Observing the animal kingdom, researchers has observed occasions of homosexual behaviour for years. Earlier it was believed that this only occurred in animals held in human captivity, and was a result of the stressful condition these animals were kept in. Later research has shown frequent homosexuality in wild animals as well. The questions then arises: How common is this? Is same-sex sexuality a natural variant in many animals? How do this eventually come to play in the question of homosexuality in mankind?

WEB RESOURCES

• BBC reports on an exhibition in Oslo Natural History Museum, where it is claimed that homosexuality is observed in 1.500 different species. The exhibition is further discussed in The Times.

• Wikipedia has a general article on animal sexuality, which also discusses this question. The online encyclopedia also carries this list of species displaying homosexual behavior.

• This article at the National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality argues that homosexual behavior in animals does not prove that its natural or morally right.

• Science Daily reports that homosexual behaviour among sheep has been found to have a biological basis.

• The biologist Joan Roughgarden debunks Frauds sexual theories to explain the biological background behind animal sexuality.

• The evolutionary benefits of animal non-reproductive sexuality partly discussed in these articles at National Geographic and at Science News and at length in this report on the Bruce Bagemihl book “Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity”.

• This epistle at Catholicconvert.com argues that one cannot infer moral rules from animal behaviour, and hints that homosexual behaviour in animals may be due to the fallen state of nature.

If you know about other interesting websites about this question, please give me a tip, and I’ll put the resource on this page.

INDICATIONS FROM THE INVESTIGATION

There seems to be little doubt that animals take part in homosexual behaviour, often or seldom according to the species. The biological benefits of this behaviour is not heavily researched, but it is speculated that the behaviour may be due to social bonding, benefits in raising offspring, a surrogate for language or simply sexual pleasure. Whether the behaviour is caused by similar feelings as what is defined as human homosexuality is unclear.

What conclusions that are drawn from these observations varies according to the writers view on ethics. Writers with naturalistic ethics say that what occurs in animals is natural and morally right also for human beings, while others claim that rules for human behaviour cannot be concluded from observing the behaviour of animals.