\[ **BT: [[life#behaviour related to reproduction]] | [[life#the behaviour of animals in groups]]** ] --- # same-sex sexual behaviour [[The existence of ‘homosexual’ and ‘heterosexual’ as clear, specific identities is a very recent development. Furthermore, it is very heavily Anglosphere-based.]][^1] - see also: [[queer|queer*]] --- ## theories and philosophies re. the existence of same-sex sexual behaviour ### same-sex sexual behaviour is neither unusual nor rare [[Same-sex sexual behaviour—and other ‘non-reproductive’ sexual behaviour—has been documented for as long as humans have been writing about animals (literally thousands of years).]][^2] [[Same-sex sexual behaviour has been recorded in over 1,500 species and across most major clades.]][^3] - see also: [[#some same-sex sexual behaviour recorded within the non-human animal kingdom]] ### the problem of human research biases [[Accurately measuring human sexual behaviours is fraught with ethical and practical problems.]][^4] [[Researchers have a tendency to assume that the (fitness) cost of same-sex sexual behaviour must be high.]][^5] [[Due to the focus on reproduction—the production of progeny—when considering sexual behaviour, scientists historically shied away from questioning the purpose of clearly non-reproductive sexual activities (e.g. same-sex sexual behaviour).]][^6] [[During the 2010s, the question of non-human same-sex sexual behaviour ‘has consolidated as a queer subject of inquiry in the context of growing concerns about how to account for agency beyond identity forms.’]][^7] ### specific theories and philosophies #### prison effect [[Prison effect posits that individuals only engage in same-sex when the opportunity to mate with different sexes is removed. It is named after the so-called ‘situational homosexuality’ perceived to occur in gaols.]][^16] --- ## same-sex sexual behaviour and the human animal [[@fubroshi tweeted, ‘my hot and controversial take of the evening is that sometimes calling a bottom daddy is very hot’.]][^8] --- ## same-sex sexual behaviour recorded within the (non-human) animal kingdom [[Although animals very clearly (and not infrequently) engage in same-sex sexual behaviour, calling that behaviour ‘gay’ really isn’t valid.]][^9] ##### birds ###### *Anser caerulescens* (snow geese) [[Female–female pairs of snow geese have been observed raising their young together. Male–male snow geese mounting has also been observed.]][^10] ##### Insects ###### *Teleogryllus oceanicus* (field crickets) [[Male crickets frequently court each other; this includes the courtship song, courtship posturing, and mounting one another.]][^11] ##### Molluscs ###### *Crepidula fornicata* (slipper limpets) [[Smaller, more mobile slipper limpet (Crepidula fornicata) males join aggregations of larger animals to permanently associate and mate with. When given a choice, a substantial minority of males choose to associate with other males.]][^12] ##### Reptiles ###### *Thamnophis* (Genus) [[Garter snake mating often occurs in large balls of males attempting to copulate with a single focal snake; sometimes this is a receptive female, sometimes it is a male snake releasing similar receptive pheromones.]][^13] [^1]: Letitia Anne Peplau and Linda D. Garnets, ‘[[Peplau and Garnets, ‘New Paradigm for Understanding Women’s Sexuality and Sexual Orientation’, 2000|A New Paradigm for Understanding Women’s Sexuality and Sexual Orientation]]’, *Journal of Social Issues*, vol. 56, no. 6 (2000), p. 336, [https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00169](https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00169). [^2]: Susan McHugh, ‘[[sources/McHugh, ‘Queer (And) Animal Theories’, 2009|Queer (And) Animal Theories]]’, *GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies*, vol. 15, no. 1 (2009), p. 154, https://doi.org/10.1215/10642684-2008-022. [^3]: Julia D. Monk et al., ‘[[Monk et al, ‘An Alternative Hypothesis for the Evolution of Same-Sex Sexual Behaviour in Animals’, 2019|An Alternative Hypothesis for the Evolution of Same-Sex Sexual Behaviour in Animals]]’, *Nature Ecology & Evolution*, vol. 3, no. 2 (2019), p. 1622, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-1019-7. [^4]: Julia D. Monk et al., ‘[[Monk et al, ‘An Alternative Hypothesis for the Evolution of Same-Sex Sexual Behaviour in Animals’, 2019|An Alternative Hypothesis for the Evolution of Same-Sex Sexual Behaviour in Animals]]’, *Nature Ecology & Evolution*, vol. 3, no. 12 (2019), p. 1623, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-1019-7. [^5]: Julia D. Monk et al., ‘[[Monk et al, ‘An Alternative Hypothesis for the Evolution of Same-Sex Sexual Behaviour in Animals’, 2019|An Alternative Hypothesis for the Evolution of Same-Sex Sexual Behaviour in Animals]]’, *Nature Ecology & Evolution*, vol. 3, no. 2 (2019), p. 1622, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-1019-7. [^6]: Susan McHugh, ‘[[sources/McHugh, ‘Queer (And) Animal Theories’, 2009|Queer (And) Animal Theories]]’, *GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies*, vol. 15, no. 1 (2009), p. 154, https://doi.org/10.1215/10642684-2008-022. [^7]: Susan McHugh, ‘[[McHugh. ‘Queer (and) Animal Theories’, 2009|Queer (and) Animal Theories]]’, *GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies*, vol. 15, no. 1 (2009), pp. 153–154, https://doi.org/10.1215/10642684-2008-022. [^8]: @fubroshi \[pseud.], ‘my hot and controversial take of the evening…’, *Twitter*, 9 November 2022 (11:07 am), https://x.com/fubroshi/status/1590133921038991360. [^9]: Susan McHugh, ‘[[sources/McHugh, ‘Queer (And) Animal Theories’, 2009|Queer (And) Animal Theories]]’, *GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies*, vol. 15, no. 1 (2009), p. 155, https://doi.org/10.1215/10642684-2008-022. [^10]: Julia D. Monk et al., ‘[[Monk et al, ‘An Alternative Hypothesis for the Evolution of Same-Sex Sexual Behaviour in Animals’, 2019|An Alternative Hypothesis for the Evolution of Same-Sex Sexual Behaviour in Animals]]’, *Nature Ecology & Evolution*, vol. 3, no. 2 (2019), p. 1625, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-1019-7. [^11]: Julia D. Monk et al., ‘[[Monk et al, ‘An Alternative Hypothesis for the Evolution of Same-Sex Sexual Behaviour in Animals’, 2019|An Alternative Hypothesis for the Evolution of Same-Sex Sexual Behaviour in Animals]]’, *Nature Ecology & Evolution*, vol. 3, no. 2 (2019), p. 1625, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-1019-7. [^12]: Julia D. Monk et al., ‘[[Monk et al, ‘An Alternative Hypothesis for the Evolution of Same-Sex Sexual Behaviour in Animals’, 2019|An Alternative Hypothesis for the Evolution of Same-Sex Sexual Behaviour in Animals]]’, *Nature Ecology & Evolution*, vol. 3, no. 2 (2019), p. 1625, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-1019-7. [^13]: Julia D. Monk et al., ‘[[Monk et al, ‘An Alternative Hypothesis for the Evolution of Same-Sex Sexual Behaviour in Animals’, 2019|An Alternative Hypothesis for the Evolution of Same-Sex Sexual Behaviour in Animals]]’, *Nature Ecology & Evolution*, vol. 3, no. 2 (2019), p. 1625, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-1019-7.