Gay Penguins?

[eisely 13]

This is copied from a story in a UK paper. This is entertaining at several levels. It also raises some interesting questions.

 

Occasionally one hears arguments for gay rights for humans based on observed behavior in other animals taken to be "gay" behavior. One wonders if this sort of behavior really reflects homosexual preferences among penguins, or perhaps simply an imbalance in the male/female population in the enclosure. That is, would these penguins resort to preferences for females if there were more females around?

________________________

 

Gay penguins expelled from zoo colony for stealing eggs are given their own to look after following animal rights protest

 

By Caroline Graham

 

Last updated at 4:13 PM on 15th December 2008

 

A pair of gay penguins thrown out of their zoo colony for repeatedly stealing eggs have been given some of their own to look after following a protest by animal rights groups. Last month the birds were segregated after they were caught placing stones at the feet of parents before waddling away with their eggs. But angry visitors to Polar Land in Harbin, northern China, complained it wasn't fair to stop the couple from becoming surrogate fathers and urged zoo bosses to give them a chance.

 

Who's the daddy? The segregated penguin couple, right, are seen here in their own enclosure quarrelling with another male over stolen eggs

In response, zookeepers gave the pair two eggs laid by an inexperienced first-time mother. 'We decided to give them two eggs from another couple whose hatching ability had been poor and they've turned out to be the best parents in the whole zoo,' said one of the keepers. 'It's very encouraging and if this works out well we will try to arrange for them to become real parents themselves with artificial insemination.'

 

Wildlife experts at the park explain that despite being gay the three-year-old male birds are still driven by an urge to be fathers.

'One of the responsibilities of being a male adult is looking after the eggs. Despite the fact that they can't have eggs naturally, it does not take away their biological drive to be a parent,' said one.

 

One campaigner who did not want to be named welcomed the move and said: 'It wasn't fair to stop them becoming parents and keep them apart from all the other birds just because of the way nature has made them.'

 

Last month zookeepers said the couple were removed from the group not because of discrimination, but so as not to disturb the colony during hatching time.

 

 

 

[Hal_Crawford 15]

This is not the only gay penguin sighting in recent years. Parents ina number of jurisdictions have demanded that the children's book, "And Tango Makes Three" be removed from school libraries because it depicts two "gay" penguins. The story is apparently based on two actual penguins named Roy and Silo that lived in the Central Park Zoo and adopted a baby penguin named Tango.

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15764474/

 

To my knowledge there are no gay penguins currently registered in scouting.

[OldGreyEagle 5]

Just another reason I shy away from wearing a tuxedo, wouldnt want to be confused with a gay penquin

[Trevorum 24]

Not that there's anything wrong with that ...

[CA_Scouter 11]

Hal,

 

That would be 'avowed gay penguins'.

 

Its chilling if you ask me..

 

 

[evmori 11]

Gay penguins? If I was a penguin then I would worry but since I'm not, who cares?

[OldGreyEagle 5]

Ed, Ed , Ed, Ed, Ed, you wild and crazy guy, why should you care? One of the primary arguments against Homosexuality tends to sound something like, "its unnatural" or "it doesnt occur in nature" and if there are Gay Penguins, then Homosexuality isn't unnatural, Homosexuality does occur in nature and Homosexuality is not a personal choice but a born, natural orientation

[evmori 11]

OGE,

 

I know I'm not a penguin & I'm pretty sure you aren't. So whatever penguins do they do. It makes no nevermind to me! And those arguments are bupkus!

[Narraticong 15]

I always wondered about "The Joker" and even "Robin", but "The Penguin"? Say it isn't so, Batman!

[evmori 11]

I'd bet if you called any of the Penguins in Pittsburgh gay you'd get your butt kicked!

[OldGreyEagle 5]

Quick show of hands, who was prettier Jaromir Jagr as a Penquin or David Cassidy as Keith Patridge?

[evmori 11]

Garrett Morris from SNL!

[John-in-KC 311]

I protest! We're not talking about llamas.

 

Llamas have rights too...

[Hal_Crawford 15]

Gay llamas? I know it gets lonely in the Andes but...

 

A penguin and a llama walk into a bar...

[Eamonn 61]

A GOOSE AND A DUCK(DEDICATED to Papa Duck, Dated June 05) Jade Elizabeth Trainor received a poetry.com award for this poem

A goose and a duck walked through a farm,

Holding each others wings like arms,

The farmer froze and watched them cross the yard,

His wife stock still and staring hard.

A dog started to bark loudly at the two,It startled them so into the air they flew,

Past the farm and into the town,

It never occurred to them to look down.

Past the town and into the city,

The air smelled stale and slightly gritty,

They landed in a large flock of birds,

But neither could understand a single word.

Into the sunrise they set off the next day,

They didnt have time for the slightest delay,

Side by side the flew through the air,

The city folk all stopped at once to stare.

Upon their return home to the farm,

The cold night air still and calm,

They flew into the barn to sleep,

Wings around each other not a peep

 

I was thinking that if the Penguins had been Geese they might be called A Gaggle of gay geese?

 

Back in the UK there is a candy bar (Chocolate covered cookie) called a Penguin Bar.

As part of their advertisements they had a catchy little tune. The words were "P-P-P Pick up a penguin"

The only place I can buy them on this side of the pond is in a small English Tea Shop in Intercourse PA.

Think I'll stay with Ducks and Geese!

Ea.