Rumours: Homosexual Animals

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November 2, 2010

01:54

Note: Adult content.

Homosexual behaviour in one form or another has been observed and recorded in hundreds of different species for decades. But are the animals just going through some college-age "experimentation"? Or could there be some deeper, biological cause underlying their behaviour?

We explore some of the possible evolutionary arguments for the existence of a genetic component to homosexuality.

Host: Brit Trogen

_{Photo credits: Mila Zinkova, Fitsnews, Jane Cameron, Brad Corban, Live Science, Jurong Bird Park, Comstock ©}

_References:

_{http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204144551.htm}

_{http://www.livescience.com/health/080617-hereditary-homosexuality.html}

_{http://ow.ly/13W6Y}

_{http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/5550488/Homosexual-behaviour-widespread-in-animals-according-to-new-study.html}

YOUR COMMENTS

Rebecca M. on April 15, 2010

Great guest on Stephen Colbert the other day speaking on the same subject. Also posted at NYT:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/04/magazine/04animals-t.html?scp=1&sq=gay%20animals&st=cse

Certainly an interesting topic.

Dustin on April 15, 2010

Is "gay" the right word? I mean, can you ever really apply that to animals?

Brit Trogen November 02, 2010

@Dustin: Probably not. Some animals that engage in homosexual behavior (like the infamous penguin couple, Roy and Silo) also mix it up with heterosexual encounters, before, after and sometimes even at the same time they're coupling with same-sex animals, depending on the species. Just because an animal couples with another of the same sex doesn't necessarily make them "gay" in the same way we might understand the term in a human context.

Gord H on November 06, 2010

The Best part of this video is the gay singles ad I got from the Google Ads bar

jesse on December 15, 2010

REALLY PEOPLE MUST WE ALWAYS HAVE TO DEFINE EVERYTHING WE DO AS HUMAN BEINGS SEX IS SEX, IF ITS WITH MALE OR FEMALE WHO CARES ITS THAT BOND THAT SHOULD MATTER ....THE RESPONSE TO DUSTIN FROM BRIT TROGEN SHE MADE A COMMENT "JUST BECAUSE AN ANIMAL COUPLES WITH ANOTHER OF THE SMAE SEX DOESNT NECESSARILY MARK THEM AS "GAY" "

SO FOR ME IVE BEEN "GAY" SINCE AS FAR AS I CAN REMEMBER AS A YOUNG BOY TILL NOW LOL BUT IM STILL ATTRACTED TO FEMALES BUT NEVER BEEN WITH ONE SEXUALLY SO AM I GAY? OR NOT? LOL THERE GOES TO SHOW THAT LOVING SOMEONE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DEFINING WHAT SEXUAL ROLE YOU PLAY ITS ABOUT LOVING WHO YOU ARE AND EXCEPTING WHO YOU LOVE....

Sara Fan on December 24, 2010

Hello, time to wake up! We are living in a world that in some countries the announce we dont have gay! Even in US lots of gay ppl hide this from their families or fight the fact, even marry to a woman and pass their genes to their off springs.
I really like to know whats funny about this video! It only sounds like someone talking without enough knowing...