AOG...there was a typo in my earlier post. What I meant to say was that the Police PERSECUTED Turing, But actually, my typo was also correct ! Turing was prosecuted by the Police as well, as the CPS didn't come into existence until 1986. The Plods were making such a balls-up of being the investigating authority as well as the prosecuting, that a Royal Commission recommended that the two roles should be separated. Its all here ::
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Prosecution_Service
Emmie was correct in her post of 09:45. The Plods acted as agent provocateurs.
They remind me of that story about an old lady that calls 999 in a high state of anxiety. She tells the Police that there is a young man in the block of flats opposite who is exposing himself at the window. The Police rush around there and find the old lady sitting on a chair beside her window, all of a flutter. They look out of the window, up and down and left and right but can't see anything happening.
"Oh no" the old lady said, "you have to stand on the chair to see him"
There has been much discussion on here this morning around the "we can't pardon Turing because we can't pardon all the rest that were prosecuted for the same offence "
Why can't we ? Parliament has just awarded itself a huge pay rise, and the Civil Service is already well rewarded. Lets get them to work for their money. It shouldn't be too difficult to issue some kind of public statement from up on high, that says that gay men who were prosecuted didn't really do anything terribly wrong really and were treated appallingly. An apology is what is needed here, not some long-drawn out legislation. Its not often you see Gordon Brown being praised anywhere, let alone here on AB, but he deserves some recognition for his comments made in The Telegraph in 2009. We could put the Royal crest at the top and tell Betty to sign the apology at the bottom of the page and its all done and dusted.
I am not sure if Alan Turing is a gay icon...if he is, then its the first I have heard of it. Carmen Miranda perhaps, Judy Garland, even our own dear Elton John, but Alan Turing ! Not terribly likely.
Editor...amen to that ! Its not a bad idea for the rest of the year as well !