Homosexuality and Evolution
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Homosexuality and Evolution
The documentary “Against nature? Homosexuality and evolution” is very educative in understanding human behavior concerning some sensitive topics like homosexuality. I was always curious to know how such queer action comes about. Is it natural? Do other animals engage in such sexual orientations? Based on Darwin’s natural selection theory, many people may argue that homosexuality should be dead, as the approach favors those with many offspring. Until I saw this scene, I used to relate homosexuality as something that came about recently, but that seems untrue since it had existed throughout the ages and cultures. Irrespective of the strict rules that barred same-sex relationships in ancient Greece, homosexuality was somewhat practiced there. Some people would conclude that being gay is something that can be controlled by the persons practicing it. In any case, those individuals are leaning towards making bad choices, and governments should discourage such behavior. On the other hand, people would argue that a person’s sexual preference is biologically determined. Such practices should not be questioned; in any case, gay people should be given protection against their discrimination.
Many studies have questioned how evolution can explain homosexuality, based on how heterosexual individuals produce more children than homosexuals. It is understood that the population of gay people worldwide stands at 350 million, equating 5% of the world’s population. And so, do you think homosexuality is somehow against nature? God made a man and a woman, and the sinned of free will. There are varied groups of people who agree while others disregard and condemn individuals practicing same-sex relationships. It came to my knowledge that in some countries, mostly Arab countries, and Africa, homosexuality is punishable by death. The video tries to elaborate on why many people consider homosexuality as a sin against nature. The late president of Zimbabwe held that homosexuality degrades human dignity and, in any case, it is unnatural. He added that even pigs and dogs do not engage in such acts. Christian Evangelical of USA stated in 1977 that even barnyard animals do not engage in homosexual acts. The Jewish religion holds that homosexuality is a sin against nature. A document from the Muslim faith published in 2010 stated that “even animals cannot do such unnatural sex. Finally, the Hindu religion views homosexuality as a bizarre combination against the rules of nature.
All those objections try to credit animals as better people. Perhaps many people believe, some “immoral” acts are only practiced by humans and not animals. I am surprised that even animals engage in some of what we see as unnatural sexual orientation. Yes, animals are indeed more susceptible to do things that even humans do and find them weird. The features Bonobos displaying their sexual styles similar to what humans do during sex. Isn’t that surprising? Bonobos get bored and tired after engaging in some heterosexual sex, just like humans, and they try to relax and find some other things they can do. I did not know that even bonobos do masturbate like humans. Even more surprising, female Bonobos show some interest in each other and can engage in genital-genital rubbing, and they find it very exciting. Also, the video explains sex between children and with children. Children naturally try to do sex among humans, while some older individuals try or even do sex with children, just like the Bonobos. Do those concepts try to imply that some sexual behaviors are only natural? Perhaps, individuals might insist that those Bonobos are in captivity and easy for them to attempt unnatural things.
Cementing that homosexuality is natural among animals, the video features mountain gorillas of East Africa where two males have sex in the jangle. It is possible to think that homosexuality is rare among animals, but how would one feel about Indian langur monkeys? Those monkeys practice homosexuality daily. That was very uncommon to me. By objecting to homosexuality, some views would be that it comes about because of desperation. However, the video refutes such arguments by featuring two females langar monkeys having sex. There is a standing willing male, but the two females seem not interested in the male’s sex. Some people have tried to associate homosexuality with social behavior among animals. There are two images of homosexual monkeys to object to the argument, some masturbating each other’s, others doing anal intercourse, genital rubbing. They all seem to be overexcited during orgasm. It would be difficult to suggest that those animals are not engaging in homosexual acts. And the sexual pleasure displayed during both homosexual and heterosexual sex is similar, implying that both can be categorized as sex.
Other studies have suggested that animal homo-sex is somewhat bi-sexual and not exclusively homosexual. The video gives examples of some animals that would not engage in heterosexual sex with their opposite gender apart from same-sex gender to disregard such claims. Examples of such animals include flamingos and grey-legged geese. Maybe, homosexual behavior cannot be regarded as homosexual orientation based on giving animals choices not to engage in homosexuality. The video states that 10% of all rams display homosexual behaviors and tend to mount other males even after being presented with a choice. Male sheep love to engage in some same-sex sexual orientation. The video continues by saying that individuals might insist that human homo-sex is cultural. Simultaneously, animals are accustomed to following instincts, but, even in some non-human animals, some homo-sex cultures, for example, the Japanese macaques (snow monkey). In other words, they represent a perfect example of sexual preferences among animals.
I was fascinated to understand why humans and other animals engage in homosexual behavior. Andre Gide insisted that homosexuality is hard to explain from a biological perspective since it is not hereditary based on it have to be passed on through heterosexual sex. Therefore, the urge must be coming from inside the flesh, and in any case, it should be very natural to avoid disappearing. In a study of identical twins, homosexuality has a genetic component concerning the DNA. If one has an identical brother or sister and is gay, 50% of the other twin members have a same-sex orientation. For non-identical (dizygotic) twins, chances are relatively lower as the chance of having the same exposure is about 20%. If one has a homosexual sibling (not twin), there is a 10% chance one can have the same exposure, which seems to be higher than random expectations. The question is unclear if such sexual orientation is associated with genetic components or the brain.
The differences that occur naturally concerning partner preferences can somewhat be linked to brain anatomy variations, not to mention its capacity to synthesis estrogen. Based on the already in the question of male population ingressiveness, the contradicting aromatase levels may be used as evidence of aggression levels instead of sexuality. It is important to note that several studies have suggested that homosexual activities among animals heighten their social bonding and cohesiveness. Also, females might have a mechanism that assists them in living freely in mixed parties, without being affected by contest and scramble competition. Non-human males can establish dominance by copulating their males’ colleagues, eventually giving them access to the opposite sex. The up-bring of personal also plays a significant role in sexual orientation. The video provides an example that females might turn to be lesbians if they fear heterosexual penetrations. The video was very educational, and many things came to my knowledge after watching the documentary.
References
(2020). Retrieved 22 October 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pjd7hMhoeAM.
