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The Editor writes all about the word Polari, and explains why the magazine is called Polari.

“As a form of slang, it developed as the times required. It made its way into the music halls, where it was picked up by actors, and found its way across the English Channel to the London gay scene.”

How Turing’s Ideas Were Borne From Death.

The love of Alan Turing for Christopher Morcom shaped his career. Morcom’s death changed how Turing thought about the possibilities of mathematics and the place of the spirit in it.

“After the loss for Morcom, Turing started to puzzle out the nature of mind and spirit, and its relationship with the physical machine, the body. It was this creative leap that drove his career.”

A Selection of Images from Bletchley Park.

A gallery of images from Bletchley Park, home to the National Codes Centre and the National Museum of Computing, for the Turing centenary.

“Today Bletchley is open to the public where its secrets have been laid bare. Home to the National Codes Centre and the National Museum of Computing, it is a fascinating place of historic interest.”

Science Museum, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2DD • June 21, 2012 – July 31, 2013

The Science Museum’s contribution to the Turing centenary, the exhibition Codebreaker – Alan Turing’s Life and Legacy, is a first rate insight into his work.

“Codebreaker is an astutely thought-out tribute to mark the centenary of Alan Turing’s birth on June 23.”

The Story of the Turing Pardon, Part Two.

A look at the petition to pardon Turing for ‘gross indecency’, as well as the social and historical significance of the pardon.

“This is the official Turing Centenary and so it is the ideal time to take a stand against obsolete ideas about homosexuality, and to honour one of the most important and pivotal figures in British history..”

The Story of the Turing Pardon, Part One.

A look at how Alan Turing’s secret work was finally acknowledged in the 1980s and the British government’s 2009 public apology for Turing’s treatment.

“Alan Turing’s work on cracking Enigma, and building a computer designed to play a part in the development of a British atomic bomb, was not part of the record. He was branded a “security risk” and duly sacrificed.”

A Genius Martyred.

A look at the circumstances that led to Turing’s criminal conviction for homosexual conduct in 1952, and his death in 1954

“Alan Turing’s work on cracking Enigma, and building a computer designed to play a part in the development of a British atomic bomb, was not part of the record. He was branded a “security risk” and duly sacrificed.”

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233 pages • Accent Press • May 9, 2012 [HB]

Tim Bennett-Goodman is angered and moved by this between-the-wars tale of homosexuality and prejudice.

“All the Beauty of the Sun, whilst far from being a polemic, serves as a salutary warning not to judge those who went before us by contemporary standards.”

Justice for Men Convicted of ‘Gross Indecency’.

The Protection of Freedoms Act allows men convicted of gross indecency before 1967 to have their criminal record erased.

“The law is a victory for the groups who have for years lobbied for such a law. It is also a testament to the work of Stonewall, representatives of whom gave evidence to the Public Bill Committee on 24 March 2011.”

Key Dates in the Queer Calendar

As LGBT History Month 2012 ends Tim Bennett-Goodman takes a sideways look at queer history.

“To my mind, modern queer history, in the British Isles and Ireland at least, begins in 1885 with the Criminal Law Amendment Act, and most particularly the pernicious Section 11 or Labouchere Amendment (named after the MP who introduced it) designed to prosecute male homosexuals for acts of ‘gross indecency’.”