That Time the U.S. Tried to Make a "Gay Bomb"

TL;DR

The U.S. Air Force's Wright Laboratory proposed a "gay bomb" in 1994 that would cause enemy soldiers to become irresistibly attracted to each other, but the idea never materialized.

Transcript

One doesn’t commonly associate the slogan “make love not war” with the U.S. military. Indeed, the United States military is feared and formidable precisely because it has proven so effective at conceptualizing clever and innovative ways to search, find and destroy, often with the simple push of a button. However, in a departure from these hostile t... Read More

Key Insights

• 🎖️ The U.S. military proposed a "gay bomb" in 1994 as part of a project to create non-lethal weapons.
• 👻 The idea likely emerged from the opposition to allowing gay people in the military at the time.
• ❓ The proposal was considered by the National Academy of Sciences but never implemented.
• 🥼 Lab testing has not confirmed the existence of chemicals with aphrodisiac effects.
• 🎼 The gay bomb proposal gained attention in popular culture, including a musical titled "Gay Bomb - The Musical".
• 😉 The Wright Laboratory won the Ig Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for their gay bomb proposal.
• 🏆 The Ig Nobel Prizes are awarded annually for unconventional and humorous scientific achievements.

Questions & Answers

Q: Did the U.S. Air Force seriously consider creating a gay bomb?

Yes, the Wright Laboratory proposed the idea and even submitted it to the National Academy of Sciences for consideration. However, the project never moved forward.

Q: What other questionable weapon ideas did the Wright Laboratory come up with?

The Wright Laboratory also proposed bad-breath bombs, flatulence bombs, and bombs designed to attract swarms of stinging insects to enemy combatants.

Q: What was the political climate surrounding homosexuality in the military at the time?

There was strong opposition to allowing gay people in the military, with claims that it would pose a security risk and disrupt military discipline and morale.

Q: Was there any scientific basis for the gay bomb idea?

Lab testing has not confirmed the existence of chemicals with aphrodisiac effects, and the documents from the project acknowledged that no such chemicals had been found.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The U.S. Air Force's Wright Laboratory requested a grant to create non-lethal weapons, including a bomb that would make enemy soldiers gay.

• The proposal was submitted to the National Academy of Sciences but never implemented.

• The idea behind the gay bomb may be linked to the political climate surrounding the lifting of the ban on homosexuals in the military during President Bill Clinton's time.