d*d

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...ny_penguins_dc

BERLIN (Reuters) - A plan by a German zoo to test the sexual appetites of a group of suspected homosexual penguins has sparked outrage among gay and lesbian groups, who fear zookeepers might force them to turn straight.

"All sorts of gay and lesbian associations have been e-mailing and calling in to protest," said a spokesman for the zoo in the northwestern city of Bremerhaven on Friday.

He said the zoo concluded the penguins might be gay after seeing male penguins trying to mate with other males and trying to hatch offspring out of stones.

German media reported that female Swedish penguins would be brought to the zoo to test the theory, but when word got out about the plan, the phones started ringing.

"Nobody here is trying to break-up same sex pairs by force," the zoo's director Heike Kueck told public broadcaster NDR. "We don't know if the three male pairs are really gay or just got together because of a lack of females."



Should we be trying to protect the gay rights of penguins, or is it more cruel to keep them in same sex groups where they are forced to attempt to mate with other to satisfy their instinct? since animals don't make lifestyle choices is a gay animal possible?

nb. the word animal is used to denote non human species, I am fully aware that we are ourselves animals.

Shady

I don't see why groups are protesting. The zoo people are just testing their theory right? They aren't forcing each penquin to be straight. I think people are too quick to protest these days.

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dirtyrascal7

hahahaha, i'm sorry but the thought of a gay penguin makes me laugh... but i guess it makes sense because they are well dressed.

animosity

Those poor animals being forced into heterosexual relationships.....

Squishor

The phenomenon of the gay penguins has been known for many years. There's at least one gay penguin couple that's well-known and have been together for a long time - I remember reading about them 5 years ago. As far as I am aware (correct me if I'm wrong) many animals make homosexual pairings when there are females available. This is an argument in favor of the idea that homosexuality is not, in fact, a "lifestyle choice" but something that goes deeper in nature. As for making females available to them - why not? They will still make their own choice, so if they'd prefer to be with a female it's best to have one around after all. You can't force pair bonding or mating, as evidenced by many breeding program efforts where the animals just won't mate according to plan.

MSD

They're just putting some females in the cage with them. Everyone who isn't a shareholder of the Zoo's stock (yes, I know there isn't any) needs to chill out. If they don't like it, they don't have to pay admission and go in.

d*d

They already have a celebrity gay penguin couple, it's probably wrong of me to find that funny, I didn't realise that animals choose same sex bonding even when opposite sex partners are available, I didn't mean to make a slight toward being gay by reffering to it as a "lifestyle choice" it just seemes to be one of the terms doing the rounds at the moment.

streak_56

I don't see the outrage... the other males will be in there too with the females, so if they are truly gay, then they would stay with their same sex spouse. If they go for the local female peguin, then they're probably just satisfying a instinct, if you want to call it that.

lurkette

Being bi myself, I can only point and laugh at the silly people who are protesting over tempting gay penguins away from their "lifestyle" by providing females. Puh-leeeze. Go find something else to kvetch about. They're PENGUINS!!! Hell, maybe they're bi! I fully believe that sexuality is a matter of genes+environment, and enlisting the penguins in our cause is not going to make a bit of difference in convincing people otherwise, it just makes them (the people, not the penguins) look silly.

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KinkyKiwi

wow..some people have wayyy too much time and energy on thier hands...

maybe the girl and boy penguins can go shopping together....

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Cervantes

Seriously, what are they protesting against? The entry of female penguins into an group of male penguins?
The zoo is simply providing the penguins with a choice what is there to protest against?

This is must be some kind of joke. Seriously...

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guthmund

If this wasn't so stupid....

It's not like the zookeepers are physically going to force the males to mate with the females. I would think of all the things these 'gay and lesbian associations' should be upset about gay penguins would be pretty low on the list. I mean, after all, the zookeepers are just trying to figure out if the male penguins choice is one of preference or environment. I don't think they're out to subvert the penguin's choice of lifestyle.

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Squishor

Personally, I wonder if they're upset because the penguins' homosexual pairings can be used to validate homosexuality as a genetic thing rather than a choice or something that needs to be "cured." If the penguins aren't so gay after all, it undermines their credibility. Don't get me wrong, I support gay people actually but I'm also a cynic when it comes to human nature.

ngdawg

Did anyone else notice they said 'Swedish female penguins'? First, arent penguins indigenous to Antartica? And second, will these Swedish female penguins have blonde hair, perky breasts and wild ideas about sex?

Cervantes

Lol, now that's a thought hehe

Hmm.. Maybe that's why they are protesting.. Who can stay gay when Swedish blonde walks by..

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Seething

Just to clarify for clarity's sake, penguins can be found as far north as the galapagos islands and chile. Read more here: http://www.penguins.cl/penguins-region.htm

And you've got it all wrong about those Swedish penguins. They're only being sent there to give the gay penguins affordable furniture you assemble at home. Those gay penguins will be arranging furniture around for "Feng Shui" in no time!

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Dyze

Maybe those penguins came to the zoo as eggs and have never seen females. Their sex drive has to go somewhere I guess. But, penguins are soooo funny. Reminds me of that Futurama episode where Bender gets to live among them.

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TexanAvenger

Then we'll just have a bunch of bisexual penguins. Then all the homosexual and heterosexual advocates can have a big penguin sexuality conference and in the meantime, the penguins'll just keep doing whatever they want. They're penguins, give it up.

Grasshopper Green

I used to have gay parakeets....two males who had several females to choose from but chose each other instead. If the penguins are gay, introducing females isn't going to do a damn thing except add a few extra mouths to feed. The penguins aren't going to be "forced" into anything because....duh duh duh duh!! they're PENGUINS and they aren't going to be doing what silly humans want them to do.

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Spicy McHaggis

We should have known they were gay. They aren't fighting any stereotypes with the whole "into fashion" thing

I mean... wearing a tuxedo to the zoo? Please!

FloydianOne

mmmmmm swedish penquins.

sapiens

I was thinking along similar lines. You see homosexual behavior in prison populations. There might be a similar effect in captive populations of male penguins.

I don't understand why trying to hatch rocks is evidence of homosexual behavior. I thought that in most species of penguins, males are high-investing. (Heterosexual males invest a lot in offspring, including sitting on the eggs).

martinguerre

lurkette is the wise. i'm all in favor of these penguins being bi...



I wish i had nothing better to complain about than this.

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unkle_escobar

I find it interesting that they 'adopt' rocks and nurse them as if they were eggs. They have no drive to actually go about procreating, but they still have the urge to nurse...just strange imo.

zerosk8

Thats kind of wierd....i've never heard of a homosexual animal....i would hate to have to clean that cage!!

Mugzy6

I saw a news story about this on TV last week actually. I thought it was cute. I don't think the presence of female penguins is going to do anything if the penguins are actually homosexual. I don't see what the big problem is.

jalora

Watch, they'll screw it up and bring over a couple of lesbian penguins.

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