Gay penguins

[magruder]

Posted: 2/7/04 at 4:29am

Dinitia Smith has a very interesting piece in today's New York Times about homosexual behavior in the animal kingdom. She opens with a story about two male penguins, Roy and Silo, at the Central Park Zoo, who have been a couple for six years. They were given a fertile egg and raised a baby penguin, Tango. ("They did a great job," says their keeper.)

Smith also notes gay activity among gulls, macaques, bottlenose dolphins, and bonobos, among others.

The article reaches its peak with a pithy paragraph: "But if homosexuality occurs among animals, does that necessarily mean that it is natural for humans, too? And that raises a familiar question: if homosexuality is not a choice, but a result of natural forces that cannot be controlled, can it be immoral?"

Interesting reading in the midst of the debate raging over gay marriage. All I can say is that Roy and Silo have a better relationship than a lot of heterosexual married human beings.
Love That Dare Not Squeak Its Name

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/7/04 at 7:54am

And they are always dressed to the nines!

Bulldog

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 2/7/04 at 9:34am

Thanks for the artilce. I've actually had the chance to visit Roy and Silo, they seem like a very happy couple. And it's true that homosexuality occurs in almost every species on the planet. Leading one to believe that it is in fact natural.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 2/7/04 at 9:57am

The piece is very moving. The part about Roy and Silo trying to hatch a small rock, and finally becoming parents -- well, I hope a wonderful children's book author out there gets busy. (Harvey, are you listening? A wonderful follow-up to your kids book about the sissy duck.)

Also worth noting: no one at the zoo is trying to step in and deprogram any species, to separate them. OR deny them housing, food, a chance to thrive. And it's not like they've stopped those who want to mate the ol fashioned way. Finger-wagging fundamentalists take note: Funny thing about the animal kingdom -- when you let 'em just have the basics, they go about their happy way, not bothering anybody.

Updated On: 2/7/04 at 09:57 AM

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 2/7/04 at 10:49am

Don't let Dubya get wind of this! =)

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 2/7/04 at 10:58am

Yes...cause then George would have to pass a constitutional ammendment preserving the sanctity of heterosexual coupling in the animal kingdom. Poor Roy and Silo would be forced to pack up, leave central park, and head for Canada.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 2/7/04 at 11:04am

Now th question is: Are there any gay iguanas?

If there are, then it would lead a certain someone I know to elevate the term "fag hag" to a new level.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 2/7/04 at 11:08am

What a wonderful, day-brightening article.

I think the Zoo really needs to sell Roy, Silo and baby Tango dolls.

[magruder]

Posted: 2/7/04 at 7:19pm

For those interested, I found another article about Roy and Silo (as well as Wendall and Cass, a gay penguin pair at the Coney Island Aquarium).




Roy and Silo rock!

[innocentchoirboy]

Posted: 2/8/04 at 2:05pm

i remember seeing a special on these two penguins on discovery channel. it turns out that when they have sex, one (i can't remember which, but i seem to think silo) almost always bottoms, but they will sometimes change positions. just an interesting tidbit!

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 2/8/04 at 2:48pm

wait... they Discovery did a documentary about me ex and I??

[innocentchoirboy]

Posted: 2/9/04 at 7:22pm

umm.... i sense a problem with you're e's and y's..... your post reads as an illiterate irishman. but a sexy one, don't get me wrong....

[orion59]

Posted: 2/9/04 at 7:26pm

When i saw the title of this thread I thought it was something about lesbian nuns. It's a great article though

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 2/9/04 at 8:07pm

This is sooo cute!!

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 2/9/04 at 8:11pm

i thought the same thing, orion.

guy walks into a bar and says, "bartender i need a shot of whiskey."

bartender turns to get the drink and the man asks, "say do you know how big penguins get?"

bartender says, "i saw on discovery the other night that the largest ones are about 4 feet tall."

the man says, "damn. better make that a double. i just ran over a flock of nuns."

Updated On: 2/9/04 at 08:11 PM