Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

The revolution in mindsets that has partially taken place must be completed. Far from considering gay and lesbian orientation as a mere attribute, we are beginning to understand that sexual orientation is central to the character and identity of the individual and must be seen in that light. I often consider the life of Dr. Alan Turing as a parable for our time. As many people in the House know, Dr. Turing was a brilliant mathematician and a pioneer of computer science. He was also gay. In the course of the Second World War his brilliance was probably one of the key factors in the defeat of the Nazi war machine. At Bletchley Park, he cracked the innermost secrets of the Nazis with his brilliant and inventive code breaking and mathematical work.

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