Nobody Could Have Predicted...

If homophobes had their way during WWII, there’s a good chance that the war in the European theatre would have turned out much differently and hundreds or perhaps thousands more members of the “greatest generation” would not have returned home alive. In fact, the war in Europe might have been lost.

One cannot rewrite history, unless you're a member of the Bush administration trying to cover your incompetent, lying ass. However, one should consider what would have happened if Alan Turing had not been working for the British government in its efforts to break the German codes.

Alan Turing was one of the greatest minds of the 20th century and is often considered the inventor of the computer. Turing was instrumental in unlocking the secrets of the Enigma Machine which the Germans used to send coded messages. These encrypting machines were used throughout the German military including field commanders, ships at sea and the highly effective U-boat wolf packs. Breaking this code was critical in the Allied war effort and Alan Turing’s contribution cannot be diminished. Alan Turing was also a homosexual.

Certainly, without the German codes, the war would have been more protracted and more lives lost on both sides.

Now, when we are in need of translators, homosexuality is a disqualifier for this important work. Would we really prefer that an important message, perhaps of an impending attack, not be translated in time to prevent the attack?