Neferu wrote:

I´m not sure, but looking at the signatures under the letter, I find them very similar. Do you really think the people, who were named, did really signature it on their own? 
Not a doubt, that is an important and proper subject, but the letters are all the same in all signatures - and if that really is a fake, that will not be okay.

They are indeed identical. I think they put them there symbolically so that not just the typed names appear. The letter is genuine. 

Bump. They are close to 150.000 now.

*fingers crossed*

Latest news:

"On Monday morning, members of Alan Turing’s family will present this important petition to British Prime Minister David Cameron in London."

At the very moment, it's 494.712 supporters. Maybe they can make the 500.000 this weekend before the petition will be presented 

Update: 500.000 are already done, they are close to 501.000 now - and going for the million 

Let us see how many they will have on Monday. 

I hate to be crude but that just pisses me off to the point of inchoherance.  

As far as I know the law existed only until 1967.

It's easy to do some research:

Wikipedia (today's version) "The Sexual Offences Act 1967 was accordingly passed and received Royal Assent on 27 July 1967 after an intense late night debate in the House of Commons. It maintained general prohibitions on buggery and indecency between men, but provided for a limited decriminalisation of homosexual acts where three conditions were fulfilled: 1) the act had to be consensual, 2) the act had to take place in private and 3) the act could involve only people that had attained the age of 21. This was a higher age of consent than that for heterosexual acts, which was set at 16. Further, "in private" limited participation in an act to two people. This condition was interpreted strictly by the courts, which took it to exclude acts taking place in a room in a hotel, for example, and in private homes where a third person was present (even if that person was in a different room). These restrictions were overturned in the European Court of Human Rights in 2000."

Interesting detail: The Church of England ahead of the Parliament:

"In October 1957, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher, spoke in support of the Wolfenden Report, saying that "There is a sacred realm of privacy... into which the law, generally speaking, must not intrude. This is a principle of the utmost importance for the preservation of human freedom, self-respect, and responsibility." "

Last edited by Harriet (February 28, 2015 6:40 pm)

The petition was made in connection with Alan Turing's pardon and supported by his family. This might be the reason why they expressly mentioned those 49,000 men convicted under the very same law as Turing himself.