Caution: The following article contains graphic descriptions of disturbing animal-on-animal violence and sexual deviancy.
In an apparent response to the common argument that the LGBT spectrum of sexualities isn’t “natural,” NBC is showcasing the unorthodox sexual proclivities of the lower life forms in a stunning and brave new documentary titled “Queer Planet.”
The documentary’s trailer, which was posted publicly on X, opens with a shot of a male lion sexually mounting another male, and clips of various presumably same-sex animals nuzzling each other are interspersed with interviews with expert scientists assuring you that “everything you were told as a kid is wrong,” “this is a queer planet,” and “it’s only in humans that we have such a stigma about it.”
If you have the stomach for it, take a look at the full trailer below:
“Queer Planet” will be released in June.
The documentary by NBC is focused on “LGBTQI+ tolerance” among the animal kingdom…
No, this is not satire. pic.twitter.com/sf9ES6bXuG
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) May 16, 2024
“We’ve all heard of gay penguins, but this film really opened my eyes to the full spectrum of LGBTQ+ behaviors across the natural world,” narrator Andrew Rannells said in a press statement. “And what could be more natural than being who you are? I’m excited to be part of ‘Queer Planet,’ especially during Pride Month, and on Peacock, surely the most colorful and glamorous of all the streaming services.”
The special’s official synopsis claims it’s an exploration of “the rich diversity of animal sexuality — from flamboyant flamingos to pansexual primates, sex-changing clownfish to multi-gendered mushrooms and everything in between. This documentary looks at extraordinary creatures, witnesses amazing behaviors, and introduces the scientists questioning the traditional concept of what’s natural when it comes to sex and gender.”
Of course, there are numerous questions surrounding the findings of the documentary and whether homosexual behavior in the animal kingdom really is “natural,” but the implication of using animal behavior as a justification of similar human behavior may be even more insidious.
Since NBC apparently wants you to believe that something is morally justifiable just because animals do it, here is a non-exhaustive list of some reprehensible things that, according to “Queer Planet’s” logic, should be permissible because they are widely practiced in the animal kingdom.
Infanticide
Infanticide within the animal kingdom is extremely common. It is most often practiced by males as part of their reproductive strategy.
For example, when a male lion takes over an established pride, he will often kill any existing young in the group to extinguish the bloodline of the previous dominant male. The loss of the cubs also makes lionesses reenter heat more quickly, allowing the new male to reproduce and pass on his genes in his new pride. Male bears and other mammals such as dolphins and baboons have exhibited the same behavior.
“Males committed infanticide more frequently in species where males and females lived together and a few males dominated as mates — but only remained at the top of the pack for brief periods of time. The practice was also associated with non-annual or seasonal reproduction cycles, meaning females could mate whenever. Through infanticide, males can eliminate the offspring of their competition and get the female back to full baby-making capacity faster,” Smithsonian Magazine noted.
The Smithsonian also noted that mothers will also abandon offspring that are ill and may also kill the offspring of other females to cut down on competition if food is scarce.
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is also a common occurrence among animals when food is scarce. In cases of drought and famine, many carnivores will feed on the dead bodies of their own species, including their own young.
Certain species of sharks give birth to live young instead of laying eggs like the vast majority of fish do. Those young developing in their mother’s womb are often conscious and are able to move about freely. These shark pups will eat each other while still inside their mother if her nutritious yolk is depleted. This form of cannibalism is so common in the sand tiger shark that a female usually only gives birth to two pups at a time because they have eaten all of their other siblings in the womb.
Many female insects will cannibalize their mates soon after the act of reproduction in order to gain additional nutrients for their eggs. The female praying mantis will infamously devour her mate once they’ve coupled, usually starting with the head, in order to provide a boost of nutrients to her fertilized eggs. Similarly, black widow spiders often live up to their name by killing and eating much smaller males after they’ve been impregnated.
Mammals like lions, macaques, and leopards have also been known to engage in cannibalism. Mothers will often cannibalize their dead young in order to recoup nutrients.
Torture/Mutilation
Violence akin to what we would consider torture has been observed in a select few animal species, mostly concentrated among those with a high degree of intelligence.
Felines, dolphins, killer whales, and primates have all been observed toying with their prey before killing them.
Many people who have owned cats have seen them play with small birds, rodents, or reptiles before finally killing them. Dolphins and killer whales often exhibit similar behavior with seals and fish.
Chimps will often attack strategic points on an enemy’s body, most commonly the hands and genitals, to maim them before killing them. They’ve also been observed desecrating the dead bodies of adversaries. One notable instance saw a troop of chimps kill a former leader who had been ejected from the group. They then spent hours eating and mutilate his dead body.
Rape
Coerced sexual activity occurs on a fairly regular basis in the animal kingdom. Harassment and intimidation are common occurrences among males of dozens of species.
“Rape is a normal reproductive strategy in mallards,” Moeliker, who also first observed necrophilic activity in mallards, told The Guardian in 2005. He observed that male ducks would often chase female ducks and force them to land in order to initiate sexual activity with them.
Instances of sexual coercion by male grey seals in the North Sea were so violent that they resulted in the deaths of several female harbor seals, according to a paper published in 2020. Male dolphins off the coast of Australia work together to isolate a single female and then force copulation.
Sexually coercive behavior has also been documented in chimpanzees and orangutans. It’s been theorized that female bonobos create alliances with each other to discourage sexual aggression from males.
Necrophilia
Several instances have been observed of animals attempting to mate with the corpses of their own species.
Cases of both heterosexual and homosexual acts of necrophilia have been reported among ducks. Dutch scientist Kees Moeliker first observed necrophilic behavior in mallards in 1995. He saw a male mallard die after it flew directly into a window, and reported that another male attempted to mate with the corpse “continuously for almost 75 minutes.”
In 2014, scientists in Japan reported that three male sand martin birds attempted to mate with the corpse of another male. A herpetologist witnessed two male white and black tegu lizards from Brazil try to mate with a dead female in 2013.
Scientists set up a camera trap near the corpse of a female stump-tailed macaque (a type of monkey) in Thailand, and over three days of observation three different male macaques attempted to have intercourse with the dead female.
Penguins
Penguins have become one of the mascots of the LGBT animal movement, largely due to several high-profile instances of male penguins forming bonded pairs. A children’s book depicting the same-sex romance between two chinstrap penguins at the Central Park Zoo won multiple awards when it was released in 2005.
However, these birds run the gamut on deviant sexual behavior.
In 1912, a British naturalist who joined Robert Scott’s famous Terra Nova expedition to Antarctica described the “astonishing depravity” of the local Adélie penguins. Calling them “little knots of hooligans,” the naturalist observed instances of rape, necrophilia, infanticide, and abuse of chicks. He also noted instances of homosexuality.
The preceding account may seem a little morbid, even brutal, but it illustrates the danger in justifying certain human behaviors by pointing to similar behavior in animals. Though it can often look idyllic in documentaries or during a casual stroll in a park, morality is often absent in the natural world, and humans’ ability to discern it is one our primary advantages over animals.
