They’re both male, they’re not related by blood and the white one, Maki, is as virile as most he-cats I’ve known. The smaller one, though, whom we call Pssst because we can’t agree on a name for him, is more mild-mannered and more of a follower than an instigator. We have also observed how he often sneaks up on Maki from behind then licks him on the neck and behind the ears.
Homosexual behavior? It’s not improbable. Although still the subject of heated debates and controversy, credible sources in the scientific community seem to agree that homosexuality among animals is not uncommon having been observed in 1500 and documented in 500 species.
From National Geographic:
… some same-sex birds do do it. So do beetles, sheep, fruit bats, dolphins, and orangutans. Zoologists are discovering that homosexual and bisexual activity is not unknown within the animal kingdom.
The article also asks, “So how far can we go in using animals to help us understand human homosexuality?”
Let’s see… Bruce Bagemihl’ book Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity (main theory is that reproduction is only one of the principal functions of sexual behavior), often cited in the discussion of homosexuality among animals, was purportedly cited as evidence in Lawrence, et al. vs. Texas, that landmark case that struck down a Texas law that criminalized private acts of sodomy between two consenting adults, a decision celebrated in the gay community but earned the ire of conservatives.
I liked it how you approach this very controversial subject with a clinical distance.
For me, it is easy to get into homosexuality discussion as I voted for proposition 8 “banning gay marriage” in the last election though few of my family friends are gays. I was shocked when my guy-friend-classmate kissed me in the lips while in 3rd yr college but I had no ill-feeling toward him instead I kept it as secret for his protection(closeted gays were heckled and made laughingstock at that time). I even blame myself before that when my college male PE and Spanish teacher made sexual advances and refused all his gifts. We were so innocent in college days.
Today I can only smile listening to a popular song “I kissed a girl” by Katy Perry. For all guys, girls kissing is quite a turned on, a favored kind of homosexuality preference rather than a direct one.
It’s a sensitive issue for many and most tend to be emotional rather than objective about how to approach the subject. Which, I think, helps neither the pros nor the cons.
Great article and like d0d0ng said your approach is very professional and full of cues that make you stop and think on all the issues involved in this topic. Please do update this as you continue to find out more – really interested to share with my friends! Also, here is a great article that further examines the natural aspect of animal homosexuality and how it’s being studied to explain this “behavior?” in humans http://www.narth.com/docs/animalmyth.html
Thanks again!
Just because someone is a homosexual does not mean that we cannot love him (or her) or pray for him (her). Homosexuality is a sin and like any other sin, it needs to be dealt with in the only way possible. It needs to be laid at the cross, repented of, and never done again.
As a Christian, we should pray for the salvation of the homosexual the same you would any other person in sin. The homosexual is still made in the image of God — even though he is in grave sin. Therefore, we should show him same dignity as anyone else you come in contact with. However, this does not mean that you are to approve of their sin. Don’t compromise your witness for a socially acceptable opinion that is void of godliness.
The Bible condemns homosexuality as a sin. Let’s look at what it says.
Lev. 18:22, “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.”
Lev. 20:13, “If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltness is upon them”
1 Cor. 6:9-10, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”
Sammy, we’re talking about homosexuality OF CATS AND OTHER ANIMALS in the context of SCIENCE so as not to stoop down to the level of superstitions and religious bigotry.
The last time, it was incest, now its homosexuality among your cats. You never run out of controversial things to say about your pets ano, Ms.Sassy? : )
@Sammy – I want to say something about your comment but… ahh huwag nalang. Baka saan na naman ‘to mapunta at madamay na naman ako sa kung anong religious group o kabaklaan like the last time.
Pets are such great learning resource if we’d only bother to observe them. So, I’ve learned that cats and dogs can be playmates, I’ve written about cats’ habit of sitting on the window sill, the “sibling rivalry”, incest and homosexuality. Next — eating and sleeping habits. Or courtship and mating.
In relation to this article, I have observed some tomcats having some homosexual relations. This is true with regards with my current cat, Kitty. He had a male friend (white tom) and they’re doing their thing (you know…). Sometimes I break what they are doing and sometimes I just let it be (I give up after some attempts of removing both). Kitty outgrew this habit (and at the same time, that white cat disappeared from the neighborhood….) and now he is after female cats now.
i saw our male dog humping our neighbor’s male dog…and it’s not a one-time incident. our dog whines whenever the neighbor’s dog could not squeeze through between our fences whenever they have a rendezvous at our backyard. i don’t have any other explanation except for the theory that homosexuality may be biological also and that sometimes we do not have any control over it, like being born with chinky eyes or being blessed with an angelic voice. it’s up to us whether we embrace it or not.
plus i encountered a documentary (or was it an article? i cannot remember…i read a lot of weird stuff) about this species of lizard that became a homosexual lot. according to the docu, once a upon a time, there were male members of their species but the females tended to “mate” with fellow females. in the course of their evolution, the females became hermaphrodites and the “males” died out. so these lizards were neither males nor females since one organism had both male and female gonads or sex organs but in order to reporoduce, one lizard has to stimulate another so they could mate. both lizards could be a male or a female in the relationship.
some worms are hermaphrodites, too.
Kittyjoy, from what I’ve read, it appears that some animals engage in homosexual sex for purely hedonistic reasons. Then shift to heterosexual sex when they’re ready to procreate.
Lutien, re lizards: not surprising. According to documented cases, homosexuality among animals is found from the lower phyla to primates.
Happy New Year to You Too!!! That was such a good loud laugh from the belly epicenter with a few tickled chuckles in the chest afterwards.
my_life_in_a_teacup, I hope you didn’t get a heart attack.
To Blogusvox:
If you don’t want to be involved in any kind of word wars, then you should learn how to use proper words and phrases in its right context. It’s called respect.
Given that you and I were involved in word war and that you have just recently threatened me, I know fully well that you are referring to me in this “kabaklaan” comment and by golly that was very insulting, condescending and outright derogatory and just shows how homophobic you are.
I don’t know if you’re gay. But given that you have a wife and a kid, I would assume that you are straight. But then again, having a kid and a wife does not mean that one is straight. I should know, I know men, married with women who have relationships with men on the side. Therefore, you don’t own the word that you have just used. Whereas, I do.
Here, you’re use of the word “kabaklaan” was meant to be condescending and derogatory to me and to other gay people. If you care and insist to use the word that you don’t own, then use it with respect. Otherwise, if you don’t own the word, then don’t use it.
Waaaaiiit a minute! Reyna Elena, I thought you were a female.
connie, you made me laugh with your comment to reyna elena
he is da queen, haha
interesting this homosexual behavior among animals. pero selected animal groups lang siguro yan ano?
Raqgold, he is? I didn’t know.
Re “selected animal groups”. I think the documentation is still limited to selected animal groups at this point.
Reyna Elena – in the proper context, homosexuality is “kabaklaan” in local dialect. There is no better word unlike a homosexual has “bakla”, “bading”, “bayot”, etc.
Ones interpretation is inherently subjective based on your personal experience and sensitivity.
Dodong,
I think you should just shut up because you have no idea what the background of the word war I have with Blogusvox. What you should have done, if I were you, was to research the issue and then join in the fray. It’s in my blog if you care to read and it started here. But you have no clue sweetheart and I don’t think you have any wanting to find out either, gusto mo lang makipag-away, so much as I would like to cuss you, I’d pass. You’re not the person for me.
Read: Wag kang sasagot at sasabad pag hindi mo alam ang issue because that’s plain stupidity or is mahadera the right word??? See, nagmukha ka lang tanga. That’s what happens.
Connie:
I have no fight with you nor the entry. Just with Blogusvox use of kabaklaan. Yes, I’m a da queen. Hahaha!
Reyna Elena – you know you cannot shut me up or tell me what to do or anybody here just because you are pissed of Blogusvox.
I wish you luck with your fight with Blogusvox.
If you happen to care Dodong: Here is the threat that was issued to me by Blogusvox.
“You’ve said your piece and I’ve said mine. Let’s call it even. But unlike Trosp, I don’t go around making empty threats, however I do issue warnings. Don’t sass me again. If you think you’re “untouchable”, think some more. Me and my associate are in familiar territory while you and your cohorts does not possess that kind of expertise. It leave it at that. Happy holidays!” Threat by Blogusvox to Reyna Elena
Dodong, threatening one’s life on the internet is not kabaklaan. You tell me what it is.
http://reynaelena.com/2008/12/20/death-warning/
d0d0ng, the term “bayot” is new to me. Slang or from a regional dialect?
And, for the record, Reyna Elena and BlogusVox (and Trosp) have a history.
Reyna Elena, I take it that it is the context in whch BlogusVox used the work “kabaklaan” that you are reacting to and NOT the generic use of the word nor its popular meaning? Kasi, otherwise, does “homosexuality” sound less derogatory than “kabaklaan”? Because if every use of the work “kabaklaan” (and that’s really the Filipino work for homosexuality) would be considered a personal affront to every gay person, how can the non-English speaking Filipinos ever discuss the issue of homosexuality (including the rights of gay people)?
Dodong,
Oh, I have no intent to shut you up at all. Commenters on my blog are even worst sometimes. Comment as you like, the shut up I was talking about is don’t join in the fray if you have no clue what the issue is. Yon lang naman. I guess it’s a fair request, di ba? Besides, if you’re knowlegeable of what you are talking about then it’s even better for you.
Connie:
“Reyna Elena, I take it that it is the context in whch BlogusVox used the work “kabaklaan” that you are reacting to..”
Yes, ma’am.
(also, I have one comment under moderation)
That is fair enough, Reyna Elena.
Hey I was impressed how you put on-time tracks on your site.
Sass – “bayot” is popular in Visayas and Mindanao.
Reyna Elena, it’s been approved (#21).
d0d0ng, re “bayot”: So, it’s a Visayan slang?
ang saya dito! Hehehe! Bayot is not slang po its the visayan term talaga of bakla.
Dodong, well and good. Thank you.
Connie, thank you.
sassy bayot means bakla in Bisaya
Chexy and Sha, okies and thanks. So hindi slang. I’ll remember that.
Reyna Elena, no problem.
Hi Ms. Connie! I just stumbled across your blog and I’ve been exploring it almost the whole day. I really find your topics very interesting. Cute pets you have, by the way
Anyway, I’ve to share that I agree with your views regarding cats and dogs capable of co-existing harmoniously. I’ve witnessed it in our home where our dogs would chase away stray cats that try to “court” our cats. And even in our province where my Lola’s puppy breastfed on my Lola’s cat…alongside her litter of kittens! It was really funny to see and quite amazing really. But the mommy cat didn’t mind at all!
Regarding this post, I would have to say that I believe it is possible that homosexuality exists in cats (or probably in animals in general). When I was still in high school, we adopted a male stray fur ball of a kitten that got lost in our yard and never left (probably because it had nowhere else to go…I think it’s mom abandoned him). We took care of it and made sure to feed it milk that it’s mom wasn’t able to give it. As it grew, I’ve noticed that it liked to suck on my t-shirt a lot when I put it on my lap to stroke it. I’ve experimented on a wet cloth and it did the same…it sucked on the cloth and massaged with its paws (same action kittens do when feeding on their moms). We thought it was funny actually. haha. But anyway, when it grew into adulthood, as was usual with cats, it would go out most of the time and just come back home when it was hungry or when it wanted to take a nap. One afternoon, it went home and lo and behold…with a little orange male kitten in tow! Hahaha! Nagdala ng bagong aampunin! Haha. We took the new kitten under our wing as well but a few days later, I’ve observed something weird about our older cat…it never left the little kitten alone. It was always by its side. The weirdest thing I witnessed came a few weeks later while I was washing the dishes. I heard the kitten meowing as if it were angry and when I looked out the window, you wouldn’t believe what I saw. Our adult cat was on top of the kitten and humping away! I was horrified! I didn’t know what to do! So I called my mom and showed her what our cat was doing. She doused our adult cat with water for it to break free of the poor little kitten and it ran away. I can’t remember if it came back home but the kitten died eventually…because one of our dogs (which was already a big dog) kept on playing with it as if they were the same size. I think the kitten got too beaten up and got weak =(
…so anyway, I’ve a theory that probably our cat growing up without a mother might have had an effect on it.
whew. sorry ang haba. connected kasi with your other blog topics!
Wow, that’s interesting. It’s not just homosexuality but a preference for a much younger male.
My, my, if I haven’t done some “ego-tripping” on the net, I wouldn’t found out I’m involved in another controversy. It doesn’t take much to stir a hornet’s nest, isn’t it? Sabi nga nila, “pag pikon, talo”! >: D
To Reyna Elena,
Respect? You want respect? It is earned and not given away freely. Take for example what you did in this entry. All what Dodong did was to point out the English equivalent of a Tagalog word, but you snap back as if he said something contemptible. You can explain the situation without resorting to that “low level” language you hurled at him. If a first time visitor happens to read what you wrote, what do you think will his/her impression be? If some commenters, as you said, “disrespect” you in your own blog, don’t you think its time to reflect why is it so?
As for being homophobic or being gay, that’s pure insinuation in your part. I think you can do better than that. But then again, I almost forgot, intelligence and imagination are two different qualities.
I got gay relatives and friends. But unlike some gays I observed in beauty parlors, they are well breed, educated and act like any straight guy, except for their sexual preference. And yes, I meant “kabaklaan” in a derogatory way, but directed to the behavior of those former sets of gays.
As for my “warning”, anybody can read that I wasn’t threatening to hurt you physically. I might entertain the idea kung kaharap kita. But in cyberspace? What can a guy like me do to somebody like you if I got your UDP and IP numbers? : )
The only thing I found derogatory in the word “kabaklaan” is the same thing I found in the word “kapulisan”.
Next time we’re going to see these – “kamagsasakahan”, kakarpinterohan”, etc.