Podcast Summary:

Todo Concostrina – Acontece que no es poco | La manzana envenenada de Alan Turing
Host: Nieves Concostrina
Date: February 23, 2023
Main Theme:
A historical reflection on the tragic story of Alan Turing—the brilliant mathematician and father of computer science—focusing on the injustices he suffered due to his homosexuality, the evolution of laws against homosexuality in the UK, and reflections on hypocrisy and progress.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Prominent Dates and Parallels

• The episode opens with Nieves and the co-host referencing Spain’s historical “23-F” coup (00:56–01:29), then drawing an unexpected parallel:
  • "Hasta aquí llega la presencia de los Tejero en el acontecido de hoy. Porque no tiene nada que ver con ellos, o lo mismo sí, no lo sé..." (01:26, Nieves)
• Nieves segues to announce that it's been 10 years since Queen Elizabeth II pardoned Alan Turing in 2013.

2. Who was Alan Turing?

• Described as:
  • “Aquel hombre de cerebro prodigioso, padre de la informática, precursor de la inteligencia artificial. El hombre que rompió los códigos nazis...” (02:01, Nieves)
• Recommendation of “Descifrando Enigma” (The Imitation Game), a film about Turing.

3. The Injustice: Why was a Pardon Needed?

• Despite his service and intellect, Turing had to be pardoned for the ‘crime’ of being gay:
  • “¿Por qué narices tuvo que perdonarle?”
  • “Indultarla porque fue homosexual.”
  • “Este hombre fue juzgado, condenado, encarcelado, castrado químicamente... cayó en depresión y un día de 1954 mordió una manzana con cianuro y se largó.” (03:02–03:23, Nieves)
• Strong irony:
  • “Menos mal que el señor Don Papa ha dicho que la homosexualidad no es delito. Que tranquilos, que solo es pecado.” (03:25–03:30, Nieves)
• Reflections on the persistence of prejudice—tying it to broader social and religious hypocrisy.

4. The Cruelty of the Law and Its Hypocrisy

• The laws criminalizing homosexuality, their timeline:
  • 1967: Homosexuality decriminalized in England and Wales.
  • 2003: Laws banning “sodomy” finally repealed.
  • 2013: Turing personally pardoned by the Queen.
  • 2016: General “Turing Law” wipes criminal records for 65,000 men.
    • “Alan Turing disfrutó del hipócrita honor de que la señora Doña Reina de Inglaterra… indultara al matemático en 2013, tres años antes que al resto.” (05:18, Nieves)
• Legislation’s unintended consequences:
  • The 1885 “Labouchère Amendment”, meant to supposedly soften the law, instead made convicting gay men much easier, no longer requiring “caught in the act” proof.
  • Both Oscar Wilde and Turing were convicted under this law.

Quote:

"A Oscar Wilde no lo condenaron porque lo pillaran en nada, sino por testimonios y porque se puso chulo en el juicio. También porque le perdía la boquita." (09:15, Nieves)

5. Escalation of Persecution

• Early law (pre-1861): Death penalty for homosexual acts.
• 1861: Reduced to life imprisonment; so harsh it was rarely enforced.
• 1885: Labouchère Amendment—much more enforceable, led to a surge in convictions:
  • “A partir de ahí se disparan las condenas... dos años, tres años, cinco años de trabajos forzados.” (08:17, Nieves)
• Oscar Wilde: Two years of hard labor.
• Alan Turing: One year in prison, suspended on condition of chemical castration.

6. Mid-Century Change -- The Seeds of Reform

• The 1954 suicide of Turing coincided with a scandalous trial (Lord Edward Montagu) that sparked public outrage and movements towards reform:
  • “En 1954... hubo un juicio por homosexualidad... aquellos condenas molestaron a parte de la prensa y de la sociedad. Hubo mucha bronca…” (10:28, Nieves)
• 1967: Decriminalization for consenting adults in private; took longer in Scotland & Northern Ireland.
• Ongoing persecution: Not just Turing and Wilde, but influential actors, journalists, and even nobility.

7. The Personal Fall of Turing

• Turing was discovered through an investigation into a theft by his own lover:
  • “Él denunció un robo de su novio y durante la investigación, pues salió a la luz que era su novio...” (11:51, Nieves)
• Immediately dismissed from his work, all past services disregarded in the face of homophobic law.

Quote:

“Ya no importaba que ese tipo... el genial matemático que descifró los códigos… Solo importaba que ese hombre en su vida privada amara a otros hombres.” (12:03, Nieves)

8. Delayed Justice and Symbolic Pardon

• Repeated resistance to apologize top-down:
  • “Desde 2009 estuvieron los British recogiendo miles de firmas para exigir una disculpa oficial... nadie se disculpaba... en 2012 continuaba siendo Turing un delincuente para la legislación británica.” (13:00, Nieves)
• Only in 2013 did the Queen finally issue a pardon, and in 2016, Parliament passed the “Ley Turing” to posthumously pardon tens of thousands.
• Nieves points out the irony of the Royal family’s own scandals vs. their slow acknowledgment of such injustices.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Indultarla porque fue homosexual. ¿Y por ser gay?” – (03:02, Nieves)
• “Un día de 1954 mordió una manzana con cianuro y se largó.” – (03:19, Nieves)
• “La ley que te llevaba a la cárcel en Inglaterra por ser homosexual se derogó en 1967, pero todavía en 2003 las leyes británicas prohibían la sodomía.” – (05:06, Nieves)
• “A partir de ahí se disparan las condenas... Oscar Wilde no lo condenaron porque lo pillaran en nada, sino por testimonios y porque se puso chulo en el juicio.” – (08:17/09:15, Nieves)
• “Ya no importaba que ese tipo... Solo importaba que ese hombre en su vida privada amara a otros hombres.” – (12:03, Nieves)
• Irony:
  • “Doña Reina de Inglaterra, cabeza de la Iglesia Anglicana, resistiéndose a indultar a Turing, pero con un hijo, Andrés de Inglaterra, acusado de abusos sexuales…” – (13:45, Nieves)
  • “Es para correrlos a gorrazos a todos por Buckingham Palace.” – (13:55, Nieves)

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Highlight | |-----------|-------------------| | 01:26 | Parallels 23-F and Turing, the “two Ts” | | 02:01 | Alan Turing’s legacy and contribution | | 03:02 | Reason for Turing’s pardon—his homosexuality | | 05:06 | Breakdown of British legal timeline | | 08:17 | Enmienda Labouchère triggers mass prosecutions | | 09:15 | Oscar Wilde and Turing—same law, decades apart | | 10:28 | Public outrage sparks reform in the 50s | | 11:51 | Turing’s arrest after reporting a theft | | 13:00 | Campaigns for apology and eventual pardons | | 13:45 | Critique of royal and institutional hypocrisy |

Tone and Conclusions

Nieves blends sharp historical detail with biting irony, maintaining her trademark irreverent, critical tone. She consistently points out the hypocrisy of the establishment, whether royal or religious, and the human cost of dogma.

The episode leaves listeners with a powerful sense of how slow and reluctant official institutions can be to recognize historic injustices—even those committed against their greatest heroes.

Closing

This episode is a compelling, at times scathing, reminder of the destruction wrought by prejudice and hypocrisy, as illustrated by Alan Turing’s life and legacy. Concostrina’s narrative is incisive, poignant, and laced with the wry humor that defines her style. For anyone interested in the intersection of history, justice, and social change, this is essential listening.