Logic List Mailing Archive

British PM Gordon Brown apologizes to Alan Turing

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8249792.stm

Gordon Brown has said he is sorry for the "appalling" way World War II 
code-breaker Alan Turing was treated for being gay.

A petition on the No 10 website had called for a posthumous government 
apology to the computer pioneer.

In 1952 Turing was prosecuted for gross indecency after admitting a sexual 
relationship with a man. Two years later he killed himself.

The campaign was the idea of computer scientist John Graham-Cumming. He 
was seeking an apology for the way the mathematician was treated after his 
conviction. He also wrote to the Queen to ask for Turing to be awarded a 
posthumous knighthood. The campaign was backed by author Ian McEwan, 
scientist Richard Dawkins and gay-rights campaigner Peter Tatchell. The 
petition posted on the Downing Street website attracted thousands of 
signatures.

Mr Brown, writing in the Telegraph newspaper, said: "While Mr Turing was 
dealt with under the law of the time and we can't put the clock back, his 
treatment was of course utterly unfair and I am pleased to have the chance 
to say how deeply sorry I and we all are for what happened to him."