This could have gone in my last post, considering Porter’s life 😉 Thanks to Scott Bragg for the link.
Bisexual Species: Unorthodox Sex in the Animal Kingdom: Scientific American
… as many as 1,500 species of wild and captive animals that have been observed engaging in homosexual activity. Researchers have seen such same-sex goings-on in both male and female, old and young, and social and solitary creatures and on branches of the evolutionary tree ranging from insects to mammals.
Unlike most humans, however, individual animals generally cannot be classified as gay or straight: an animal that engages in a same-sex flirtation or partnership does not necessarily shun heterosexual encounters. Rather many species seem to have ingrained homosexual tendencies that are a regular part of their society. That is, there are probably no strictly gay critters, just bisexual ones. “Animals don’t do sexual identity. They just do sex,” says sociologist Eric Anderson of the University of Bath in England.
Neat article — thanks for the link 🙂
I’m note sure what it says about me, that I’m bisexual the way animals are bisexual — but I’m pretty okay with it 🙂
I’m partial to Spider Robinson’s view, that if we (in general, culturally, universally) had fewer hangups, we’d all be bisexual.
I think that’s quite likely.
Which reminds me — I haven’t read any Spider Robinson in ages. I should change that.
Do you think animals are ostracized by other animals for engaging in homosexual activities? Does it carry the same stigma as in human society?
No, because the behavior is completely natural.