Alan Turing Walking Tour of Manchester for LGBT+ History Month
Host: Josh Martin, historian, writer and founder of Free Manchester Walking Tours
Join historian Josh Martin for a walking tour that explores the life and impact of World War II Enigma codebreaker and LGBT+ hero, Alan Turing. Turing carried out much of his pioneering computing work at the University of Manchester. In this guided tour, Josh introduces the Alan Turing Memorial sculpture in Sackville Gardens and other significant locations around the city.
Who was Alan Turing?
A brilliant mathematician and founding father of modern computer science, Turing’s career ended prematurely in the early 1950s when he was convicted of homosexuality and gross indecency under the anti-gay laws of that time. Sentenced to probation, he avoided prison but was given hormone treatment, which caused chemical castration. Turing’s criminal record meant he lost his clearance to work on top secret projects, and he died by suicide in 1954.
What is Turing's Law?
Following a public campaign calling for a Royal Pardon, Alan Turing received a posthumous pardon in 2013, nearly 60 years after his death. This righting of a historical injustice paved the way for pardons for other gay and bisexual men in England and Wales convicted of now-abolished sexual offences and to have their records cleared: also known as ‘Turing’s Law’.
Find out more about Alan Turing’s life and work here.
Find more information about LGBT+ History Month on their website here.
Video time
45 minutes
See more from LGBT+ History Month
Discover LGBT+ History Month 2026 at the Virtual Village Hall in February with our programme of sessions that celebrate this year's theme, Science and Innovation.
