Alan Turing (1912 – 1954)
Alan Turing’s life is a classic example of how LGBT people have made important contributions to society, and of how society’s prejudice towards them has often robbed them of a dignified and fulfilling personal life.
Turing (1912 – 1954) was a British mathematician, logician and cryptographer. He is considered by many to be the father of modern computer science. He designed and built some of the earliest electronic, programmable, digital computers.
During the Second World War, Turing headed the classified mission at Bletchley Park to crack the Nazi’s Enigma machine code (which was used to send secret military messages). Many historians believe that breaking the Enigma code was central in bringing the war in Europe to an end.
Despite Turing’s huge and lasting contribution to computing, and the part he played in the allied war effort, his personal life was less auspicious.
In 1952, like many other gay men at that time, he was convicted of acts of gross indecency. He was given a choice between prison or a course of hormone therapy to reduce his libido. Turing chose the therapy, which resulted in bodily changes such as the development of breasts.
Turing was found dead in 1954, apparently after having eaten an apple laced with cyanide. Although the cause of death was ruled as suicide other theories, such as assasination due to his sexuality, have also been suggested.
Ian, London
Alan Turing was a determined and brilliant British mathematician and ‘the most important figure in breaking German cipher codes’ during the Second World War.
His contribution to the war effort cannot be underestimated. One of his colleagues commented ‘Fortunately the authorities did not know that Turing was a homosexual. Otherwise we might have lost the war’.
Sadly after the war the authorities did discover Turing was a homosexual. This ‘approachable, friendly genius’ was unable to enjoy the freedom that he helped to secure for so many others.
It has been suggested that Turing’s suicide was in fact the work of the British secret service determined to remove a security risk. Whether this is true or not it is beyond question that the therapies that Turing underwent to treat his ‘perversion’ made his life miserable.
Turing is also the father of Artificial Intelligence and his work in thermodynamics has helped to explain why patterns such as butterfly wings appear in nature.
Richard, Hertfordshire
He was a genius …. Britain might have dominated the computer industry if he hadn’t died when he did.
Donna Walker
More information on Alan Turing: www.galha.org/glh/turing.html