Author Topic: Homosexuality in the Animal World  (Read 6881 times)

injest

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Homosexuality in the Animal World
« on: February 24, 2007, 11:08:42 am »
I may have this in the wrong forum...but didn't want to discuss this in a public forum right off...wanted to get some feedback first.

There was a study done recently on flamingoes at the Dallas zoo...

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/021907dnmetpinkpartners.14b95c0.html

they form same sex pairs for life. the hierarchy in flamingo society is male/male at the top....male/female is the second group and female/female is the bottom. The male/male pairings will steal eggs from a m/f pairing and raise the chicks themselves...

odd to me that they would do that (pair up in same sex pairs)...I mean aren't we told repeatedly by the right wing nuts that homosexuality is 'unnatural'? Then what is up with the flamingos? They watch too much tv? got molested when they were kids? what?

I have always noticed that the geldings became VERY attached to one another...the mares less so although they certainly form friendships...

so it seems to me...(and remember I am just a ol country girl) that something the animals do...can't be called 'unnatural'...has to be encoded in the genes..

comments? am I treading where I shouldn't??




Offline delalluvia

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Re: Homosexuality in the Animal World
« Reply #1 on: February 24, 2007, 06:23:42 pm »
*sigh*

Why are females always bottom dog?

Offline Sheriff Roland

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Re: Homosexuality in the Animal World
« Reply #2 on: February 24, 2007, 07:50:55 pm »
*sigh*

Why are females always bottom dog?

The strength thing - primal, but universal.
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Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Homosexuality in the Animal World
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2007, 09:13:33 pm »
It appears that homosexuality is common in the animal world as it is in the human world. I was reading David McCumber's book, The Cowboy Way, and in the spring, cowboys determine when the heifers are going into estrus by taping a packet of red dye to their backs. When a heifer goes into estrus, she is mounted by the other heifers. They break the packet and the red dye is spread on the flanks. Then, the cowboys know to separate that heifer over with the other breeding ones and initiate artificial insemination.

"chewing gum and duct tape"

Offline Aussie Chris

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Re: Homosexuality in the Animal World
« Reply #4 on: March 14, 2007, 06:27:07 am »
Hi Jess, tread away, it's quite the revelation isn't it?  Humans didn't invent homosexuality!

As well as the flamingos, there's been several somewhat reasonably well documented cases of homosexuality with penguins over recent years.  Here are a couple of articles regarding penguins in New York:  in 2002 with Wendell and Cass: http://www.jrn.columbia.edu/studentwork/cns/2002-06-10/591.asp, and then later in 2004 with Roy and Silo: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/02/07/MNG3N4RAV41.DTL

But more recently there was another collection of penguins in Germany where the keepers couldn't understand why the pairs weren't producing any chicks only to find out that most of them were male, and quite happily nesting in monogamous gay pairs.  They figured that the solution was to import some females from Sweden to tempt the males in to becoming straight: http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1275591.html only to find that (human) gay rights groups objected to the plan: http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1284769.html.

The naysayers have tried to suggest that animals "revert to homosexuality" only when the opposite sex was not available, but perhaps the New York cases dispute this as the paired males do not seem to wish to change.  I forget the name of it, but I watched a documentary last year of animal homosexuality that documented same sex relationships outside of procreation demonstrated many species willingness to bond with great affection as opposed to the procreation pairing that's just about the copulation (and typically not affectionate).
Nothing is as common as the wish to be remarkable - William Shakespeare

injest

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Re: Homosexuality in the Animal World
« Reply #5 on: March 14, 2007, 07:34:30 am »
our stallion has a 'best friend'; a gelding that he is very fond of. They have never been turned out together but they live next door to each other and stand for hours nuzzling each other over the fence.



Offline Aussie Chris

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Re: Homosexuality in the Animal World
« Reply #6 on: March 15, 2007, 06:50:40 am »
our stallion has a 'best friend'; a gelding that he is very fond of. They have never been turned out together but they live next door to each other and stand for hours nuzzling each other over the fence.

How romantic - the very essence of relationships!  Sometimes I wonder sexuality would be much easier to deal with if it wasn't for the sex.
Nothing is as common as the wish to be remarkable - William Shakespeare

Offline David

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Re: Homosexuality in the Animal World
« Reply #7 on: March 15, 2007, 08:13:31 am »
How romantic - the very essence of relationships!  Sometimes I wonder sexuality would be much easier to deal with if it wasn't for the sex.

Yup.  There are all kinds of relationships.

I had two straight coworkers (mechanics) at my last job.    When one was out sick, then other sat alone and noticably pouted.      One of the guys said :"Gee, you think Eddie has a non-sexual crush on Jimmy?"

I laughed and said : "I think your right.   A crush doesn't mean it has to be sexual."

Offline shortfiction

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Re: Homosexuality in the Animal World
« Reply #8 on: July 25, 2007, 09:00:13 pm »
    I read a bit about this in a book called Why do men fall asleep after sex?  (and other questions)
   
    Homosexual behavior has been observed in hundreds of species--flamingoes, penguins, lizards, rams, and more.
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Offline spruceman

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Re: Homosexuality in the Animal World
« Reply #9 on: September 29, 2007, 10:31:28 pm »
Recall a show a couple years back on Discovery Channel Canada documenting homosexual beahviour among many animal species.  Too bad they didnt show it in the USA on one the Discovery Channels here -- prolly too controversial to be shown for the American audience.

injest

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Re: Homosexuality in the Animal World
« Reply #10 on: September 30, 2007, 01:06:01 am »
Recall a show a couple years back on Discovery Channel Canada documenting homosexual beahviour among many animal species.  Too bad they didnt show it in the USA on one the Discovery Channels here -- prolly too controversial to be shown for the American audience.

mustn't upset the fundementalists!!! They have their own ideas about that stuff!!

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Offline Brokeback_Dev

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Re: Homosexuality in the Animal World
« Reply #11 on: September 30, 2007, 09:12:34 am »
Yup.  There are all kinds of relationships.

I had two straight coworkers (mechanics) at my last job.    When one was out sick, then other sat alone and noticably pouted.      One of the guys said :"Gee, you think Eddie has a non-sexual crush on Jimmy?"

I laughed and said : "I think your right.   A crush doesn't mean it has to be sexual."

i get non sexual crushes all the time.   when no sex is involved it makes life a lot easiier and a lot more fun.. Flirting and all!

Offline Shakesthecoffecan

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Re: Homosexuality in the Animal World
« Reply #12 on: September 30, 2007, 02:25:43 pm »
Recall a show a couple years back on Discovery Channel Canada documenting homosexual beahviour among many animal species.  Too bad they didnt show it in the USA on one the Discovery Channels here -- prolly too controversial to be shown for the American audience.

Now that we have Logo, it will make its appearance, if it has the H word in it, Logo will run the hell out of it.
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injest

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Re: Homosexuality in the Animal World
« Reply #13 on: September 30, 2007, 03:24:28 pm »
We don't have the Logo channel down here. Not even satelite.

We were at the rodeo last night and the announcer said that "East Texans don't like people like Rosie, Do you, EAST TEXAS!!"

*sound of two thousand rednecks yee hawing, clapping and hollering YEAH*

A little disconcerting when you are sitting there with your only child and his boyfriend


Offline Shakesthecoffecan

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Re: Homosexuality in the Animal World
« Reply #14 on: September 30, 2007, 04:03:28 pm »

We were at the rodeo last night and the announcer said that "East Texans don't like people like Rosie, Do you, EAST TEXAS!!"

*sound of two thousand rednecks yee hawing, clapping and hollering YEAH*

Hell I don;t know anyone who does like her, but I see your point. I worry about your boys, but at least they have each other, have each others back.

And some of them rednecks have done some things they won;t ever talk about.
"It was only you in my life, and it will always be only you, Jack, I swear."

Offline ifyoucantfixit

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Re: Homosexuality in the Animal World
« Reply #15 on: September 30, 2007, 04:51:25 pm »




         There is much anonimity in a crowd.  They can hide their own dirty deeds.  Back slapping and hoorahs are very easy to hide within.  Just like the KKK used to hide behind the sheets and hoods. 
Hatefulness and spite is a coward.  A bully and a vampire.  They only live off of others, because they have no real blood of their own.  They must suck the life blood of others, in order to feel worthwhile. 
          They are dangerous in numbers, so beware.   



     Beautiful mind

injest

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Re: Homosexuality in the Animal World
« Reply #16 on: September 30, 2007, 04:58:02 pm »
yes, Janice. that 'mob mentality'

I keep thinking ....2000 people. so there were other gay people there. Maybe alone or with friends that don't know. How scary it must be.

It was scary to me. The hair on the back of my arm stood up. You see those fights at soccer games and all

the other thing that I was thinking. If someone had told any of those people that that was very similar to what the Iranian president said they would have been very offended.

Offline Artiste

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Re: Homosexuality in the Animal World
« Reply #17 on: March 25, 2008, 10:54:17 am »
Since, being gay (to some as I am, and maybe to all humans) is normal, it is only natural that some animals or all are too!!

Some persons use that as a negative, unfortunately!

I prefer to use it as a positive, since I know that being gay is good!!

Yes, good for mankind !!

Hugs!