fm sure you’ve heard many arguments why
ay marriages shouldn’t be allowed; why
omosexuality is wrong or disgusting even.
Dne argument that can no longer be used is
at which says homosexuality is “unnatural”
r, as the statutes in some countries refer to

. a “crime against nature.”

“Against Nature?” is the first of its kind

an exhibition on animal homosexuality.
he question mark at the end of the title is of
particular importance for the message behind

e exhibition. One billboard quotes Magnus
nquist, a professor at Stockholm University

Sweden: “There are things that are much
more contrary to nature than homosexuality,
lhings humans alone do—like having reli-
bion, or wearing pyjamas.”

This inspirational project is unfortunately
hot viewable in Vancouver, or even Canada,
but is located at the Natural History Museum
in Oslo, Norway. According to the organizers
nd project manager Geir Soeli,
Homosexuality is found in over 1,500 ani-
mal species and [is] well documented in 500
bf those cases.” The majority of these obser-
ations have been found in most vertebrate
broups, insects, spiders, crustaceans, octopi,
and parasitic worms.

The exhibit claims that many species have
ex outside the mating season, proving that
Intercourse is not merely for reproductive
purposes, but is also an enjoyable activity.
Bisexual tendencies in dolphins are quite
ommon, for example. Male bottlenose dol-
phins and male spotted dolphins are two
nggressive species of dolphin that are usually
nggressive towards each other, but it’s been
ound that one in three encounters result in
ntercourse, not fighting. To emphasize dol-
phins’ promiscuity, there hangs in the centre
bf the exhibit two male dolphin models, one
penetrating the other’s blowhole.

One picture dominating the scene at the
exhibit is that of two male killer whales
playing’ in the ocean, both with their erec-
tions easily visible. It’s been documented that
male gray whales, dolphin species, southern
ight whales, and bowhead whales often rub
heir snouts to the others’ genitals for stimu-
ation.

    
  
   
  
 
  
   
   
 
 
   
 
   
 
 
   
   
   
 
 
 
   

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Homosexuality goes well beyond water
territory, too. The earliest mention of animal
homosexuality was by Aristotle, who spoke
of homosexuality between hyenas. Sex
between female hyenas continues to be quite
common.

A study focusing on giraffe mating habits
in one particular area found that 94 per cent
of all registered sexual activity took place
between two males. In fact, scientists have
seen homosexuality among giraffes for years
but have not, until recently, acknowledged
them. In many studies of African giraffes,
when a male was seen sniffing a female this
was recorded as “sexual interest,” meanwhile
scientists registered anal intercourse with
ejaculation between two males as being a
“ritualized form of fighting.”

Homosexuality among animals isn’t
always just a case of random promiscuity,
rather it is long-lasting with life-long partner-
ships forming among the gay mates.

But, if this is true then how do animals
continue to procreate and exist? As it turns
out, our feathered species are quite apt to
raising offspring as homosexual couples. In
the case of birds such as laughing gulls,
ducks, flamingos, swans, geese, penguins,
and seagulls, male partners will often steal
eggs from a female’s nest and raise the off-
spring as their own. Or they will ‘bond’ tem-
porarily with a female who will then volun-
tarily give up the resulted egg to the male
partner. This is also done vice versa, as one
female in a ‘lesbian’ couple will bond with a
male just long enough for fertilisation. In
fact, with flamingos, a male couple is actual-
ly able to hold up or protect a larger territory
and is therefore better able to provide care
for their chickens (baby flamingos) — and
care for more chickens at a time than a het-
erosexual flamingo mating couple can.

According to the exhibit, studies like
these have not been released to the public
because they’ve been disregarded by scien-
tists who feared being ridiculed, shunned by
society, losing research grants, or who were
just in plain disbelief. The first case of ani-
mal homosexuality that was actually docu-
mented and published was in the early 19th

century when a scientist by the name of
DeKerville printed a report and a sketch of
his observations of two male scarab beetles
having intercourse. However, the findings
were printed in a small, obscure publication
and were ignored.

Not only are homosexual or bisexual ten-
dencies found in the animal kingdom, but
masturbation is also quite common. Many
animals use either their paws, flippers, or, in
the case of walruses, their muzzle for self-
stimulation. The male macaques, a species of
monkey, will place their most tender body
parts in another’s hand to strengthen their
bond, or friendship. This act is so common
with monkey species that it has its own
name, and is referred to as “diddling.”

The museum has received financial sup-
port for the exhibit from the Norwegian
Archive, Library and Museum Authority. It’s
also received encouragement from the gov-
ernment by way of special subsidies, which it
grants to Norwegian museums willing to
encourage public debate; and this the Natural
History Museum does. As stated on their
website, “we feel confident that a greater
understanding of how extensive and common
this behaviour is among animals, will help to

     

de-mystify homosexuality among people.”
Although it’s been reported in some news
sources that there has been some backlash
coming from radical Christian groups con-
cerning the exhibit, I have yet to see this any-
where in Oslo or in Norwegian popular
media. Interestingly enough, the exhibit
doesn’t seem to be getting much media atten-
tion at all in Norway. A random Google
search will turn up articles in other sources
such as Yahoo News, BBC news, and
Germany’s Spiegel Magazine, but none in
Norway’s leading newspapers—which is
possibly a good example of the country’s lib-
eralism and acceptance of freedom of expres-
sion. Despite the lack of local attention, the
exhibit is gaining recognition internationally.
As Soeli and his colleagues told Spiegel,
they are considering taking their show on the
road at the end of their ten months in Oslo
and making it an international exhibition.
The exhibit opened on October 13 and for
anyone soon planning to be in the Oslo area,
it will remain open until August 19, 2007.
More information can be found at
www.nhm.uio.no/againstnature

 

 

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