Benedict Cumberbatch Wants Britain to Stop Humiliating Gays

[Omaha Steve]

Last edited Wed Mar 4, 2015, 04:32 PM - Edit history (1)

Benedict Cumberbatch. (Photo: Jewel Samad/Getty Images)

The 'Imitation Game' actor signed a petition asking the U.K. to pardon some 49,000 men who were convicted for being gay.

http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/02/17/benedict-cumberbatch-stop-humiliating-gays?cmpid=tpdaily-eml-2015-2-17

February 17, 2015 By Jennifer Swann

Jennifer Swann is TakePart’s culture and lifestyle reporter.

o days after his English wedding, British actor Benedict Cumberbatch returned to Hollywood to deflect the media attention to another issue entirely.

On Monday night's Jimmy Kimmel Live, Cumberbatch used the late-night talk show to promote a petition that's garnered more than 350,000 signatures as of Tuesday, thanks in part to his TV appearance and several major media outlets that picked up the story.

The petition, launched on Change.org in January by Advocate editor-in-chief Matthew Breen, asks the British government to officially pardon the approximately 49,000 people convicted under England's "gross indecency" antigay laws, in which gays were arrested and treated as criminals.

"This was a blanket policy for anybody that was marked to be homosexual in that era: two years' imprisonment or two years' chemical castration, with estrogen injections administered weekly. It was barbaric. And that was the '50s, less than 100 years ago," Cumberbatch said on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

FULL story at link.

Published on Feb 17, 2015
Benedict talks about Alan Turing who he portrays in the film The Imitation Game.

[Stargazer09]

1. He's such a class act!

And a brilliant actor. My daughter was disappointed that he married someone else.

[appalachiablue]

2. Indeed, Ben C.'s a terrific actor and a very intelligent, funny and charming fellow.

(Take heart, your young one will find another true love!).

Talent and activism from artists in Britian lately is impressive; Ben, David O. as MLK Jr. in 'Selma', Russell Brand on current issues and the recent statement by actress Emma Thompson and husband Re paying taxes when banks like HSBC comply.