UK Government Aplogy to WW2 Hero Alan Turing

Westhampton, MA - September 11, 2009
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com

On September 10, 2009, the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown officially apologized to Alan Turing for the UK Government's persecution of this WWII hero because of his homosexuality.

Turing brilliantly invented his 'Turing Bombe' that crucially helped crack the German Enigma coded messages (sometimes thousands per day) during the war that ultimately helped the Allies win the war. But Turing, recognized today as the founder of modern computing, tragically killed himself in 1954 aged only 41 after being convicted of having a sexual relationship with another man.

The Prime Minister said (in part): "Alan Turing deserves recognition for his contribution to humankind. For those of us born after 1945, into a Europe which is united, democratic and at peace, it is hard to imagine that our continent was once the theatre of mankind’s darkest hour. It is difficult to believe that in living memory, people could become so consumed by hate – by anti-Semitism, by homophobia, by xenophobia and other murderous prejudices – that the gas chambers and crematoria became a piece of the European landscape as surely as the galleries and universities and concert halls which had marked out the European civilisation for hundreds of years.

"It is thanks to men and women who were totally committed to fighting fascism, people like Alan Turing, that the horrors of the Holocaust and of total war are part of Europe’s history and not Europe’s present.

"So on behalf of the British government, and all those who live freely thanks to Alan’s work I am very proud to say: we’re sorry, you deserved so much better."

This is a worthy comment and much deserved and much belated. But it came only after thousands of petitioners signed a protest plea for the apology, not because the UK felt inwardly compelled by guilt or shame. (photo left: Alan Turing memorial in Sackville Park, London)

Retroactive wisdom is always welcome but it is of little value if it is not used to guide the present and future. And there are positive signs that this is happening: the British government has ordered its embassies to openly advocate for tolerance and acceptance of human rights for everyone, including homosexuals in all countries. In May 2008 the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed its commitment to "engage with foreign governments about the rights of gay. lesbian, bisexual and trans people". (Read the Report)

The apology is very welcome but as gay activist Nicholas Chinardet has written (in his blog): "let's not forget, at the risk of seeming ungrateful perhaps, that while the PM may have apologised, Alan Turing is still officially a criminal. He and all the other persecuted homosexuals should be pardoned, not solely apologised to. What are you going to do about that Mr Brown? An apology is not enough."

Someone has to lead the way to civilized world standards regarding sexual orientation and it's varieties. Sexual orientation is not an afterthought or decision or 'preference' or religious issue. It's a DNA issue.

Our appreciation goes to England and the few other enlightened governments who advocate equality and acceptance of human sexual varieties.

(...and what about the unfortunate case of Nobel Prize recipient Dr. Daniel Carlton Gajdusek?)

Homophobic Discrimination Against Straight Athlete

Westhampton, MA - September 4, 2009
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com

The Amateur Boxing Association of Thailand (ABAT) has discriminated against a straight boxer for posing suggestively for the cover of a gay magazine.

This is a new take on homophobic discrimination: instead of acting prejudicially against a gay person, the ABAT has discriminated against a non-gay star boxer for posing for the cover of a magazine. How do we know it's homophobic? The magazine he posed for is a gay magazine, Stage, and for that non-obscene photo the boxing leaders have banned Olympic silver medalist Worapoj Petchkhoon for three months from athletic competition. (See story below and here.)

Appearing in a gay publication does not "present a good image" said boxing officials obviously suggesting the photo is disreputable. What is not clear is what the officials think is good or bad about the photo. If this same photo had appeared in one of the mainstream Thai fashion magazines would the boxing leaders have reacted with such disdain and with strong punishment? It's doubtful.

That leaves the message rather clear: homosexual magazines are bad and this straight athlete must be punished for the 'offense' of appearing in one. In the press conference the president of ABAT said the "reputation of the national athletes had been tarnished", as if boxing were a sterling sport - which it most definitely is not.

Thai boxing means kick-boxing, for anyone who has seen this sport up close it is a brutal and violent and often bloody sport that's a couple of notches below the brutal sport of western regular boxing (hands only) and only a couple of notches above cock-fighting. The one Thai boxing match I saw ended when a loud crack was heard and one fighter went down with a broken femur leg bone. He was carried out on a stretcher. How do you "tarnish" a sport as crude and senseless as this, as if it were a graceful sport like figure skating.

This blatant discriminatory and mean-spirited attitude is not dissimilar to the attitude and behavior commonly seen in European football (soccer) matches where certain star players have been verbally abused and demeaned with homophobic slurs by skinhead fans who believe rumors that the players might be gay. (Whether they are or not is no justification for insulting treatment from fans.) Fortunately, urged by human rights activists such as UK's Peter Tatchell, the British Football Association has begun to combat and prosecute such biased behavior. (Also see this Report.)

Champion boxer Worapoj Petchkhoon deserves more respect and fairer treatment than this over-reactive homophobic banishment for something he was not fully alert to and which harmed no one.

Voice your opposition to this unfair decision:
Thailand Amateur Boxing Federation
154, Rama 1 Road National Stadium BANGKOK , THAILAND
Tel.: +66 2 2169229 Fax: +66 2 2164983
E-mail: boxing_championships_thailand@abat.or.th

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From BoxingScene.com
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
August 31, 2009

Thailand’s boxing silver medalist in the Athens Olympic Games, Worapoj Petchkhoon, will not see action in the Southeast Asian Games in Laos in December as he has been banned for three months as a punishment for modeling in a gay magazine.

There were reports that Worapoj appeared nearly naked in the Thai gay magazine STAGE which got the attention of the media as well as the Amateur Boxing Association of Thailand (ABAT).

In a press conference, President of the ABAT, General Thaweep Jantharo said the association had decided to ban Worapoj from the national boxing squad for three months, which will bar him from representing Thailand in the upcoming SEA Games in Laos at the end of this year. Taweep said Worapoj’s images in the gay magazine are not considered obscene, but still they have tarnished the reputation of the national athletes. Taweep stated that national athletes were supposed to present a good image.

Petchkhoom claims he didn’t know it was a gay magazine until halfway through the shoot, when his girlfriend caught on after requests that the boxer wear just underwear: "I did not know the magazine would turn out this way. I thought it would be an ordinary fashion shoot. I am straight, with a girlfriend, but the news has upset my family. Since the magazine appeared, another two gay titles have offered me work, but I turned them down. I meant to show my six pack - not my private parts." But Worapoj defended his actions claiming the images, including the one on the magazine cover, were “sporty” and not obscene. He also added, ""I regret what happened and would like to apologise to boxing fans. It is one of those life lessons – next time I shall have to be more careful."