Pet Shop Boys: Gay equality isn’t a party political issue any more
The Pet Shop Boys have claimed that gay equality is no longer a party political issue in the UK.
Speaking to the Guardian ahead of their tribute to gay codebreaker Alan Turing at the Proms, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe hailed a shift in British politics.
Alan Turing was a mathematical genius and codebreaker, often credited as the grandfather of the modern computer, and lauded
as instrumental to cracking German codes in the second world war.
He was prosecuted for gross indecency in 1952, after having a relationship with another man, and facing chemical castration, killed himself two years later.
Tennant revealed in the interview today that he had quietly suggested to one of Prime Minister David Cameron’s advisors the idea of pardoning Turing.
He said: “It was a bit cheeky, but it suddenly occurred to me… as David Cameron is so with the gay agenda, I wondered if [the rumour of the royal pardon] was really true.
“I didn’t think it was going to happen, but what was interesting was the bloke I sent it to responded immediately. And so I thought, ‘oh, they obviously do know about this’.”
Tennant continued: “It isn’t really a party political issue any more. I think what really happened is we’ve moved, not totally, but as a society, away from toleration to acceptance, and a reasonably happy acceptance actually.
“All parties are supporting that now.”
“You’d have to ask David Cameron about his motives, because I know what certain people say about it. Nonetheless he’s run with this issue.”
The pair, who previously labelled it “disappointing” that Stonewall hadn’t pushed for more pardons following Turing’s, also revealed that they have rewritten the ending of their Prom piece to reference that.
They said: “We had to [rewrite the ending to] point out that the convictions of tens of thousands of other men remain, and that hasn’t really been discussed.”
The pair will debut their Turing tribute, entitled ‘A Man From The Future’ at the proms on Wednesday.
