Hot Air » Blog Archive » The obligatory “gay bomb” post

The obligatory “gay bomb” post

posted at 11:55 am on June 10, 2007 by Allahpundit
Send to a Friend | Share on Facebook | printer-friendly

This is actually old news, but it’s so weird and rife with comic possibilities as to be irresistible. The oddest thing about it is how needlessly complicated it is. If you’re looking to immobilize the other side without killing them, some type of tranquilizer bomb would seem to be in order. How did the conversation get from there to, “Nah — let’s make ‘em gay”? And equally stupid:

Gay community leaders in California said Friday that they found the notion of a “gay bomb” both offensive and almost laughable at the same time.

“Throughout history we have had so many brave men and women who are gay and lesbian serving the military with distinction,” said Geoff Kors of Equality California. “So, it’s just offensive that they think by turning people gay that the other military would be incapable of doing their job. And its absurd because there’s so much medical data that shows that sexual orientation is immutable and cannot be changed.”

The point as I understand it isn’t that gay soldiers wouldn’t fight back, it’s that the shock and, er, “disorientation” within the unit from having their sexuality instantly altered would paralyze them for a time and generate a morale crisis given that they’re likely to come from homophobic societies. The “gay bomb” works best against those enemies least tolerant of gays — you’d think that element of poetic justice would mitigate its offensiveness somewhat.

Anyway, silly idea. But I do look forward to the inevitable conspiracy theories from Alex Jones and other Ron Paul supporters about the covert development of the bomb and the secret test ordered by Nixon on the population of San Francisco…

Blowback

Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.

Trackbacks/Pings

Trackback URL

Comments

Sunday Snicker!

conspiracy theories from ~~Alex Jones and other Ron Paul supporters~~ RushBaby about the covert development of the bomb and the secret test ordered by Nixon on the population of San Francisco…

(First thing that crossed my mind)

RushBaby on June 10, 2007 at 12:03 PM

Sounds like something out of a Batman comic. The Gaybait villain concots a plan to turn all of Gotham into a gay paradise by gay-bombing it.

Come to think of that, that sounds like it could be fun.

Mindcrime on June 10, 2007 at 12:04 PM

In other news, President Bush is loved in Albania.

No, seriously, I also look forward to the “Gay Bomb” conspiracies. I’m sure Karl Rove was involved somewhere.

amerpundit on June 10, 2007 at 12:04 PM

Is it phallic shaped or sphincter shaped?

And it wouldn’t be that they couldn’t do their job, it’s that they’d rather design uniforms, style hair, or pick out curtains than fight a war.

csdeven on June 10, 2007 at 12:04 PM

Not sure if this would be effective against an enemy that is chock full of closet cases.Do the math.

bbz123 on June 10, 2007 at 12:05 PM

Proposed in 1994. Don’t ask, don’t tell, indeed.

calbear on June 10, 2007 at 12:07 PM

I can’t wait for John Edwards’ press release on this one! I’m sure it will contain the word “uncomfortable”.

SouthernGent on June 10, 2007 at 12:07 PM

Hmmmm….

http://hotair.com/archives/2006/12/12/wnd-op-ed-soy-milk-will-give-you-teh-ghey/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Portnoy

Maybe?

Bad Candy on June 10, 2007 at 12:10 PM

Makes perfect sense to have gay bomb when you know that Maxwell Smart and The Chief had acquired nude bomb technology from Sauvage in the early 80s.

Bad guys + gay bomb + nude bomb = teh buttsecks

ScottMcC on June 10, 2007 at 12:18 PM

I don’t think it’s so absurd - they hit me with a newt bomb.

I got better.

geoff on June 10, 2007 at 12:19 PM

and the secret test ordered by Nixon on the population of San Francisco…

hehehe
i knew it wasn’t acid!

one thing though - is this even technically possible? if yes, can they develop a straight bomb and drop it on San Fran?

AlexB on June 10, 2007 at 12:19 PM

The reason for a gay bomb is so that the enemy will show up on Gaydar, making them easier to detect, especially after 2 AM.

Mibrilane on June 10, 2007 at 12:22 PM

Makes perfect sense to me. I think it was Gordon Liddy who said one time, “who would you rather have leading you over the hill, John Wayne Or Liberace?”

Jeff on June 10, 2007 at 12:31 PM

The Pentagon! Are you kidding me?

Nonfactor on June 10, 2007 at 12:33 PM

Is it phallic shaped or sphincter shaped?

Maybe it’s a binary weapon so it’s both? OK…now I’ve succeeded in grossing myself out.

flipflop on June 10, 2007 at 12:34 PM

I dunno. All of Liberace’s sequins and jewelry might blind the enemy force like a flash grenade…

Bad Candy on June 10, 2007 at 12:34 PM

Come on, that’s an awesome idea. Think of the deterrent that would be against islamic fascist types.

Dash on June 10, 2007 at 12:38 PM

I bet the bomb looks fab-u-lous!

lorien1973 on June 10, 2007 at 12:41 PM

Dash on June 10, 2007 at 12:38 PM

Make that a ham flavored and scented gay bomb and Islam just might be in trouble.

doriangrey on June 10, 2007 at 12:46 PM

And its absurd because there’s so much medical data that shows that sexual orientation is immutable and cannot be changed.

I’m confused by this part. If sexual orientation is something that can be scientifically explained, why can’t it be scientifically changed?

I mean if it’s just a preference, then hormones won’t change that preference, but if it’s something physical, then wouldn’t hormones be able to change it?

Esthier on June 10, 2007 at 12:56 PM

Love the pink mushroom cloud on the front page. Now that’s funny, I don’t care who you are.

ReubenJCogburn on June 10, 2007 at 1:05 PM

I found an excerpt from a sci-fi novel about just such a weapon…

A TALE OF THE AFTERMATH

“And this is Ground Zero,” said Khaled my guide. “This is where the gay bomb hit.”

I could only stare in stunned silenced as well dressed men, and butch looking women walked along a beautifully decorated tree lined street. Rainbow flags flapped over doors to coffee shops, bars, design studios, alternative bookstores, and places that sold leather goods.

So this was what man hath wrought, I thought as I surveyed the devastation, my Gaydar going off the scale. “These poor wretched people.”

My guide shrugged. “At least you can get a decent Mocha Latte nowadays.”

I looked at my guide, realizing the bomb’s Gaymma Rays had claimed another victim.

Thank god I had my Swish Prevention suit on.

A shocking vision of the horrors of tastefully decorated warfare.

MoxArgon on June 10, 2007 at 1:09 PM

its Sci Fi meets Nutroots

what’s next? a gay death star?

Defector01 on June 10, 2007 at 1:10 PM

there’s so much medical data that shows that sexual orientation is immutable and cannot be changed

A big frekin’ lie. I hate it when they trot this “fact” out.
For every “study” supporting this, there are two refuting it.
It’s like the global warming issue. People say “there’s no more need to debate. It’s conclusive”. Bulls***.

AteMyFoot on June 10, 2007 at 1:17 PM

… the Air Force lab asked for $7.5 million to develop such a chemical weapon.

Your tax dollars (almost) at work…

rmgraha on June 10, 2007 at 1:19 PM

This sounds like it was dreamed up from a Monty Python skit. You know, the one where aliens invaded England and started turning blokes into Scotsman?

kevcad on June 10, 2007 at 1:25 PM

U.S. military proposal to create a hormone bomb

Proposal rejected because it’s only effective for one week a month.

infidel4life on June 10, 2007 at 1:27 PM

What about the immigration bomb?

robblefarian on June 10, 2007 at 1:28 PM

Somehow Russia’s prominence in the world of ballet and figure skating has to be considered. Maybe some sort of accident during early Soviet experiments with this.

Coyote D. on June 10, 2007 at 1:33 PM

Anyway, silly idea. But I do look forward to the inevitable conspiracy theories from Alex Jones and other Ron Paul supporters about the covert development of the bomb and the secret test ordered by Nixon on the population of San Francisco…

What about the fact that this story was revealed a mere two days after John Edwards proposed his Silky Pony Corps? Coincidence…?

ReubenJCogburn on June 10, 2007 at 1:35 PM

Would this mean a hormonal spray of some kind?

Essentially effeminizing the men?

As if women don’t kill when enraged.

(Especially if they were to see themselves in a man’s body, all the sudden.)

There is a more effective kind of bomb that would render soldiers incapable of any coherent behavior.

But, we’ll have to wait for more extreme circumstances before they open that can of disorienting neurochemicals.

profitsbeard on June 10, 2007 at 1:52 PM

Esthier on June 10, 2007 at 12:56 PM

You have to understand the nature of the statement to understand why it would be that way. If sexual orientation is in fact predetermined genetically and unchangeable than it cannot be assailed as a choice made by the individual.

If it is not a choice made by the individual than the individual cannot be judged for that choice, the sexual orientation becomes a normal healthy behavior. The need of the homosexual community to foster this belief onto the general public arises from the harsh reality that not only do most religions condemn homosexuality so historically has the vast majority of humanity.

Furthermore that condemnation throughout history and even unto this present day has literally been a death sentence. While most information age western societies have passed laws protecting the lives of homosexuals such laws are not a world wide accepted practice. Homosexuality is a capital offence for instance in Islamic societies.

Even in the most enlightened of western societies homosexuals still suffer significant hostility and prejudice. The nature of those hostilities and prejudices arise from the general publics innate grasp that homosexuality is a chosen pattern of behavior.

Thus in order to legitimize their sexual orientation it becomes necessary to remove the option that choice may play any role in sexual orientation. If they have no choice in their sexual orientation and their sexual orientation cannot be changed those who practice homosexuality cannot be classified by religion as sinners or abominations before god, or even by secularist as perverts.

This assertion than renders homosexuality simply another natural normal healthy if somewhat alternative lifestyle. This like the homosexual communities quest for marriage is part of their strategy to force (especially Christianity and Islam) society to not only tolerate their behavior but to fully legitimize it as normal and healthy.

doriangrey on June 10, 2007 at 1:53 PM

Ironic that something meant to save lives would be referred to a sexual act that represents death and decay (Vagina vs. Anus).

Tim Burton on June 10, 2007 at 1:54 PM

Not sure if it’s just an urban legend, but wasn’t there some story about the US military dropping oversized condoms over Vietcong territory in order to demoralize the enemy?

Niko on June 10, 2007 at 1:56 PM

If it is not a choice made by the individual than the individual cannot be judged for that choice, the sexual orientation becomes a normal healthy behavior. The need of the homosexual community to foster this belief onto the general public arises from the harsh reality that not only do most religions condemn homosexuality so historically has the vast majority of humanity.
doriangrey on June 10, 2007 at 1:53 PM

Double edge sword. If it is not a choice and it is genetic, then you can call it a bad mutation (like down syndrome) or even a disease (as genetics now seem to play a role in Alzheimer’s)

Tim Burton on June 10, 2007 at 1:59 PM

The oddest thing about it is how needlessly complicated it is.

Perhaps Rube Golberg inspired?

csdeven on June 10, 2007 at 2:00 PM

I’m confused by this part. If sexual orientation is something that can be scientifically explained, why can’t it be scientifically changed?

I mean if it’s just a preference, then hormones won’t change that preference, but if it’s something physical, then wouldn’t hormones be able to change it?

Esthier on June 10, 2007 at 12:56 PM

That is why many homosexuals don’t want to be genetic.

I have a friend who is a homosexual and he called it the double edge sword. He advocates homosexuality as being, “just is”.

He said, if it is a choice, then a person can change. That is unacceptable by many homosexuals.

He said, if it is genetic, then it can be labeled as a bad mutation (fails Darwinism’s idea of passing one’s genetics on) or an outright disease (like down syndrome).

So he and a growing number of professionals are trying to get homosexuality labeled as “just is”.

Tim Burton on June 10, 2007 at 2:04 PM

Double edge sword. If it is not a choice and it is genetic, then you can call it a bad mutation (like down syndrome) or even a disease (as genetics now seem to play a role in Alzheimer’s)

Tim Burton on June 10, 2007 at 1:59 PM

And if we can identify it, one day we will be able to abort (or genetically fix) gay fetus’s. You wanna see the gay crowd become pro-life in an instant?

csdeven on June 10, 2007 at 2:04 PM

The Lefties should want us to deploy this type of weapon.

Aren’t they the ones that scream, “Make Love not War”?

Hobbie on June 10, 2007 at 2:15 PM

There is one piece here that hasn’t been mentioned. As whimsical as this article is(whether it was meant to be or not), the prospect of dropping a bunch of gay-pr0n pictures over barbarian training camps is interesting. Can you imagine the outcry? While the barbarians were busy killing each other in an attempt to find the one responsible for such apostacy, the nutroots would be screaming TORTURE.

PsyOps…what a wonderful thing.

Pilgrim on June 10, 2007 at 2:25 PM

At last a explanation for San Fransicko.

Wade on June 10, 2007 at 2:31 PM

Ummmm anyone think that someone got their wires crossed when intercepting/leaking a coded memo? The Gay Bomb = Nuke as in The ENOLA GAY Bomb.

- The Cat

MirCat on June 10, 2007 at 2:41 PM

Why did Clinton put up with this sort of thing? He should have fired the Air Force and then he should have been fired himself. This is so gay.

Gay.

Totally.

Metro on June 10, 2007 at 2:44 PM

This seems more like a gay man’s fantasy than an actual military weapons program. I’ve done a fair amount of work with the Air Force Research Lab, and I’ve got to say - I’ve never heard of a laboratory there that would even address this sort of work. Here are the groups (”technology directorates”) at Wright-Pat:

• Space Vehicles
• Information
• Air Vehicles
• Propulsion
• Directed Energy
• Materials & Manufacturing
• Sensors
• Munitions
• Human Effectiveness
• AF Office of Scientific Research

Not much in the way of chemistry or medicine there. Unless the project came out of AFOSR, I don’t see how any of the directorates at WPAFB would have had a hand in it.

geoff on June 10, 2007 at 4:15 PM

MoxArgon: “A shocking vision of the horrors of tastefully decorated warfare.”

The following message was found in a male latrine at an undisclosed military facility where testing of the Gay Bomb has been ongoing:

Oh the horror. The drapes in the fox hole are not color coordinated with the uniforms! The new digital camouflage patters of the Army and Marines are just IMPOSSIBLE!

At least the Marines have several color patterns, but the Army has only that yukky grey. Not even Ikea can provide table linen that come close to matching.

And those despicable haircuts. How can the well groomed soldier get up, get smartly dressed in his cammies, and fight in the morning when they can’t even use a good mousse product, because (1) their MRE’s don’t include one, and (2) their heads are either shaved or the hair is less than 1/4 inch long?

I mean, REALLY. It’s enough to make a stylist want to cry!

And let’s not even discuss those black, ugly rifles. Yuk. Don’t the girls at the Pentagon understand that with modern injection molding technology that rifles don’t have to be just black, but other colors, like Mauve. Or maybe Teal. In fact, they can swirl multiple colors into the molds and get a multicolor, party-like, effect. What soldier wouldn’t PROUDLY stand guard with a rifle consisting of yellow, green, mauve, and pink swirls in the stock. And think of the effect that a hot-pink parkerized bayonet would have on an enemy just before that 12 inches of “military love” gets jammed into their gut! Why, they’d be GLAD to die for their country (to borrow from that savage beast, George S. Patton) just to get some of that pink. I mean, who says we can’t make love AND war!

You know, this entire thing called “The Army” is just so butch sounding. We should rename it the “Posse.” We should leave the “The Navy” alone, after all it was immortalized by the Village People and that’s good enough for me. “The Air Force?” Why, that envisions a bunch of manly buff young things blowing air at the enemy. They can keep the “baby-blue” uniforms (it’s easier to match drapes and table linen), but the name is simply non-descriptive. How about the “FlyBoys.” I’m thinking a retro-WWII RAF style uniform with jodhpurs and black riding boots to go with a brown leather helmet and goggles. If you’re going to go out and fight Mano-a-Mano with the enemy, you should at least look marvelous!

Ugg. Marines. Way too much testosterone. And what’s with this “Merchant Marine” nonsense. Which is it? Do they sell stuff? Or do they kill stuff?

Hmm.

georgej on June 10, 2007 at 4:44 PM

I like the idea of a “Big Porker” bomb myself. Here’s how it works:

First, you ask Americans to save and donate their bacon grease to the war effort. Next, we stockpile and load it into the Big Porker, which is more of a dispersal munition than a bomb that goes “Boom!”, and ship it out to the ME to be detonated over areas with large concentrations of enemy combatants.

My guess is the Jihadists will wish it were mustard gas.

CliffHanger on June 10, 2007 at 4:48 PM

OK, I went to the Sunshine Project site and found the “proposal,” which is a bad copy of what looks to be a typewritten proposal for a variety of chemical attack methods. It does follow the style of Air Force memos.

The gay bomb is in a sub-category of methods proposed:
1) Chemical methods to attract stinging and biting insects to the enemy;
2) Chemical methods to mark the enemy to make them more detectable by sensors or animals; and
3) Chemical that affect human behavior and morale

The flavor of the memo is that of a response to a request for brainstorming on non-lethal weapons development. The weird thing is that it came from WL/FIVR, which was the Aircrew Enclosure Branch, responsible for improving cockpit design. WL/FIV was the Flight Dynamics Division, and WL/FI was the Air Vehicles Directorate (now AFRL/VA). [”WL” meant “Wright Laboratories” and the office symbols are ranked with the fewest letters being the highest level of organization.

Here is an organization chart for AFRL/VA.

This office was not even remotely working on weapons: weapons development is under the provenance of the Armaments Laboratory at Eglin AFB, FL.

geoff on June 10, 2007 at 4:56 PM

I nominate CliffHanger to replace Gen Pace.

- The Cat

MirCat on June 10, 2007 at 5:11 PM

Looks like the story is quite old - I wonder what prompted CBS to bring it back up? Also, it looks like it’s been confirmed by the AF (back in 2005):

A United States Air Force research laboratory proposed in the mid-1990s creating a chemical agent that would stimulate homosexual behaviour among enemy troops, but the idea was quickly shot down by the Pentagon, a defence official said on Monday.

“It was a proposal that essentially came out of a brainstorming session as the best analogy,” Lieutenant Colonel Barry Venable, a defence department spokesperson, said. “The proposal was dismissed out of hand.”

geoff on June 10, 2007 at 5:35 PM

I didn’t read the entire story, but I just have to say I can’t stand when people use the word “homophobic”. It’s as if anyone who simply doesn’t agree with or accept “homosexuality”, has become a bad guy. Someone who simply sees how unnatural and nonsensical “homosexuality” can’t just do so without being demonized as “homophobic”, it’s so stupid.

Look, I’m not “homophobic” because I recognize that female and male sexual organs that are uniquely designed (or uniquely “evolved” for our Darwinist friends out there) for producing offsprings, are not just a random coincidence. Yeah, I’m such a bad guy.

RightWinged on June 10, 2007 at 6:08 PM

We had time travel with the Philadelphia Experiment during WWII. The government already dropped a gay bomb during the 60’s. Rumor has it that it detonated near the Bay Area. Go figure.

Mojave Mark on June 10, 2007 at 6:37 PM

It seems to me that the rumor of this alone has some strategic value. Imagine the paranoia in the jihadi bunkers.

SWLiP on June 10, 2007 at 7:15 PM

And if we can identify it, one day we will be able to abort (or genetically fix) gay fetus’s. You wanna see the gay crowd become pro-life in an instant?

csdeven on June 10, 2007 at 2:04 PM

No, they will only turn pro-life for the gay babies…The rest can get killed off.

Don’t ever forget how elitist homosexuals look at themselves as.

Tim Burton on June 10, 2007 at 7:27 PM

“Roger, this is Disco flight and I have tone on target with release of Butt Plug Bomb on my signal……”

Hening on June 10, 2007 at 7:31 PM

They’ll wish there were only a Gay Bomb once the real materials start getting unleashed.

Paranoia mixed with the physical D.T.’s topped off by terrifying hallucinations, seizures, and uncontrollable itching …and maybe a sudden taste for a matching cummerbund and dickey thrown in for fun.

profitsbeard on June 11, 2007 at 1:58 AM

Heh.

MattSkosh on June 11, 2007 at 3:00 AM