Homosexual Animal Display Opens In Norwegian Museum

From male killer whales that ride the dorsal fin of another male to
female bonobos that rub their genitals together, the animal kingdom
tolerates all kinds of lifestyles.

A first-ever museum display, "Against Nature?," which opened last
month at the University of Oslo's Natural History Museum in Norway,
presents 51 species of animals exhibiting homosexuality.

"Homosexuality has been observed in more than 1,500 species,
and the phenomenon has been well described for 500 of them,"
said Petter Bockman, project coordinator of the exhibition.

The idea, however, is rarely discussed in the scientific community
and is often dismissed as unnatural because it doesn't appear to
benefit the larger cause of species continuation.
"I think to some extent people don't think it's important because we
went through all this time period in sociobiology where everything
had to be tied to reproduction and reproductive success," said Linda
Wolfe, who heads the Department of Anthropology at East Carolina
University. "If it doesn't have [something to do] with reproduction it's
not important."

Conversely, some argue that homosexual sex could have a bigger
natural cause than just pure ecstasy: namely evolutionary benefits.

Copulation could be used for alliance and protection among animals
of the same sex.
In situations when a species is mostly bisexual, homosexual relation-
ships allow an animal to join a pack.
"In bonobos for instance, strict heterosexual individuals would not be
able to make friends in the flock and thus never be able to breed,"
Bockman told LiveScience.
"In some bird species that bond for life, homosexual pairs raise young.
If they are females, a male may fertilize their eggs.
If they are males, a solitary female may mate with them and deposit
her eggs in their nest."

"Homosexuality" and "heterosexuality" are terms defined by societal
boundaries, invisible in the animal kingdom.

The argument that a homosexual way of living cannot be accepted
because it is against the "laws of nature" can now be rejected scientif-
ically, said Geir Soli, project leader for the exhibition.
"A main target for this project was to get museums involved in current
debate; to show that museums are more than just a gallery for the past."


SOURCE:
LiveScience.com
RELATED LINK:
Top 10 Alternative Lifestyles In Animals

This was a very cool and interesting article to me.
It shows us that homosexuality is'nt unnatural, and indeed further
strengthens my own personal belief that there's no such thing as
straight and gay.

This also is a blow to those religious people who say that homo-
sexuality is unnatural.


Commenst, Opinions?

I agree. Most people do overlook the fact that homosexuality can be found in nature and therefore is a naturally occuring event. I have used this rebuttal on several occasions against my immediate family's biggotry towards homosexuals. I have found that by looking at actions that occur in nature one can glimpse many of the truths behind the lies that our humanocentric world would have us believe.

I agree. Most people do overlook the fact that homosexuality can be found in nature and therefore is a naturally occuring event. I have used this rebuttal on several occasions against my immediate family's biggotry towards homosexuals. I have found that by looking at actions that occur in nature one can glimpse many of the truths behind the lies that our humanocentric world would have us believe.

However one must accept the possibility that it could be an artificial infliction that affects human and animals alike.

[edit on 21-11-2006 by 7Ayreon]

Dogs eat there own poo and their placentas.

That's natural.

I don't recommend it for humans, however.

Only in Scandinavia!

I would have loved to see the protests arising if someone had tried to put this exhibition on in a religious fundamentalist state such as Saudi Arabia, Iran or the USA.

Gradys response says it all really.

Heia Norge!