September 22, 2005 | Sex & Society

Penguins as role models

The very popular "March of the Penguins," which documents the mating rituals and family life of Antarctica's emperor penguins, has found a fanbase among conservative Christians. 

If only human beings were more capable of following the examples of these noble flightless birds, ie maintaining a monogamous, heterosexual relationship and steadfast devotion to their offspring, what a wonderful world it would be.

Anthropomorphism only works selectively though. It's just as easy to find animals that engage in promiscuity, exhibitionism and rape. Indeed, monogamy is the exception rather than the rule in the wild kingdom.

Christian conservatives can admire penguins all they want, but will they extend that admiration to  Roy and Silo, the same-sex penguin couple in residence at New York's Central Park Zoo, who raised a chick together (and - sadly - broke up this week)? Or to the three gay penguin couples at the Bremen, Germany zoo who resisted all attempts to ex-gay them?

Perhaps the next March of the Penguins should be a Gay Pride March.

• March of the conservatives: penguin film as political fodder [New York Times]
• Editorial: penguin family values [New York Times]
• Central Park Zoo's gay penguins ignite debate [San Francisco Chronicle]
• Zoo drops efforts to turn penguins straight [gay.com]