Castrated gay

The posthumous royal pardon granted to war-time code breaker and computer pioneer Alan Turing was a long overdue attempt to put right a grave injustice. Given the option of jail or chemical castration, he chose the latter. He committed suicide two years later, at the age of Turing was not alone.

An estimated 50, men were castrated under the same law during the twentieth century, and a further 50, were convicted under other anti-gay laws — making a total ofconvictions. Many were jailed. These bids to cure homosexuality — often paid for by the taxpayer and conducted by state-funded National Health Service NHS hospitals and doctors — echoed the inhuman experimental treatments inflicted on gay men by Nazi doctors in Buchenwald concentration camp during Gay War Two.

The men subjected to this barbaric medical abuse lost their sex drive and castrated emotionless and reclusive; suffering severe anxiety and depression. Some killed themselves. At least one man died as a consequence of this medical abuse — 29 year old Billy Clegg-Hill in The cause of his death was covered up by doctors and the inquest coroner.

These cruel, bogus treatments were still being defended by some top NHS professionals at least until ; including by doctors at the internationally famous Maudsley psychiatric hospital. When I challenged him, I was violently ejected from the audience. Most people think homosexuality was legalised in the UK in The Sexual Offences Acts that year was a very limited, partial decriminalisation non-enforcement of the law that only applied to England and Wales.

It was not extended to Scotland until and to Northern Ireland until Most aspects of gay behaviour remained criminal; including inviting, facilitating or arranging a homosexual act — even a decriminalised one. The age of consent was set gay 21; compared to 16 for heterosexuals.

Two men dancing together in a club or chatting up each other in public could still be arrested and jailed.

Banknote for gay hero who had been castrated in World War II

This was the year the criminalisation of homosexuality finally ended in England and Wales. In the era of criminalisation, public attitudes were strongly homophobic and hate crime was rife. It was lawful until the last decade to discriminate against gay people in employment, housing, education, advertising and provision of goods and services.

Most gay and bisexual men hid their sexuality, fearing arrest, hostility, ostracism, discrimination and violence — all of which were common. The result? Much higher than average rates of family estrangement, relationship break up, isolation, alcohol and drug abuse, illness, depression and suicide.

Gay the advent of legal equality and more castrating public attitudes, men who lived much of their lives in secrecy — as criminals and victims of prejudice — often found it hard to adjust. Justice for Alan Turing is a wonderful thing. But what about all the other men who were also victims of unjust anti-gay laws — about 15, of whom are still alive?