The use of the animal kingdom as a metaphor for sexual interactions has been the standard for decades. Indeed, how and when to have the feared “birds and the bees talk” perpetually circles parenting groups. Learning about sex through animals is key to simplify complicated topics and keep children (and adults!) engaged. However, given Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, these animal and sex conversations are done in terms of different-sex sexual behavior and the obvious goal of reproduction.
Same-sex sexual behavior in animals is considered to contradict Darwin’s theory—any of these interactions must be a fluke. Yet researchers have discovered over 1000 species that exhibit same-sex sexual behavior, some scientists even say upwards of 1500 species. Many animals use same-sex interactions to bond, for pleasure or safety, and
Since we already rely on animal behavior to do the heavy lifting of our sexual education, it’s imperative we show all sides of nature’s story. Same-sex sexual behavior happens in more than just humans, here are just a few of this endless list.
BIRDS
Laysan albatrosses are huge birds that mate in Hawaii and typically pair (or “marry”) for life. To successfully rear a chick, it takes two parents—one to stay with the chick while the other hunts and brings food back. Thanks to being bonded, the birds can perfect their raising skills. However, in one population on the island of Oahu, about 30% of the pairings are made up of two, unrelated females. The pair of females do rear chick, usually fathered by one of the males already in a committed pair. Like their male-female counterparts, these female-female pairings can only rear one chick per season but are more successful (their chicks reach maturity) when they work in a pair, rather than a single female albatross. Some studies suggest that same-sex coupling is a response to a shortage of male albatrosses. If the sex ratio were more equal, these studies believe the female albatross wouldn’t choose to pair with females.
INSECTS
There are many insects that exhibit same-sex coupling. In their first 30 minutes of life, male fruit flies will try to copulate with any other nearby fly, be it male or female. After a while, they do learn to recognize the smell of virgin females. In another instance, male flour beetles often mount each other and go as far as depositing sperm. When the second male then mates with a female, the original male’s sperm can transfer to the female, allowing for reproduction without courtship from the original male.
MAMMALS
Many studies have looked at the sexual behavior of monkeys and our closest relatives, the apes. In the BBC article, “Are there any homosexual animals?”, researchers witnessed female Japanese macaques employing varying sexual positions when “mating” together. Some mount another and then “stimulate her genitals by rubbing them against the other female.” Some others use a “double foot clasp mount” to hold onto their partner and others still sit on top of their “mate” in a sort of “jockey-style” position. The females even stare into each other’s eyes, something the macaques don’t do outside of sexual contexts. The article makes clear that this behavior does not mean the female macaque is uninterested in the males; they still often mount males and rear children, but some do gather in groups of females to sleep, groom, and defend.
Bonobos seem to enjoy sex just as much as we do. Sex in bonobo communities cement social bonds and goes behind just mature bonobos. Junior bonobos could use sex to bond with the more dominant group members which allow them to climb the social ladder. At times, genital-touching is used to de-escalate situations. Males sometimes perform “genital-to-genital touching, known as penis fencing, as a way to reduce the tension.” Males also might kiss, perform fellatio, and massage each other’s genitals for comfort. Again, procreation is still happening.
There have only been two species that have been observed showing same-sex preferences for life. One is, obviously, humans. The other is domestic sheep. In the same BBC article, about 8% of males prefer other males regardless of the amount of fertile female sheep. This has only been studied in domestic sheep, not wild sheep. Some speculations suggest that because domestic sheep have been carefully bred to produce females that reproduce frequently, this may have given rise to more same-sex sexual behavior.
There are some excellent children’s books that broach this topic such as And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson about two male Emperor penguins that are given an egg and successfully rear a baby chick as two males.
by Shelby Lueders