Edward Hammond, of the University of California’s Sunshine Project, obtained through a FOIA request Pentagon documents that indicated the military had, in 1994, investigated building a “gay bomb.” The bomb would release a strong aphrodisiac that would cause the enemy army to become “irresistibly attracted to one another.” You gotta give the military points for consistency: They clearly believe, World War II notwithstanding, that homosexuals in the ranks make the military ineffective. The proposal also indicates that conservatives are willing to act on their belief, notwithstanding the dismal success rates of the ex-gay movement, that sexual orientation is not at all innate. But the $7.5-million proposal’s creepiness rating is extremely high. Not to mention the implication that being gay or lesbian is the biggest insult an army can bestow on its enemy—that it essentially equals destroying them—is deeply offensive to gays and lesbians, particularly those who’ve served with honor and distinction.
