Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

It is an extraordinary irony that a man who contributed significantly to saving the world from the Nazi regime was prosecuted in 1952 for an open gay relationship with a young man and forced to accept injections of oestrogen as an alternative to going to prison. Having been excluded from his life's work because of his homosexuality, he was driven to suicide in June 1954. His life and his history teach us how wrong it is to treat gay men in such a way. When we hear homophobic comments, we should remember the martyrdom of Dr. Turing, who helped to save civilisation for all of us.

See this speech in context