Jon Maddog Hall Get’s Out of The Closet in Honor of Alan Turing

In the long post (which can be read in Linux Magazine Web site), Hall, 61, says that Turing is one of the heroes of all time, and remembers that he was so hated by his country and his world was deprived of one thing by which he lived: his work. “You can try to soften the facts by saying that it was the law of his time.” But, Hall says, “that time” is not so far from us, and in some places “that time” still exists. “And this concerns me because I am also a homosexual,” he says.

Hall says that for a long time he was careful about talking about his homosexuality for two reasons: he did not want his father and mother (both extremely Catholic) to know, and because he did not want his sexuality to cause embarrassment of any kind to Linux and free software. But notes, as his parents died last year, the disclosure will not affect them.

Concearning the world of technology, he says: “Most people in my world of electronics and computers are like mathematicians of the time of Turing, highly educated and do not really care if their countrymen were gay or not, or at least were able to look beyond sexuality and see the rest of the person. “

For Hall, computer science was a sort of heaven for homosexuals, because it attracted smart people with modern thoughts. “Many computer companies were the first to have diversity programs,” he recalls.

After explaining why he is doing this revelation now – although, he admits, has never hidden it – Hall speaks of what he always believed, how he sees life, and ends by saying that nothing will change.

“Remember that I am exactly the same person as before … you just know a little more about me … actually, you know EVERYTHING about me. I have no other ’secrets’. Peace and love to you all. . and … Carpe Diem! “- So ends the post.