Animal Behavior - Same-sex and Gender-variant members of the Animal Kingdom

Nat · 02-10-2012, 12:47 PM

I heard today on a "Stuff to Blow Your Mind" podcast called, "Can animals be gay?" that researcher Lindsey C. Young discovered 30% of a Hawaiian Albatross colony's coupled birds were female-female pairings. This colony also had unattached male birds.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/bl...ps-gay-animals

Electrocell · 02-10-2012, 01:02 PM

Wow yes I believe there are homosexual/gay animals too. Grew up on a farm cows would hump other cows when they were in heat .

EnderD_503 · 03-14-2012, 05:35 PM

Of course same-sex relations (not "gay" or "homosexual," since the one is a 19th/early 20th century pathologisation of same-sex sex practices, and the other a social response to that pathologisation) are pretty normal within the majority of animal species. And "opposite-sex" sex. And any kind of sex you can imagine. Some sub-species of whiptail lizards are entirely "female" (another reason why the insistence on the "sex-binary" is bullshit), meaning it's pretty much impossible for "opposite sex" sex to even happen in their species.

People have invested so much into defining "heterosexual sex" as "natural sex" as though there could ever possibly be "unnatural sex."

Corkey · 03-14-2012, 05:46 PM

Back when DDT was wildly used the California seagulls were ALL same sex, that being females. It is not rare in nature for same sexed animals and unsexed animals, and plants. We are the exception in nature, that being human.

macele · 03-14-2012, 07:15 PM

i had a short-haired collie, never "fixed". she never had a desire to be with a boy dog, at least none that i know of lol. we had another girl dog that she protected, loved very much. i don't know if she was a lesbian dog lol, but she surely reserved her love for only one, ... that one love was a she. i like to tell the story that i once had a lesbian dog lol.

Softhearted · 03-14-2012, 07:42 PM

Communication during sex among female bonobos: effects of dominance, solicitation and audience

"Bonobo females frequently form close bonds, which give them social power over other group members. One potential mechanism to facilitate female bonding is the performance of sexual interactions. Using naturalistic observations and experiments, we found various patterns that determined female-female sexual interactions. First, while low-ranked females interacted with all females, sexual interactions between high-ranked females were rare. Second, during genital contacts, females sometimes produced ‘copulation calls’, which were significantly affected by the rank of the caller and partner, as well as the solicitation direction. Third, there was a significant effect of the alpha female as a bystander, while variables relating to physical experience had no effects. Overall, results highlight the importance of sexual interactions for bonobo female social relations. Copulation calls are an important tool during this process, suggesting that they have become ritualised, beyond their reproductive function, to serve as broader social signals in flexible and potentially strategic ways."
sources:
Clay, Z. and Zuberbühler, K. (2012). Communication during sex among female bonobos: effects of dominance, solicitation and audience. Scientific Reports, 2:291.

http://www.nature.com/srep/2012/1203...srep00291.html

boobookitty · 03-16-2012, 02:46 PM

I have lived with animals through out my life, they have an honest reaction /expression of what hormones do. There are certain 'female' behaviors and certain 'male' behaviors. But take the male out of the group, and most of the time the alpha female steps up to fill his role... in every way she can. In most (running loose) animal populations, the males are expendable.

(humor) ..give me a baby... ok now stay between me and that predator.

Leigh · 03-16-2012, 03:34 PM

I've heard that animals can also be homosexual and I'm not surprised, not just humans can be gay

02-10-2012, 12:47 PM	#1
Nat Senior Member How Do You Identify?: bigender Preferred Pronoun?: whatevs Relationship Status: in a relationship Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Tx Posts: 3,535 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 11,042 Thanked 13,975 Times in 2,590 Posts Rep Power: 21474855	Animal Behavior - Same-sex and Gender-variant members of the Animal Kingdom I heard today on a "Stuff to Blow Your Mind" podcast called, "Can animals be gay?" that researcher Lindsey C. Young discovered 30% of a Hawaiian Albatross colony's coupled birds were female-female pairings. This colony also had unattached male birds. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/bl...ps-gay-animals __________________ I'm a fountain of blood. In the shape of a girl. - Bjork What is to give light must endure burning. -Viktor Frankl

02-10-2012, 01:02 PM	#2
Electrocell Member How Do You Identify?: Stonebutch Preferred Pronoun?: he/hy Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: TN Posts: 1,334 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 7,535 Thanked 2,768 Times in 981 Posts Rep Power: 21474851	Wow yes I believe there are homosexual/gay animals too. Grew up on a farm cows would hump other cows when they were in heat . __________________ Love and accept me for me not someone you want me to be.

03-14-2012, 05:46 PM	#4
Corkey Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: Human Preferred Pronoun?: He Relationship Status: Very Married Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Where I want to be Posts: 8,155 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 47,491 Thanked 29,274 Times in 6,637 Posts Rep Power: 21474859	Back when DDT was wildly used the California seagulls were ALL same sex, that being females. It is not rare in nature for same sexed animals and unsexed animals, and plants. We are the exception in nature, that being human. __________________ "Many proposals have been made to us to adopt your laws, your religion, your manners and your customs. We would be better pleased with beholding the good effects of these doctrines in your own practices, than with hearing you talk about them". ~Old Tassel, Chief of the Tsalagi (Cherokee)

03-14-2012, 07:42 PM	#6
Softhearted Member How Do You Identify?: --- Preferred Pronoun?: ---- Relationship Status: --- Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: --- Posts: 298 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 454 Thanked 285 Times in 109 Posts Rep Power: 1556234	I have posted this in the science and exploration thread but I think it would be also appropriate in this thread :) Communication during sex among female bonobos: effects of dominance, solicitation and audience "Bonobo females frequently form close bonds, which give them social power over other group members. One potential mechanism to facilitate female bonding is the performance of sexual interactions. Using naturalistic observations and experiments, we found various patterns that determined female-female sexual interactions. First, while low-ranked females interacted with all females, sexual interactions between high-ranked females were rare. Second, during genital contacts, females sometimes produced ‘copulation calls’, which were significantly affected by the rank of the caller and partner, as well as the solicitation direction. Third, there was a significant effect of the alpha female as a bystander, while variables relating to physical experience had no effects. Overall, results highlight the importance of sexual interactions for bonobo female social relations. Copulation calls are an important tool during this process, suggesting that they have become ritualised, beyond their reproductive function, to serve as broader social signals in flexible and potentially strategic ways." sources: Clay, Z. and Zuberbühler, K. (2012). Communication during sex among female bonobos: effects of dominance, solicitation and audience. Scientific Reports, 2:291. http://www.nature.com/srep/2012/1203...srep00291.html

03-16-2012, 02:46 PM	#7
boobookitty Member How Do You Identify?: I like the tag Lipstick Stone Butch Preferred Pronoun?: not picky, but male pronouns are soothing to the psyche Relationship Status: not looking for more than friends Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: central USA Posts: 119 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 70 Thanked 215 Times in 59 Posts Rep Power: 1451775	I have lived with animals through out my life, they have an honest reaction /expression of what hormones do. There are certain 'female' behaviors and certain 'male' behaviors. But take the male out of the group, and most of the time the alpha female steps up to fill his role... in every way she can. In most (running loose) animal populations, the males are expendable. (humor) ..give me a baby... ok now stay between me and that predator. __________________ [I]LOL...yeah, I'm a cisgender heterosexual male crossdresser trapped in a womans body. [/I]:sunglass:

03-14-2012, 05:35 PM	#3
EnderD_503 Member How Do You Identify?: Queer, trans guy, butch Preferred Pronoun?: Male pronouns Relationship Status: Relationship Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Canada Posts: 1,329 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 4,090 Thanked 3,879 Times in 1,021 Posts Rep Power: 21474853	Of course same-sex relations (not "gay" or "homosexual," since the one is a 19th/early 20th century pathologisation of same-sex sex practices, and the other a social response to that pathologisation) are pretty normal within the majority of animal species. And "opposite-sex" sex. And any kind of sex you can imagine. Some sub-species of whiptail lizards are entirely "female" (another reason why the insistence on the "sex-binary" is bullshit), meaning it's pretty much impossible for "opposite sex" sex to even happen in their species. People have invested so much into defining "heterosexual sex" as "natural sex" as though there could ever possibly be "unnatural sex."

03-14-2012, 07:15 PM	#5
macele Member How Do You Identify?: a bold-assed maximus Preferred Pronoun?: she Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: mississippi Posts: 1,066 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 3,178 Thanked 3,232 Times in 847 Posts Rep Power: 21474850	i had a short-haired collie, never "fixed". she never had a desire to be with a boy dog, at least none that i know of lol. we had another girl dog that she protected, loved very much. i don't know if she was a lesbian dog lol, but she surely reserved her love for only one, ... that one love was a she. i like to tell the story that i once had a lesbian dog lol.

03-16-2012, 03:34 PM	#8
Leigh Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: Femme Preferred Pronoun?: She, Her, etc Relationship Status: Single Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 7,767 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 9,029 Thanked 13,024 Times in 4,784 Posts Rep Power: 21474859	I've heard that animals can also be homosexual and I'm not surprised, not just humans can be gay