comment and link to your excellent post on the tributes and history of Alan Turing and Ada Lovelace. I was unaware of the latter. The efforts of women who contributed to math, science, medicine, etc. are so underreported, not unlike the many challenges just to get where they did. I need to dig out a couple of old posts on a few more.
Just now, I was thinking of the actress Hedy Lamarr, whose idea was patented, but still stolen from her by the US Navy without credit. Her idea for signaling torpedoes to adjust their targeting was turned down at first primarily because she was a woman and a beautiful actress. Her idea is now used in every cell phone device.
Keith
Yes, I remember reading about Hedy Lamarr and her inventions.
Alan Turing was indeed a pioneer in the field and responsible for those 750,000 lives, plus all the generations of lives they produced! And yet … he was condemned because of who he was. And today … we would likely do the same all over again, for society has still not learned to ‘live and let live’. Thanks for this post … Turing needs to be remembered, as do many others who have contributed so much, and been vilified because of the colour of their skin, their religious beliefs, or whom they choose to love.
Jill, I think most people have moved on and would be more accepting. Yet, that “courted” minority is loud and it embarrasses elected officials like the Florida governor when entities like Disney stand up for more egalitarian treatment of everyone. Keith
I like to think you’re right about that … but when I look at all the violence against the LGBTQ community during Pride Month, it makes me wonder. And then you have the bigots like DeSantis who actually think it is their ‘duty’ to rid the world of any who are somehow different than they. But I do think you’re right, that most of the people in the nation have moved on and realized it’s none of their business who another person chooses to love, and it really doesn’t affect them one way or another.
Agreed.
an important post to raise awareness and consciousness Keith!❤️
Thanks Cindy. There are so many heroes that had to fight uphill battles, especially women and minorities. It should not have been so hard. Thank goodness they fought the battles and overcame. We are better for it. As I type this I am thinking of the black women who played a key role at NASA as depicted in the movie “Hidden Figures.” Keith
You are so right Keith and I’m happy to have you always speaking your truth and helping share raise consciousness!
💕
My pleasure, Cindy.