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Sexuality in the Animal Kingdom

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The idea that all animals engage in sexual activity for the sole purpose of procreation has been an age long myth.  Only within recent years has it even been a focus of study within the scientific community.  Even beyond the recent studies, the witness of homosexual activity within the animal kingdom has been ignored.  According to recent scientific research, more than 450 different kinds of animals engage in some sort of homosexual activity.  Some of these activities are expressed as sex, courtship, affection and pair-bonding, as well as parenting.

Some animals such as the elephant seal can be seen engaging in heterosexual activity during breeding season, but when the females are not available, they can be seen engaging in homosexual sex, which is usually nonconsensual and aggressive.  However, some animals choose to engage in homosexual activity even when there are plenty of the opposite sex to choose from such as the bonobo apes that engage in sex pretty much any time, anywhere, and with whomever; young, old, male, or female.  Some of the homosexual activity in non-sexual as seen when various species of water mammals engage in playful and affectionate bonding with members of the same sex.  In fact, numerous animals can be seen co-parenting with others of the same sex more often than with the opposite sex.  Some dolphins create stronger same sex bonds then with others of the opposite sex, and some of the acts they engage in can be compared to oral sex when same sex dolphins stimulate the genital slit of another’s with his or hear beak.   In fact, there has been homosexual bonding observed between 2 different species of dolphins that live amongst each other in a community and are often observed “baby-sitting” for one another as well as escaping predators together.

Although the study and research of homosexual activities amongst animals is in its infancy, it cannot be denied that it does exist. Why it occurs or not amongst these 450 known animals might be a question that may never be answered,. However, it certainly brings into question all we have ever thought we knew about the purpose of sex and whether or not it was created solely for the purpose of procreation.

Stay beautiful and stay informed.

To explore more visit: https://youtu.be/5I5N34Q1Bio

 

 

Ashlie Martin

Ashlie Martin

Meharry Medical Student with Interest in improving health care in the LGBT community as a future family physician.

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