Alan Turing

Alan Turing not only helped save countless lives during the war but he was one of the inventors of computing. I think it is appalling that he has been pardoned because he is famous when so many other lesser known people have not. We can't judge what was done 50 years ago by modern mores but perhaps a way could have been found to honour him and his contribution to this country.

There needs to be a better way to do this. "Pardoning" sounds as though you still think there was wrong-doing involved.It was just the abhorrent laws at the time.

It's cynical the way this has been done at Xmas.

My heart is with the pardon. Particularly as the security services hounded him and possibly caused his suicide.
My head says once you start pardoning dead people for doing things that were against the law at the time, you will open the floodgates for "campaigns" to pardon all kinds of people. There is a "campaign" to pardon Steven Ward (aided and abetted by making him the star of a new musical, thank you ALW). Maybe he was made a scapegoat, but why would anyone want to spend time rehabilitating the reputation of someone who procured teenagers to act as prostitutes for the very rich and very powerful?

Yes, there should be a general pardon.

Somehow his case seems worse because he was so brilliant and treated so particularly appallingly when the country should have been feeling grateful. However, it's a fair point all convictions should be wiped out.

Yes, I think it should be an apology!

I was shocked by the 'chemical castration' info - I never heard that before.
Poor man!

I don't understand the "pardoning" thing. As we see it today, he did nothing wrong. So how can he need pardoning? They've got the phrasing wrong.

I agree too. I was chuntering all through that news item this morning. You can't pardon one man for his 'sin' just because he did good things but all the rest have to remain'sinners'.

I agree, there should be a blanket pardon for all homosexuals prosecuted during that time.

Agree totally with you both.

Absolutely.
But what about the other homosexuals who were also persecuted - should they not receive a pardon also?