30. Alan Turing: Computer Daddy
/In this episode of History is Gay, Leigh and guest host Maren tackle the father of modern computing, and gay geek hero, Alan Turing! Whether he be sending love-struck letters about astronomy to his high school bestie, riding a bicycle in a gas mask, or completely revolutionizing mathematics and machinery, we’re in awe of Alan. Listen as we talk about his successes and foibles, and how history did this code-breaking, number-crunching badass dirty.
A Closer Look at Alan Turing
As we mentioned in the episode, here is video of Joan Clarke (later Joan Murray), discussing her short-lived engagement to Alan Turing:
If you want to learn more about the Alan Turing, check out our full list of sources and further reading below!
Overlooked No More: Alan Turing, Condemned Code Breaker and Computer Visionary
The Turing Digital Archive (You can see a whole bunch of primary source documents here, including letters written in Alan’s own handwriting!)
Books and Print Articles:
Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges
The Imitation Game: Alan Turning Decoded by Jim Ottoviani and Leland Purvis
Queers in History by Keith Stern
Out of the Past: Gay and Lesbian History from 1869 to the Present by Neil Miller
Queer, There, and Everywhere by Sarah Prager
Who’s Who in Gay & Lesbian History by Robert Aldrich and Garry Wotherspoon