Gay bomb

:"This article is about the chemical weapon. For the controversial Afghanistan War photograph, see fag bomb."

The "Halitosis bomb" and "Gay bomb" are informal names for two theoretical non-lethal chemical weapons, which a United States Air Force research laboratory speculated about producing.

In 1994 the Wright Laboratory in Ohio, a predecessor to today's United States Air Force Research Laboratory, produced a three-page proposal on a variety of possible nonlethal chemical weapons, which was later obtained—complete with marginal jottings and typos—by the Sunshine Project through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Leaked documents

In both of the documents, the possibility was canvassed that a strong aphrodisiac could be dropped on enemy troops, ideally one which would also cause "homosexual behavior". The documents described the aphrodisiac weapon as "distasteful but completely non-lethal". The "New Discoveries Needed" section of one of the documents implicitly acknowledges that no such chemicals are actually known. The reports also include many other off-beat ideas, such as spraying enemy troops with bee pheromones and then hiding numerous beehives in the combat area, and a chemical weapon that would give the enemy bad breath.

Body odors

Body odor remote-engineering, such as halitosis and hyperhidrosis was another possibility discussed. How these would be produced would again be by a non-lethal chemical weapon -- possibly one that would affect the hormonal and digestive systems. Diabetes which is also another frequently reported ailment, can of course contribute to this goal. It appears that a 'heavy sweating bomb', 'flatulence bomb' and 'halitosis bomb' were also considered by a committee at the time. The plan was to make an enemy so smelly they could be quite literally sniffed out of hiding by their opponents. It was also considered fairly damaging to the enemy's morale as well.

Ig Nobel Prize awards

Wright Laboratory won the 2007 Ig Nobel Peace Prize for "instigating research & development on a chemical weapon—the so-called 'gay bomb' / 'poof bomb' —that will make enemy soldiers become sexually irresistible to each other." [cite web
title = Winners of the Ig Nobel Prize
publisher = Improbable Research
year = 2007
url = http://www.improb.com/ig/ig-pastwinners.html#ig2007
accessdate = 2007-10-18 ] However, Air Force personnel contacted were not willing to attend the award ceremony at Harvard University's Sanders Theatre to accept the award in person.

See also

* Bremelanotide, the only known synthetic aphrodisiac
* Detection dog
* Frey effect (science)

References

* cite web
url = http://www.sunshine-project.org/incapacitants/jnlwdpdf/wpafbchem.pdf
title = "Harassing, Annoying, and 'Bad Guy' Identifying Chemicals"
format = PDF
publisher = Sunshine Project
accessdate = 2007-06-16
* cite news
first = Michael
last = Smith
url = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1481260/Pentagon-planned-love-bomb.html
title = Pentagon planned love bomb
work = Telegraph.co.uk
publisher = "The Daily Telegraph"
date = 15 January 2005
accessdate = 2008-04-30
* cite news
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4174519.stm
title = US military pondered love not war
work = news.bbc.co.uk
publisher = BBC News
date = 15 January 2005
accessdate = 2007-06-16
* cite news
first = Jeremy
last = Bransten
url = http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2007/01/mil-070130-rferl02.htm
title = U.S.: Pentagon Unveils The Next Generation Of Nonlethal Weapons
work = GlobalSecurity.org
date = 30 January 2007
accessdate = 2007-06-16
* cite news
first = Hank
last = Plante
url = http://cbs5.com/national/Pentagon.gay.bomb.2.284976.html
title = Pentagon Confirms It Sought To Build A 'Gay Bomb'
work = cbs5.com
publisher = KPIX-TV
date = 8 June 2007
accessdate = 2008-04-30
* cite news
first = Jerome
last = Bernard
url = http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C06%5C16%5Cstory_16-6-2007_pg4_12
title = Pentagon once mulled 'gay bomb' to promote love not war
work = Daily Times
publisher =
date = 16 June 2007
accessdate = 2008-04-30
* cite news
url = http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/10/04/ig.nobels.ap/index.html
title = Ig Nobel awards celebrate the sillier side of science
work = CNN.com
publisher = CNN
date = 5 October 2007
accessdate = 2007-10-05

*Michael Smith, “ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/01/15/wlove15.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/01/15/ixnewstop.html The Gay bomb] ", The Telegraph, 15/01/2005.

External links

* cite web
first = Mark
last = Simpson
url = http://www.marksimpson.com/blog/2007/10/06/the-gay-bomb-covers-the-us-air-force-in-glory/
title = 'Armed and Amorous'
publisher = The Guardian
date = 13 June 2007
* cite web
first = Greg
last = Hambrick
url = http://gaycharleston.ccpblogs.com/2007/06/12/gay-bomb-for-real/
title = Gay Bomb, For Real
work = Gay Charleston: A Charleston City Paper Blog
publisher = Charleston City Paper
date = 12 June 2007
accessdate = 2007-06-16
* cite web
url = http://www.fightforchange.org/air-force-planned-gay-weapon/
title = Air Force Planned Gay Weapon
publisher = Fight for Change
date = 12 June 2007
accessdate = 2007-06-16
* cite web
last = Kay
first = Jonathan
date = 12 June 2007
url = http://communities.canada.com/nationalpost/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2007/06/12/jonathan-kay-on-the-pentagon-s-plan-to-build-a-gay-bomb-why-is-this-2005-story-news-again.aspx
title = "Jonathan Kay on the Pentagon's plan to build a 'gay bomb': Why is this 2005 story news again?"
work = Full Comment
publisher = National Post
accessdate = 2007-06-16
* cite web
url = http://thegaybomb.com
title = The Gay Bomb, with parody diagram
work = Unknown Website Parody
publisher = Unknown Publisher
date = 12 June 2007
accessdate = 2007-06-16
* cite web
url = http://www.hadassahsbizzare.com/cdaudio.htm
title = Hadassah's Bizzare - Electro Poetry & Absurdist Prose
work = Gay Bomb
publisher = Axon D'Luxe
date = 22 November 2007
accessdate = 2007-11-22

* [http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2191867/military-planned-gay-bomb US military planned 'gay bomb']
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,2101644,00.html Air force looked at spray to turn enemy gay]
* [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,281217,00.html Air Force Considered Gay 'Love Bomb' Against Enemies]
* [http://rncnyc2004.blogspot.com/2007/06/us-military-gay-bomb-video.html US Military "Gay Bomb" Video]
* [http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21899135-661,00.html Gay bomb plan by US]