1959 conviction still haunts gay man seeking work

[WillParkinson]

1959 conviction still haunts gay man seeking work
By The Associated Press
02.16.2010 11:54am EST

(London) He was convicted of a crime more than half a century ago, but what he did in 1959 – have consensual sex with another man – would be perfectly legal today.

So John Crawford, 70, wants his criminal record cleaned up for good, so that he doesn’t have to disclose his conviction when he seeks volunteer work, and because of a deeply held belief that he should not be punished for his sexual orientation.

“I came into this world without a criminal record and I’d like to leave this world without one,” said Crawford, a retired butler. “The police beat me and beat me and forced me to confess to being gay, but I know in my heart I did nothing wrong.”

Crawford’s bid to clean up his record is backed by gay organizations looking to help others who were convicted under Britain’s once draconian anti-homosexuality laws, which began to be eased in 1967 as social values changed and sex acts between consenting adults began to be decriminalized.

http://www.365gay.com/news/1959-conviction-still-haunts-gay-man-seeking-work/

[joeybee12]

1. Why aren't they summarily wiping out these convictions for everyone

at that time? KNR

[Glassunion]

2. That's the nanny state for ya...

K&R

[tjwmason]

3. This is a big issue, and should be getting more attention

One aspect which I've only heard mentioned once is that of under-age sexual contact, right until the 1990s the British age of consent for gay sex was 21 (as compared with 16 for straight) and so a 21 year-old man who had sex with his 20 year-old partner could have been prosecuted and so have a criminal record. As we're having a seemingless endless expansion of child-protection disclosure, I would imagine that the Criminal Records Bureau would be flagging up this then 21 year-old for under-age sex.

[ck4829]

4. These are the same laws that ruined Alan Turing, and he helped save the world from Nazis

Homophobia = Idiocy.