History

Make Love, Not War: The US Air Force ‘Gay Bomb’ Proposal

September 4, 2020Matt Fratus
gay bomb coffee or die

The United States military, its intelligence agencies, and their think tanks have conjured some wacky ideas over the years. During World War II, a dentist thought the bat bomb was the next great secret weapon. Winged animals with incendiary devices strapped to their bodies and dropped over Tokyo was his ingenious idea. The US military favored fire bombs and napalm instead.


The CIA famously plotted to use cats implanted with listening devices, called “Acoustic Kitties,” to spy on the Russians during the Cold War. The project was scrapped when poor Whiskers was squished by a passing taxi — just too unfeasible to work.


gay bomb coffee or die
A B-1B Lancer drops cluster munitions with lethal authority. Now imagine the surprise of witnessing the nonlethal and mysterious Gay Bombs disperse gas on the battlefield. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Their antics continued into the Global War on Terrorism-era when they recruited the mastermind behind the G.I. Joe brand to create an Usama Bin Laden demon toy. The Bin Laden toy had a heat-dissolving face to transform the terrorist from human to devil in a clever psychological warfare ploy. 


But in 1994, the US Air Force said, “Hold my beer.” Among the most preposterous ideas came when the US Air Force Wright Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio, proposed to build the Gay Bomb, which would make enemy combatants “sexually irresistible to one another.”


The Gay Bomb masterminds requested six years and a budget of $7.5 million to complete the project. They envisioned using an aphrodisiac chemical cocktail — employed in similar fashion to the Devil’s Perfume during World War I — except instead of an agonizing death, this love bomb would influence a “distasteful but completely non-lethal blow to morale.”


gay bomb coffee or die
Would gas masks prevent the effects of the Gay Bomb? No one knows for sure. Photo courtesy of Theo Emery/National Archives.

Their harebrained proposal was devised for being dropped over enemy territory to encourage soldiers to drop their weapons … and their trousers. A study of fraternization at its finest.


Thanks to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Sunshine Project, a watchdog group that oversees programs that develop chemical and biological weapons, requested answers from the Pentagon.


“The Department of Defense is committed to identifying, researching, and developing non-lethal weapons that will support our men and women in uniform,” a Department of Defense spokeswoman told CBS 5, adding that the idea of the “Gay Bomb” was immediately dismissed. 


Although the Gay Bomb never made it past initial planning stages and was later officially denied by the Pentagon, the think tanks of America remain active in crafting up new ideas to inflict change on the battlefield. No matter how bizarre or eccentric.



Matt Fratus
Matt Fratus

Matt Fratus is a history staff writer for Coffee or Die. He prides himself on uncovering the most fascinating tales of history by sharing them through any means of engaging storytelling. He writes for his micro-blog @LateNightHistory on Instagram, where he shares the story behind the image. He is also the host of the Late Night History podcast. When not writing about history, Matt enjoys volunteering for One More Wave and rooting for Boston sports teams.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
navy seal training
Navy SEALS Training Plagued by Massive Problems, According To Investigation

Medical oversight and care were “poorly organized, poorly integrated and poorly led and put candidat...

memorial day arlington
Memorial Day Is a Day of Remembrance, Not Celebration

Memorial Day was created as a remembrance to honor the fallen by decorating graves — a holiday meant...

air force joint chiefs
Air Force Fighter Pilot Tapped As Next Joint Chiefs Chairman Has History of Firsts

The Air Force fighter pilot about to be nominated as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ...

sowf special operations warrior foundation
BRCC Donates $500K to Special Operations Warrior Foundation

In an effort to continue Black Rifle Coffee Company’s mission of supporting the veteran community, B...

Coca Cola 600
BRCC to Honor Fallen Marine During NASCAR’s Legendary Coca-Cola 600

Black Rifle Coffee Company will honor Marine Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Menusa during NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 this Memorial Day. Menusa was killed in 2003 during the invasion of Iraq.

uss gerald r. ford oslo
US Aircraft Carrier Arrives In NATO Member Norway, To Take Part In Drills

The nuclear-powered ship USS Gerald R. Ford entered the Oslo fjord escorted by a rapid dinghy-type boat with armed personnel on board.

adam driver indy 500
Marine Vet, Actor Adam Driver Named Honorary Starter for Indianapolis 500

Two-time Academy Award nominee Adam Driver, who will soon be starring as Enzo Ferrari in a biopic of...

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
  • Request a Correction
  • Write for Us
  • General Inquiries
© 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved