Yesterday we posted about the United Kingdoms intention to pardon thousands of gay men who were convicted of sodomy during Britan’s notorious anti-gay witch-hunts of the past.
Well that was yesterday and it seems as if those gay witch-hunts are not exactly over yet.
Today the Tory Justice Minster Sam Gyimah (pictured above) essentially killed the Turing Law stating that if passed it would pardon those who have committed offences that are still illegal today.
The Sun reports:
There was widespread anger in the House of Commons as the Government talked out the Turing bill, which would automatically pardon gay men convicted of now abolished sexual offences. MPs shouted ‘shame’ and ‘shameful’ as Justice Minister Sam Gyimah killed off SNP MP John Nicolson’s private members bill.
The Government has announced plans for thousands of gay and bisexual men convicted of crimes which are no longer on the statute books to be posthumously pardoned, but Mr Nicolson’s bill proposed an automatic pardon for the living too.
This was not backed by the Government as it was said to be concerned Mr Nicolson’s bill would pardon those who have committed offences that are still illegal today. But Mr Nicolson and other MPs argued his bill specifically states that if the crime for which one was convicted is still illegal at the time of the bill (ie. today) then there will no pardon.
If the Government’s amendment – to the Police and Crime Bill – is passed then those who are still alive will not be automatically pardoned. Instead they will have to apply, which MPs stated would be “very distressing to victims”.
Labour’s Chris Bryant was close to tears during the House of Commons debate as he urged the Government to go further in pardoning gay men convicted of now abolished sexual offences. The former minister recalled gay and bisexual MPs who “faced down” Adolf Hitler, insisting they and others should receive “something that feels like an apology”.
It just goes to prove that wherever you go, whatever you do, conservatives fucking suck. It’s as inevitable as gravity.