Spotlighting historic LGBTQ+ inspirations: Alan Turing
This Pride month we are spotlighting the LGBTQ+ figures that have inspired our team! While students are sitting their maths and computer science GCSEs over the next few weeks, it has got us thinking about some of the inspirational figures that lead the way in these fields.
Sarah, our Sales Representative, was inspired by Alan Turing and the unjust way he was treated…
Born in London in 1954, Alan Turing was a mathematician, computer scientist, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher, and theoretical biologist whose ideas led to the beginning of modern computing and helped win World War 2. However, he died aged 41 as a criminal for his homosexuality.
By making the first breakthroughs with the Naval Enigma code, Turing’s contributions to the efforts at Bletchley Park were key to allowing Britain’s food and supplies to be shipped across the Atlantic during World War 2. As well as this he was responsible for designing a machine to break the Nazi Enigma code, so played a major role in giving the Allies the edge they needed to win the war in Europe. Yet, two years before his death, which was caused by eating an apple laced with cyanide, authorities found out that Alan Turing was gay.
Despite Turing’s pivotal role in ensuring the safety of the nation and saving countless lives, his sexuality resulted in him being defined as a security risk, he was continually harassed by police surveillance, then convicted under Victorian laws. Up to 60 years later, this heroic man’s reputation was damaged and his secretive wartime achievements were kept from public view.
In 1967 homosexuality in Britain was decriminalised, and 42 years later in 2009 the government finally apologised for Alan Turing’s treatment. It was not until 2013 that the Queen granted him a pardon. A computer scientist, John-Graham-Cumming who campaigned for Turing to be pardoned said, “He was a national treasure, and we hounded him to his death.”
This hit a chord with me, as I couldn't believe that in the face of war Alan Turing was working tirelessly to help the war effort, but was still ousted for simply being himself. Disturbingly, this prejudice is still present in the world and there is much more that must be done to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ communities globally. This all starts with educating people and not allowing history to repeat itself.