Military contemplated making a "Gay Bomb"

I so thought this was a joke when I first heard about it, but apparently not.

The BBC reported that the US Military, in thinking up non-lethal technologies, pursued a technology that they hoped would make enemy troops irresistable to each other and would promote widespread homosexual behavior among them in an attempt to demoralize them and make them easier to beat.

Edward Hammond, of UC Berkeley, used the freedom of information act to look at the proposals:

"The Ohio Air Force lab proposed that a bomb be developed that contained a chemical that would cause enemy soliders to become gay, and to have their units break down because all their soldiers became irresistably attractive to one another. The notion was that a chemical that would probably be pleasant in the human body in low quantities could be identified, and by virtue of either breathing or having their skin exposed to this chemical, the notion was that soliders would become gay," explained Hammond.

The Air Force asked for 7.5 million dollars to fund the research. They also said the idea was quickly dismissed; however, their own records indicate a much more thorough investigation into the viability of such a product.

This really sheds light on how deep the homophobia in the US military runs. Basically they are saying that:

1. People can "turn gay" at the drop of a hat (or bomb, in this case)
2. That gay people clearly would be unable to fight by virtue of their gayness
3. That gay people are unable to control their sexual urges
4. Being gay is something that would totally demoralize a fighting unit.

This really explains why they are so desparate to keep gays out of the armed forces. Their profound misunderstanding of sexuality and of GLB people is frankly insulting. And these are, theoretically, the best and brightest minds of the country coming up with ways to defend us.