Sana’a, Yemen – Showing its support for the LGBTQ+ community, Massachusetts-based weapons manufacturer Raytheon unveiled its own rainbow-colored bombs to commemorate Pride Month.
Wesley Kremer, President of Raytheon, says that world leaders can help raise awareness for important causes like LGBTQ+ equality by purchasing these bombs to use on other countries, warships, or even their own citizens.
“We think it is important for our business to show their support for such a diverse community with a rich and resilient history,” said Kremer. “That’s why we’ve manufactured bombs that are not only painted the colors of the rainbow on the outside, but also explode in flashes of orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple smoke upon detonation.”
Kremer explained that the bombs do not emit red smoke because the blood from men, women, and children will serve as the crimson hue of the rainbow.
Emir Hamid, a Yemeni man who identifies as gay, said that he felt supported by the LGBTQ+ representation that rained down on his family home. “A lot of people say that Raytheon is just doing this to profit off of the queer community,” said Hamid, “But seeing a rainbow piece of shrapnel sticking out of my dying sister’s torso was a reminder to me that there are those out there who affirm the queer community.”
Raytheon’s support of the LGBTQ+ community does not end with colorful products, however, as a portion of the proceeds from the pride bomb sales go directly to Operation Rainbow Rifle, an organization that “supports equality by arming and training gay, lesbian, trans, and queer child soldiers” in Afghanistan.
Raytheon has also encouraged the buyers of their products to practice equality in the use of its bombs. “We know that love is love, no matter what,” said Kremer. “We believe that it important for these bombs be used to target weddings of all kinds, whether they are between a man and a woman, two women, or two men.”
Though Kremer did not mention Saudi Arabia, one of the weapons manufacturer’s biggest buyers, by name, his comments are apparently in reference to the country’s refusal to acknowledge same-sex weddings. “We believe that all people have the right to celebrate their love while watching their family and friends get blown to bits in a Saudi-led airstrike,” Kremer said.
Prominent Evangelical Pat Robertson was critical of what he called Raytheon’s “glitter bombs,” saying that the weapons manufacturer’s decision to celebrate pride was a “slippery slope.” In a broadcast of his popular television show The 700 Club, Robertson said, “Once we start bombing weddings between two men or two women, what’s next? Bombing weddings between a man and a dog, or a man and a child?”
A spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign was quick to condemn Robertson’s comments, saying, “Members of the queer community have a right to die in all the same ways that straight people do, whether that’s through starvation, cholera outbreaks, or bombing campaigns directly and indirectly supported by the United States.”
“We think it is important for our business to show their support for such a diverse community with a rich and resilient history,” said Kremer. “That’s why we’ve manufactured bombs that are not only painted the colors of the rainbow on the outside, but also explode in flashes of orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple smoke upon detonation.”
Kremer explained that the bombs do not emit red smoke because the blood from men, women, and children will serve as the crimson hue of the rainbow.
Emir Hamid, a Yemeni man who identifies as gay, said that he felt supported by the LGBTQ+ representation that rained down on his family home. “A lot of people say that Raytheon is just doing this to profit off of the queer community,” said Hamid, “But seeing a rainbow piece of shrapnel sticking out of my dying sister’s torso was a reminder to me that there are those out there who affirm the queer community.”
Raytheon’s support of the LGBTQ+ community does not end with colorful products, however, as a portion of the proceeds from the pride bomb sales go directly to Operation Rainbow Rifle, an organization that “supports equality by arming and training gay, lesbian, trans, and queer child soldiers” in Afghanistan.
Raytheon has also encouraged the buyers of their products to practice equality in the use of its bombs. “We know that love is love, no matter what,” said Kremer. “We believe that it important for these bombs be used to target weddings of all kinds, whether they are between a man and a woman, two women, or two men.”
Though Kremer did not mention Saudi Arabia, one of the weapons manufacturer’s biggest buyers, by name, his comments are apparently in reference to the country’s refusal to acknowledge same-sex weddings. “We believe that all people have the right to celebrate their love while watching their family and friends get blown to bits in a Saudi-led airstrike,” Kremer said.
A spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign was quick to condemn Robertson’s comments, saying, “Members of the queer community have a right to die in all the same ways that straight people do, whether that’s through starvation, cholera outbreaks, or bombing campaigns directly and indirectly supported by the United States.”
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