For those who only know Alan Turning through computer science history books, he was the Manchester based mathematician and computer scientist who helped break the Germans enigma code and ultimately helped us win the war. Tragically, both his work and his life were destroyed when the British authorities discovered he was ‘sexually insane’.

I use this term, to give the reader a feeling of the thought processes behind the decisions that were made at the time. Some have suggested that an apology at this stage would be meaningless, and I actually agree. Unless we know exactly what we are apologising for, we may as well not bother! Now we openly recognise and respect boys who like the company of other boys, or girls who like other girls. Back then, these people would have been considered sexually insane and would have been ‘treated’ in hospitals and with ‘therapy’. There was no desire to understand or recognise him for who he was, instead he was chemically castrated and forced to undergo other therapy.

The apology should not be because he was gay, and that we treated him badly because of it.  This would only serve to ensure we did not learn anything from the experience.  No – the apology should come because we did not seek understanding as to why he was different, and did not respect the fact that his tastes were different in ways that did not discount the work he did as a mathematician, nor the contributions he made to society. We must not lose sight of the fact that sexuality is an area we are only just starting to understand today, and that our knowledge in this area is still developing.

What started as gay rights, marches and pride demonstrations years ago, has expanded to become the gay, lesbian, bi and transgendered groups. In some places this has already moved further forward to include : gay, lesbian, bi, transgendered, intersexed and asexuals.  Our attention should not be spent focusing on embarrassing history that cannot be changed by willpower, but on making today a better place by respecting even those we don’t necessarily understand, just as we didn’t understand Turing.

I have heard gay people say horrid things about transgendered people. I have heard transgendered people say bad things of asexuals. Crimes still go on today, especially in particular parts of the world.  Even in The West, when a baby is born intersexed and the parents are encouraged by the doctor or by the state to make a difficult decision to make ‘it’ more ‘normal’. When – the reality is – that no decision needs to be made at this stage.

The things that make us different, also make us special. Try selling water on the streets and see just how much people would be willing to pay. Water is worthless because 70% of the Earths surface is covered in the stuff! Naturally occurring diamonds are much rarer, and are therefore worth a great deal.  It is strange how this equation seems to work in reverse when we apply it to human sexuality. This is what I believe we need to work at, not at hollow apologies for things which cannot be undone.