We’re now coming to the end of Pride Month, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to stop celebrating! In keeping with our celebration of queer mathematicians this month, we wanted to take some time to highlight the works of LGBT+ mathematicians throughout history. While it’s impossible to say how some of these individuals would have identified according to our modern labels, it’s still important to recognize that queer people have always existed, and have made and continue to make valuable contributions to the field of mathematics. It’s challenging to find records of LGBT+ people who lived in times when they would have been persecuted for being themselves, and because of that many contributions made by queer individuals have slipped through the cracks of history. So let’s take the time to highlight the works we can find, acknowledge the ones we can’t, and celebrate what the LGBT+ community has brought to the world of mathematics.

If you ask anyone to name a queer mathematician, chances are—well, chances are they won’t have an answer, because unfortunately the LGBT+ community is largely underrepresented in mathematics. But if they do have an answer, they’ll likely say Alan Turing. Turing (1912-1954) is widely considered the father of theoretical computer science, largely due to his invention of the Turing machine, which is a mathematical model that can implement any computer algorithm. So if you’re looking for an example of his work, look no further than the very device you’re using to read this! He also played a crucial role in decoding the Enigma machine in World War II, which was instrumental in the Allies’ victory. If you want to learn more about cryptography and how the field has evolved since Turing’s vital contributions, check out these Maple MathApps on Vigenère ciphers, password security, and RSA encryption. And as if that wasn’t enough, Turing also made important advances in the field of mathematical biology, and his work on morphogenesis remains a key theory in the field to this day. His mathematical model was confirmed using living vegetation just this year!

In 1952, Turing’s house was burgled, and in the course of the investigation he acknowledged having a relationship with another man. This led to both men being charged with “gross indecency”, and Turing was forced to undergo chemical castration. He was also barred from continuing his work in cryptography with the British government, and denied entry to the United States. He died in 1954, from what was at the time deemed a suicide by cyanide poisoning, although there is also evidence to suggest his death may have been accidental. Either way, it’s clear that Turing was treated unjustly. It’s an undeniable tragedy that a man whose work had such a significant impact on the modern era was treated as a criminal in his own time just because of who he loved.