Homophobia is Gay - a minute of sadness
I'm not sure I have exactly the words to express this. But I'm going to give it a shot.
I don't know if you guys have heard on the news that the British government offered an official apology to Alan Turing. I'm a bit late in reporting on this, and I wasn't going to because, well, you don't need me to get you to read the news. But then I came across this post.
Alan Turing was the man who, during the second world war, 1) developed the technology which broke the german Enigma code, and 2) essentially invented the computer. He was, in my opinion, the most deserving man in his generation of a Nobel. However, he was gay, and this being illegal in 1954, he was offered the options of prison (where I don't want to dwell on how he would have been treated) or chemical castration. He chose the option of suicide via an apple injected with cyanide.
Normally, homophobia - and just about every form of bigotry or prejudice - makes me angry, but the only response I have to this is intense sadness. I think the most stupid thing - it's in the post I linked to above - is this quote: "Fortunately, the authorities at Bletchley Park had no idea Turing was a homosexual; otherwise, we might have lost the war." This is why the only kind of prejudice I tolerate is the one against wilful ignorance and stupidity.
In summary, 50 years ago we hounded a war-hero and genius to death.
I don't know if you guys have heard on the news that the British government offered an official apology to Alan Turing. I'm a bit late in reporting on this, and I wasn't going to because, well, you don't need me to get you to read the news. But then I came across this post.
Alan Turing was the man who, during the second world war, 1) developed the technology which broke the german Enigma code, and 2) essentially invented the computer. He was, in my opinion, the most deserving man in his generation of a Nobel. However, he was gay, and this being illegal in 1954, he was offered the options of prison (where I don't want to dwell on how he would have been treated) or chemical castration. He chose the option of suicide via an apple injected with cyanide.
Normally, homophobia - and just about every form of bigotry or prejudice - makes me angry, but the only response I have to this is intense sadness. I think the most stupid thing - it's in the post I linked to above - is this quote: "Fortunately, the authorities at Bletchley Park had no idea Turing was a homosexual; otherwise, we might have lost the war." This is why the only kind of prejudice I tolerate is the one against wilful ignorance and stupidity.
In summary, 50 years ago we hounded a war-hero and genius to death.