Toby Young Toby Young

The misguided bid to turn Alan Turing into an Asperger’s martyr

I’m all for giving more respect to people on the autistic spectrum – but not because they’re ‘special’

issue 10 January 2015

When I first heard the story of Alan Turing in my late teens I made what must be quite a common mistake. I concluded that his conviction in 1952 for committing a homosexual act was indefensible in light of his immense contribution to the war effort. The fact that he was forced to undergo a course of hormonal ‘therapy’ which led to his suicide two years later underlined just how badly he was treated.

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