With gay rights being legalized in June of this year, the homophobic population is hopefully decreasing. Everyone should be able to marry who they want, when they want, love always should win. If humans can be gay, can animals be gay too? I wondered this question randomly walking to class one day and immediately was interested in finding out the science behind this whole homosexuality and animals equation.
Inside every species, homosexuality exists, humans however are the only species that posses homophobia. Many different groups of animals have been practicing homosexual tendencies for years, how did I only realize this now? There are a handful of animals known to practice these tendencies. Giraffes, penguins, spiders and other bugs, killer whales, sea lions, vampire bats, snails, dolphins, bonobos, and flamingos. According to Joe Morgan, gay tendencies in giraffes account for 94% of sexual tendencies in the species. Even when females are present males will choose to gently rub their neck over other male giraffes completely neglecting the fact that any females are around at all.
Next, it is extremely common for male penguins to search out other male penguins when they lose their partner. It is said that these same sex penguins are actually great parents! Having done this research I have concluded that it is also possible for animals to have gay tendencies, without actually being gay. It is interesting to find out the way other animals live even if they approach the many things they do differently than humans.
WORKS CITED:
http://kanikasweet-amazing.blogspot.com/2011/11/can-animals-be-gay-too.html
http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/so-it-turns-out-giraffes-are-gayest-animal-planet231014/
Coming from a farming background, I have also thought if this is possible. I have seen same sex animals practicing their reproductive ways on each other and wonder if they, too, can be gay. Being gay used be be considered a mental disorder until 1974 when it was changed. LINK. I sometimes wonder if it can be a mental disorder in animals and not humans but I could not find studies to provide the information. I do think they could be but it hard to say with the information you have provided. I think it is a hard subject to test but it is one to look into. Your post got me think but I’m not 100% sold that they are.
I find your post interesting, but also wanted to mention that you posted the same paragraph twice. I think that your research shows that animals COULD be gay, but I don’t think there is really any conclusive evidence to whether or not seemingly “gay” actions done by the animals you gave examples of actually come from an animal that is fully aware that it is homosexual. Because, how do we know? Humans can easily express their homosexuality through our words, but animals don’t have the option to do so. I think that animals could be gay, but I think making conclusions on a few actions and interactions within animals is jumping too quickly to conclusion and I would need to be provided with further research that clearly defines animal sexuality.