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OFFICIAL – ALAN TURING PARDONED POSTHUMOUSLY

OFFICIAL – ALAN TURING CONVICTION QUASHED
Updated 2nd January 2014 with an interview with Tony Fenwick, co-chair LGBT History Month
The UK Government has officially announced that with effect from midnight on 24th December 2013, openly-gay codebreaker Alan Turing is granted an official posthumous pardon for his 1952 ‘gross indecency’ conviction. Turing, genius mathematician and the founder of the modern computer technology, was found dead in 1954, in an apparent suicide. In 2009 the Government issued an apology for Alan’s homophobic treatment – chemical castration in order to avoid a prison sentence – but had stopped short of a pardon. LGBT History Month are pleased that at least here in Britain, 2013 will end on a positive note for the LGBT community. Co-chair Tony Fenwick will be speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live from 5am today, to comment on the announcement: http://www.bbc.co.uk/5live/on-air

Namibian political leader stands up for gay rights

Namibian political leader stands up for gay rights – Leader of the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance in Namibia says ‘Africans must stop hiding the reality’ of LGBTI citizens. The leader of one of Namibia’s political parties has spoken out for gay rights and gone head-to-head with his opponents who claim homosexuality is un-African.

Australia high court overturns ACT gay marriage law

Australia high court overturns ACT gay marriage law – Australia’s High Court has overturned legislation allowing gay marriage in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The ACT parliament passed a bill in October making the territory the first part of Australia to legalise same-sex weddings.

Let’s Cheer Our Own! A World First – Two Openly Gay Men Will Lead A Country

Let’s Cheer Our Own! A World First – Two Openly Gay Men Will Lead A Country. For the first time in history, a country will have an openly gay man as both its prime minister and its vice prime minister.Xavier Bettel was sworn in yesterday as Luxembourg’s prime minister, making the former talk show host Europe’s first openly gay prime minister. (Bettel is Europe’s third openly gay head of state, Iceland has had a gay premier in the past, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, and Belgium’s current premier, Elio Di Rupo, is gay.)

Bette Bourne: "It goes with the shoes".

Bette Bourne: “It goes with the shoes”. It Goes With the Shoes tells the story of gay rights icon, Bette Bourne who took on the establishment with high heels and lipstick, playing a vital role in the fight for gay liberation during the 70’s & 80’s.

Resource: Queerbio.com

Resource: Queerbio.com – The goal of QueerBio.com is to be the definitive online biographical reference source for the international LGBTQ community. Its database lists over 5,000 contemporary and historical figures who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, or queer, and includes artists, sports figures, politicians, entertainers, business leaders, academics, activists, and more. The database is widely international in scope and is an ideal source for research and analysis with full search and sort functionality.