Pg 340 Directed Freewrite

I believe that Krueger’s essay could be used to accept arguments that homosexuality is a natural orientation. Many people in favor of gay rights claim that homosexuality is not a choice but the way people are naturally born. Opponents of gay-rights claim that homosexuality is unnatural and that it is a choice to be homosexual. Since humans are mammals, we study the animal kingdom to learn about our own tendencies and genetic make-up. “Bagemihl found homosexuality documented in more than 450 species; as few as 2,000 species have been observed closely enough to reveal their full range of coupling behavior” (Beedles 338).

These 450 species would then account for nearly twenty percent of the observed animal population. This high number of homosexual species could lead to the confirmation that homosexuality is an inborn trait. However, criticisms towards classifying these actions by animals as “homosexual” have arisen. “In species that lack sophisticated language-which is to say all species but ours-sex serves many non-sexual purposes” (Beedles 339). Sex is used as a tool to establish alliances and establish dominance.

It cannot be stated for certain if these animals do or do not experience sexual gratification from homosexual behavior. Even if these animals are discovered to receive sexual gratification from homosexual behavior, humans are a different complex animal and findings may not be able to be directly linked to us. Sexual orientation serves as sexual gratification to homosexual humans but homosexual orientation also serves other social purposes. We need to fully understand the social purposes that homosexuality serves for in order to isolate and fully understand the social and natural purposes. I believe that these potential findings in the animal kingdom will continue to create debate and whenever questions are stimulated, humans usually find a way to answer them.