If you’re in the computer science circle you will know the name Alan Turing. Mr. Turing is considered by many to be the father of computer science. His claims to fame are laying the ground work for computing in general, helping defeat the Nazi enigma cipher scheme, and coming up with a scientific method to determine if machines can think (call the Turing test).
But he was gay and back in the era of World War II that wasn’t considered acceptable. After helping win World War II this is how he was treated:
In 1952 Turing was prosecuted under the gross indecency act after admitting to a sexual relationship with a man. Two years later he killed himself.
Of course when there is prosecution there is punishment:
Alan Turing was given experimental chemical castration as a “treatment” and his security privileges were removed, meaning he could not continue work for the UK Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).
Well there is now a movement to get the British government to apologize for their persecution. I don’t know if it will go through but I’d like to see those British royals have to apologize for treating a war hero this way.
And yes I call him a war hero even though he didn’t fight on the front lines. He was paramount in breaking the Nazi communication cipher scheme. Breaking this scheme ultimately helped us win the war since we were able to decipher and read their communications. An apology by the British government for persecuting somebody who helped saved their little island is the least they could bestow upon Mr. Turin.