Homosexuality in Animals, page 1

The Oslo natural History Museum has opened an exhibition about homosexuality in animals. It points out that homosexual and/or bisexual behavior has been observed in over 1500 different animal species and is well documented for 500 of them ranging from beetles to birds, repitles and other mammals. And let us not forget the homosexual penguins in the San Deigo zoo. The exhibition entitled "Against nature" concludes that in light of these facts, homosexuality in humans cannot be considered as unnatural. It has also drawn the ire of local Christian fundamentalist groups who have said that the the organizers should "burn in hell".

today.reuters.com
Birds and bees may be gay: museum exhibition
Thu Oct 12, 2006 8:48am ET147
Science News

By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent

OSLO (Reuters) - The birds and the bees may be gay, according to the world's first museum exhibition about homosexuality among animals.

With documentation of gay or lesbian behavior among giraffes, penguins, parrots, beetles, whales and dozens of other creatures, the Oslo Natural History Museum concludes human homosexuality cannot be viewed as "unnatural."

"We may have opinions on a lot of things, but one thing is clear -- homosexuality is found throughout the animal kingdom, it is not against nature," an exhibit statement said.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

As far as I know homosexual behavior in other animals (besides primates) was first observed in seagulls back in the 70's. The bisexual behavior of the Bonobo, or pygmy chimpanzee has been well documented going back since they were first discovered in the early part of the last century, so much so that they have been described as the sexy ape. The theories about homosexuality abound ranging from the old nurture vs nature debate to harmones to genetic. I have always thought that the real clue to homosexuality lay in the observation of seagulls... i.e. that the higher the colony population, the greater the number of homosexual pairs, the smaller the colony, the fewer. Homosexuality viewed in that light is triggered by population density.
Be all that as it may the religious conservatives hold fast to their old its a sin ideology and are unlikely to change regardless of the facts of the matter. Pity really as we are all God's children and nowhere does Jesus say you have to be a narrow minded bigot in order to follow me. But to hear some tell it, you do.

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[edit on 12-10-2006 by grover]

[edit on 12-10-2006 by UM_Gazz]