In celebration of Pride month, the keepers of the theoretical clock that has for decades tracked how many minutes we are to “Doomsday” want you to know that “the visible representation and meaningful participation of queer people” is essential to “nuclear policy outcomes.”
“Discrimination against queer people can undermine nuclear security and increase nuclear risk,” the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists wrote in mid-June. “And queer theory can help change how nuclear practitioners, experts, and the public think about nuclear weapons.”
“This is a real article, not a parody. It’s about the value of Queer Theory for the cause of nuclear disarmament, in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists,” tweeted William E. Simon Sr Research Fellow & Director, Dr. Jay Richards. “Starting to wish I had a bomb shelter.”
This is a real article, not a parody. it’s about the value of Queer Theory for the cause of nuclear disarmament, in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Starting to wish I had a bomb shelter: https://t.co/OiCyl1CwYG
— Jay W. Richards (@DrJayRichards) June 21, 2023
The article, titled, “Queering nuclear weapons: How LGBTQ+ inclusion strengthens security and reshapes disarmament,” explains that, “Equity and inclusion for queer people is not just a box-ticking exercise in ethics and social justice; it is also essential for creating effective nuclear policy.”
“Studies in psychology and behavioral science show that diverse teams examine assumptions and evidence more carefully, make fewer errors, discuss issues more constructively, and better exchange new ideas and knowledge,” Louis Reitmann and Sneha Nair wrote for the Bulletin.
“Queer theory is a field of study, closely related to feminist theory, that examines sex- and gender-based norms,” they inform readers. “It shines a light on the harm done by nuclear weapons through uranium mining, nuclear tests, and the tax money spent on nuclear weapons ($60 billion annually in the United States) instead of on education, infrastructure, and welfare.”
“Queer identity,” the authors say, is “relevant for the nuclear field because it informs theories that aim to change how officials, experts, and the public think about nuclear weapons.”
“The queer lens prioritizes the rights and well-being of people over the abstract idea of national security, and it challenges the mainstream understanding of nuclear weapons—questioning whether they truly deter nuclear war, stabilize geopolitics, and reduce the likelihood of conventional war,” according to the Bulletin. “Queer theory asks: Who created these ideas? How are they being upheld? Whose interests do they serve? And whose experiences are being excluded?”
“Who are these crazy ass people?” questioned one Twitter user.
Who are these crazy ass people?
— Jennifer M (@standishjf) June 21, 2023
Well, @standishjf, we’re glad you asked.
According to their website, “The Bulletin is an independent, nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization,” and they “apply intellectual rigor to the conversation and do not shrink from alarming truths.”
“Nuclear weapons have pronouns?” wondered @FrittsJensen.
Nuclear weapons have pronouns?
— Boycott Disney 2023 (@FrittsJensen) June 21, 2023
While we can’t confirm the preferred pronouns of Putin’s tactical nuclear weapons, Fritts, the Bulletin does say that Queer theory “identifies how the nuclear weapons discourse is gendered.”
In fact, “many lesbian” residents of the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp “recognized that the same male-dominated power structures underpinned the oppression of women and nuclear armament.”
“Everyone has lost their minds,” stated @pathforward327.
Everyone has lost their minds
— L L R (@pathforward327) June 21, 2023
No, Path. It’s just that queer people have faced a lot of “rejection.” That makes queers uniquely qualified to question the “dominant ideas of what is right.”
“Queer theory is rooted in the lived experiences of queer people. Because of the rejection they face in cis-heteronormative society, many find validation and purpose outside traditional models for community, career, and family. And yet, they continue to feel society’s pressure to adapt, hide, and edit themselves,” explain Reitmann and Nair. “This strengthens queer people’s facility to question dominant ideas of what is right, important, or common-sense, and to ask who decides that.”
“Including the LGBTQ+ community in the nuclear field is far more than a social issue campaign. It is up to allies, people in power, and the institutions they serve to vocalize their support for LGBTQ+ inclusion, not just because it is the right thing to do, but also because queer people add value to nuclear weapons policy and discourse,” the Bulletin states. “Decision makers should look to LGBTQ+ inclusion for better nuclear policy outcomes, and build environments in which queer people can bring their specific skills and lived experiences to bear without fear.”
“Arguments to the contrary,” the Bulletin says, “are as stagnant and outdated as those who voice them.”
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Melissa Fine is the former executive editor of Casino Player, Strictly Slots, and Poker
Digest magazines. She is a UCLA graduate, news junkie, and dedicated Stargate SG-
1 fan. Melissa currently lives with her dog and two cats in a tiny town in the Sierra
Nevada foothills.
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