Our petition from 2015 Hull Pride for an exoneration for all those convicted of gross indecency and related crimes prior to the 2003 Sexual Offences Act is being sent to Sarah Champion, Shadow Equalities Minister
The government and Labour have both previously promised an Alan Turing type pardon.
We believe that this is well-meaning but inadequate, A pardon suggests that there was wrong doing in the first place. The Law now says they did not. People retain criminal records for something that is -rightly-no longer regarded as a criminal offence.An automatic exoneration for those whether alive or dead-would remove this slur on their character.
2017 will see the 50th Anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexual relations between men. But many men continued to be convicted of offences right up until 2003. Despite the fact that the ‘crimes’ of which they were convicted are no longer regarded as such. By what logic can you be pardoned for something that was not wrong in the first place?
Hull Pride 2017 has been designated the first National Pride. We will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Act but how marvellous it would be if justice was finally done–in as far as it can be—by an automatic exoneration Of course it will come too late for many and will be little compensation for those whose lives were ruined os in some cases ended. We will remember them. But a pardon-however well-meaning will not be enough. It MUST be an exoneration. They did no wrong. The Laws were unjust and wrong.