Ever heard someone say “the gays are up to something”? Turns out—they’re right. In this week’s *HOT AIR*, we dive deep (and fabulously) into the wild world of LGBTQ+ conspiracy theories. From the so-called *“gay agenda”* to the internet’s accidental queer icon *The Babadook*, from rainbows as “mind control” to *gay aliens* allegedly building the pyramids—and yes, even the U.S. military’s proposed *gay bomb*.

Conversion Therapy Crisis: What the Ever heard someone whisper about “the gay agenda” like it’s some secret master plan? Or seen a post claiming that the rainbow was invented to brainwash society? What about the internet deciding that The Babadook—yes, the horror movie monster—was a gay icon?

Welcome to another gloriously unhinged episode of HOT AIR, where we unpack the most bizarre, hilarious, and surprisingly revealing LGBTQ+ conspiracy theories that have floated through pop culture, politics, and paranoia.

This week, we’re diving into five of the wildest ones:

The Gay Agenda
The Babadook as a queer icon
Rainbow Mind Control
Gay Aliens who built the pyramids
The Gay Bomb

💋 The So-Called “Gay Agenda”

Let’s start with the one that started it all—the “gay agenda.”

The phrase came out of 1990s conservative politics, often used by anti-LGBTQ+ activists to claim that queer people were plotting to “infiltrate” schools, churches, and media to turn the world gay. (Honestly, if only we were that organized.)

In reality, the “gay agenda” was just shorthand for wanting equal rights—like marriage, job protection, and not getting fired for existing. But the idea of a secret agenda made for great fearmongering and catchy headlines.

Fast-forward to now, and the internet has reclaimed it. Queer people joke about the “gay agenda” constantly—posting their “daily gay agenda” like:
☕ Coffee
💅 Work
💃 Convert the world through dance and eyeliner

What once was an insult is now a meme. And that’s power.

🎩 The Babadook: The Accidental Gay Icon

Now, let’s talk about The Babadook.

In 2017, Netflix accidentally listed the horror film The Babadook in its LGBTQ+ category—and the internet ran with it.

Memes exploded declaring “The Babadook is gay,” and suddenly this dark, grief-soaked monster in a top hat became a symbol for queer identity. Why? Because queer people saw themselves in the story—someone misunderstood, feared, but fabulous in their own right.

Within weeks, The Babadook was showing up at Pride parades, waving rainbow flags, and dancing to Lady Gaga. What started as a mistake turned into one of the best examples of queer reclamation culture—taking something spooky and saying, “Actually, this is ours now.”

🌈 Rainbow Mind Control: A Spectrum of Nonsense

Now this one is truly technicolor madness.

There’s a fringe conspiracy that claims the rainbow flag is a psychological weapon designed to desensitize society and “brainwash” people into accepting the gay agenda. Some versions even argue it emits “frequencies” that change the brain.

Let’s be clear: there’s zero evidence for any of that. But it does tell us something fascinating about fear.

For centuries, color has been political. The rainbow became a queer symbol in the 1970s thanks to Gilbert Baker, who designed it as a message of hope, inclusion, and unity. But to people uncomfortable with diversity, that symbol became threatening.

So instead of asking “Why does this flag make me uncomfortable?”—they invented a story where the flag was making them uncomfortable on purpose. Classic projection.

It’s paranoia painted in pastels.

👽 Gay Aliens Built the Pyramids

And then there’s… this one.

Some corners of the internet genuinely believe that aliens built the Egyptian pyramids—and that these aliens were gay.

This theory mashes up ancient astronaut mythology with the queer-coded imagery of advanced, glittery, genderless beings. Essentially: if aliens are higher-evolved, they must be gay, right?

It’s completely baseless, but also kind of poetic. The queer community has always seen itself as otherworldly—different, imaginative, transcending traditional norms. So while the theory is absurd, it accidentally captures something true: queerness as evolution, not deviation.

Also, if gay aliens did build the pyramids, you know those angles were immaculate.

💣 The Gay Bomb

Last but not least: the gay bomb.

Believe it or not, this one is rooted in a real government proposal. In 1994, the U.S. Air Force researched a “non-lethal” chemical weapon that would release aphrodisiacs on enemy troops, supposedly making them too distracted (or too into each other) to fight.

They never made it, of course—but the concept leaked, and the term “gay bomb” became infamous.

For queer people, it’s the ultimate ironic twist: the same military that banned us for decades once tried to weaponize our sexuality. Talk about poetic justice.

Today, the “gay bomb” is pure meme gold. You’ll see TikToks of fighter jets dropping glitter and captions like “Mission accomplished: peace through fabulousness.” It’s camp meets chemical warfare—and somehow, it just fits.

🎭 Why We Love These Conspiracies

These conspiracies are ridiculous, but they’re also revealing. Each one is a mirror showing how culture reacts to queerness—with fear, fascination, and sometimes pure nonsense.

But what makes the queer community special is the ability to flip those fears on their head. We turn insults into memes. Monsters into icons. Weapons into glitter.

At the end of the day, these stories aren’t really about mind control or aliens. They’re about visibility, resilience, and reclaiming power through humor.

As queer people, we’ve always had to find joy in the absurd—and baby, nothing’s more absurd than the idea that love, color, or a movie monster could somehow take over the world.

(Though, let’s be real, if anyone could, it’d be us.)

Ep.50 / Gay Conspiracy Theories: Rainbow mind control, The Gay Agenda, The babadook is gay & more!