Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity

Lillian Faderman, interviewed in the Seattle Gay News, October 21, 1994, p. 26. See also Faderman’s mention of same-sex activities in her pet terriers in Faderman, L. (1998) “Setting Love Straight,” The Advocate, February 17, 753:72.

Chapter 3. Two Hundred Years of Looking at Homosexual Wildlife

1

Edwards, G. (1758-64) Gleanings of Natural History. Exhibiting figures of quadrupeds, birds, insects, plants, etc., many of which have not, till now, been either figured or described, vol. 3, p. xxi (London: Royal College of Physicians); Orang-utan (Morris 1964:502); Tree Swallow (Lombardo et al. 1994:555).

2

For discussion of observations of animal homosexuality in nonwestern scientific traditions, particularly those of indigenous cultures, see chapter 6.

3

Horapollo (1835) Hieroglyphica, Greek text edited by Conradus Leemans (Amsterdam: J. Muller; English translation by George Boas [New York: Pantheon, 1950]); Cory, A. T., ed. and trans., (1840) The Hieroglyphics of Horapollo Nilous (London: Pickering); Buffon, G. L. L. Count de (1749-67) Histoire naturelle générale et particulière (Natural History, General and Particular), 15 vols. (Paris: De l’Imprimerie royale); Edwards, Gleanings of Natural History. For an annotated bibliography of these and other early references on animal homosexuality, see Dynes, W. R. (1987) “Animal Homosexuality,” in Homosexuality: A Research Guide, pp. 743—49 (New York and London: Garland Publishing) For further discussions of Aristotle, Horapollo, and others, see Boswell, J. (1980) Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality: Gay People in Western Europe from the Beginning of the Christian Era to the Fourteenth Century, especially chapters 6 and 11 (Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press).

4

Laboulmène 1859, Gadeau de Kerville 1896 (insects); Rollinat and Trouessart 1895, 1896 (Bats); Whitaker 1885 (Mute Swan); Selous 1906-7 (Ruff); Karsch, F. (1900) “Päderastie und Tribadie bei den Tieren auf Grund der Literatur” (Pederasty and Tribadism Among Animals on the Basis of the Literature), Jahrbuch für sexuelle Zwischenstufen 2:126—60.

5

Morris 1964 (Orang-utan), Morris 1954 (Zebra Finches), Morris 1952 (Ten-spined Stickleback); Fossey 1983, 1990, Harcourt, Stewart, and Fossey 1981, Harcourt, Fossey, Stewart, and Watts 1980 (Gorilla); Lorenz 1979, 1991 (Greylag Goose), Lorenz 1935, 1972 (Jackdaw, Raven).

6

Mute Swan (Low and M. of Tavistock 1935:147).

7

Snow Goose (Quinn et al. 1989); Oystercatcher (Heg and van Treueren 1998); Bonobo (Hashimoto et al. 1996; Roth 1995; Savage-Rumbaugh et al. 1977); Roseate Tern (Sabo et al. 1994); Ruff (Lank et al. 1995); Silver Gull (Mills 1989, 1991); Bottlenose Dolphin (Wells 1991, 1995; Wells et al. 1987); Red Fox (Macdonald 1980; Storm and Montgomery 1975); Spotted Hyena (Mills 1990); Grizzly Bear (Craighead and Craighead 1972; Craighead et al. 1995); Griffon Vulture (Mouze and Bagnolini 1995); Victoria’s Riflebird (Frith and Cooper 1996); Black-winged Stilt (Kitagawa 1988a).

8

Separation—Rhesus Macaque (Erwin and Maple 1976); Bottlenose Dolphin (McBride and Hebb 1948); Cheetah (Ruiz-Miranda et al. 1998); Long-eared Hedgehog (Poduschka 1981); Black-headed Gull (van Rhijn 1985; van Rhijn and Groothuis 1987); see also Clarke 1982:71 (White-fronted Amazon Parrot); removal—Orange-fronted Parakeet (Hardy 1963:187); electrodes—Stumptail Macaque (Goldfoot et al. 1980); deafening—Squirrel Monkey (Talmage-Riggs and Anschel 1973); castration—Crab-eating, Rhesus Macaques (Hamilton 1914); White-tailed Deer (Taylor et al. 1964); lobotomy—Domestic Cats (Green et al. 1957); killing, tissue collection—Common Garter Snake (Noble 1937); Hooded Warbler (Niven 1993); Gentoo Penguin (Roberts 1934). For primate hormonal treatment studies relating to homosexuality, see the literature survey in Vasey, P. L. (1995) “Homosexual Behavior in Primates: A Review of Evidence and Theory,” International Journal of Primatology 16:173-204. For examples of hormonal treatments administered to transgendered animals, see Savanna Baboon (Bielert 1984b, 1985); White-tailed Deer (Thomas et al. 1970).

9