Queen Pardons Turing: Merry Christmas!
This is warming news indeed during the chilly season: Nearly 60 years after his death, Alan Turing, the British mathematician regarded as one of the central figures in the development of the computer as well as a key figure in the code-breaking that defeated the Nazis in World War II, has at last received a rare formal pardon from Queen Elizabeth II. Turing was convicted in 1952 on charges of homosexuality, at the time a criminal offense in Britain. Mr. Turing committed suicide in 1954, two years after his conviction on charges of gross indecency. The British prime minister, David Cameron, said in a statement: “His action saved countless lives. He also left a remarkable national legacy through his substantial scientific achievements, often being referred to as the ‘father of modern computing.’” Turing is the subject of the upcoming movie “The Imitation Game,” in which he is played by Benedict Cumberbatch (pictured below), who gives an against-type performance this holiday season as a tongue-tied American in “August: Osage County.” The queer Turing is given a female love interest in the upcoming movie: Hollywood isn’t the only place that gives gay characters “normal” love lives for the sake of commercialism.
