Gay Animals Where Are They?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/academic-takes-swipe-at-david-attenborough-wildlife-documentaries-for-ignoring-gay-animals-8487212.html

One just couldn't make this up, after all the controversy over gay marriages, some academics are taking a swipe at David Attenborough for not featuring enough gay animals in his TV programmes.

/// Dr Mills who carried out the study said: 'The central role in documentary stories of pairing, mating and raising offspring commonly rests on assumptions of heterosexuality within the animal kingdom.' ///

I wonder if Dr Mills knows how all those little baby creatures come into the world?

Or would he rather adults and children, not delight in the propagation of these sometimes these cute baby animals, and move Attenborugh's programme to after the 'watershed', so that we do not fail to witness the life style of gay animals?

[Mick-Talbot]

I love creepy crawlies.

Will you have a word with the BEEB for me?

(no mice or rats though)

[emmie]

up to you, don't expect a reply from them, besides the present incumbent seems to show no sign of hanging up his boots

[Duncer]

Is it just me, or shouldn't we be deeply worried by a thread with the title "Gay Animals Where Are They?"

My first instinct is to ask "Who wants to know?", swiftly followed by "Why?"

[bazwillrun]

homosexuality is a genetic dead end, simple as that really.

so if its natural as some people like to claim, then could you also please explain the evolutionary benefit of it

[ummmm]

Animals have sex for fun.

[Polly1958]

I've got two buck rabbits who are always humping each other.

[Duncer]

"homosexuality is a genetic dead end, simple as that really."

Strictly speaking, there is logic to your argument, insofar as reproduction is compromised. But, as a young horny Duncer, I didn't always aim to reproduce whilst making the beast with two backs.

[FredPuli43]

DNA has the potential to produce new characteristics. If any are beneficial they survive, if harmful , they don't. We may suppose that some are not beneficial to the species which is created or altered by them but not harmful to the bearer either and so survive in a minority of the population. Assuming homosexuality to be genetic, that would explain its survival. We haven't bred it out in our years of evolution but it can't become universal either

[LazyGun]

Studies of families with homosexual members have noted increased reproduction amongst the female members of the same family.

It is conjectured therefore that the passage of homosexuality is a kind of heritable side effect from this gene complex.

Different studies have emphasized the importance of family and group behaviour amongst animals, and it is conjectured that homosexual "uncles" survive because they represent no threat to the reproductive rights of the dominant male...

So - there is most definitely a genetic foundation to homosexuality, and studies have demonstrated a positive species benefit through increased fertility of related females.

[anotheoldgit]

infundibulum

/// Wonder if David Attenborough or his successor will do another taboo: animals and how they fear mankind, how this fear developed and how they feel just before they are slaughtered to fill mankind's belly. ///

And have not humans a fear of certain animals also, and I wonder how this fear developed, could it had been because humans can also be slaughtered to fill animal's belies?

[mrs_overall]

My brother used to have 2 gay ferrets. The submissive male ended up castrating himself by rubbing his "bits" on the wire of the cage until they dropped off

[emmie]

animals rarely kill humans, and if they do it's because we have encroached on their territory, have used up their food sources, and killed their habitat.
whenever animals are shown mating in documentaries, it is perfunctory, very short lived, and simply a method to convey their genes to the next generation. It's only humans who have decided that it's quite a fun thing to do, some might not agree however, having a headache comes in handy sometimes, something i don't think a gnu can do...