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Britain will posthumously pardon thousands of gay, bisexual men

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It’s no longer a crime to be gay in Great Britain and now the records will reflect that.

The New York Times reports Britain will posthumously pardon thousands of gay and bisexual men who were convicted of sexual offenses that were decriminalized decades ago. In addition, the process for people who are still alive and want to clear their name will be streamlined.

In potentially the most famous case, the government apologized to Alan Turing in 2009 and three years ago Queen Elizabeth II formally pardoned the British mathematician regarded as one of the central figures in the development of the computer. Turing made a major contribution to Britain in World War II by cracking Germany’s Enigma coding machines.

Following the war, Turning was convicted on charges of homosexuality in 1952. He committed suicide in 1954.

While the Ministry of Justice said no deceased individuals would be singled out by name, other notables could include famous Irish playwright Oscar Wilde, who was convicted and sentenced to two years of hard labor in 1895.

The Times reports consensual sex between men over age 21 was decriminalized in England and Wales in 1967, in Scotland in 1980 and in Northern Ireland in 1982. The age of consent for homosexual sex was reduced to 16, the same as the age of consent for heterosexual sex, in 2001.

Read more from The New York Times.

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