Pentagon Testosterone Screenings Prompt Lawmaker’s “Homoerotic” Critique

The Department of Defense announced that, beginning this week, service members aged 30 and older will undergo testosterone level screenings, regardless of gender. Recipients who may benefit could elect testosterone replacement therapy. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth framed the measure as a means to “maintain that advantage” and keep troops “on the leading edge of lethality.”

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Hegseth, a former National Guard member, has repeatedly highlighted physical fitness, describing a September speech in Quantico, Virginia, in which he said he “does not want to see overweight troops or ‘fat generals and admirals.’” He has also posted workout videos with service members, including at Guantánamo Bay, and cited “the most decisive tactical advantage will always be the individual warfighter.” The policy aligns with a broader emphasis on traditional masculinity that has been associated with the Trump administration’s cultural tone.

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In a Department of Defense video, Hegseth asserted that the screenings are “not about artificial enhancement” and emphasized a “sacred duty to maintain” combat readiness. He linked the initiative to ongoing efforts to “optimize performance, resilience and long-term health.”

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Representative Becca Balint (D-VT), who is openly gay, described the program as “indicative of the fact that there are so many people in this administration that have some weird, like, intense homoerotic feelings towards men while also being incredibly homophobic.” She added that the “weird part is that they pretend that that’s not what it’s about,” and characterized Hegseth as embodying “hypermasculine, homoerotic art” such as that of Finnish illustrator Tom of Finland.

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• “I think it’s indicative of the fact that there are so many people in this administration that have some weird, like, intense homoerotic feelings towards men while also being incredibly homophobic,” — Becca Balint, Representative

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• “The weird part is that they pretend that that’s not what it’s about,” — Becca Balint, Representative

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• “We have a sacred duty to maintain that advantage, which is why we must constantly look for new ways to optimize your performance, your resilience and your long-term health,” — Pete Hegseth, Defense Secretary

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• “most decisive tactical advantage will always be the individual warfighter.” — Pete Hegseth, Defense Secretary

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