Black Swan, Cygnus atratus

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Who says that children from same-sex families don’t have all the same benefits as those who are raised by heterosexual parents? Not so for the Black Swan. These sleek creatures actually fair a little better if raised by two males. Of course these homosexual couplings don’t just manifest offspring. They have been known to enter into three way relationships with a female, only to drive her away once she lays eggs. Or they cut through all the red tape and just steal nests. Whatever the case, the cygnets of these homosexual couples have a higher survival rate to adulthood because they are better protected with two males parents, as opposed to a male and a female. Go figure.

Bonobo, Pygmy Chimpanzee, Pan Paniscus

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We have all heard the saying, “I am a lover, not a fighter.” But the Bonobo take this saying to a whole new level. The Bonobo are the most sexually free species of any researched to date. Their matriarchal society is fully bisexual. And as it is the females that run the society, they also have the most frequent instances of homosexual behavior, usually occurring between two or more females. For the Bonobo, sexual behavior is as common as a conversation and a handshake. But what is even more interesting is that the Bonobo often use sexual behavior to ease tensions or infighting that may occur. Maybe we should take a page from the Bonobo. Let’s make love, not war!

Elephants, (African and Asian)

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Male elephants often live apart from the general herd, which contains females and offspring. As a result, males and females have a tendency to find companionship within the group in which they spend the most time. For males, these relationships take the form of one older male indulging in sexual behavior with one to two younger males. Although the male and female elephants meet to reproduce, it is often the case that same sex relationships last longer. Same sex relations are very similar to heterosexual relations and can range from bonding and mounting, to trunk intertwining and placing trunks inside of each other’s mouths. Wow.

Giraffes

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We always knew that those dainty giraffes were hiding something with those elegant necks and legs that go on for days. Yep! Male giraffes, in particular, show high rates (over 90%) of homosexual activity. While females show less than 1% homosexual behavior. In fact, male same sex couplings may be even more frequent than heterosexual pairing. Homosexual behavior usually starts after some pretty aggressive necking. Settle down, it’s not what you think. Necking is when giraffes pretty much beat the crap out of each other with their neck. Sounds pretty funny, but it’s actually pretty brutal. Anyway, this aggression is followed by caressing and courting, and it ends with mounting and climax…and perhaps cuddling?

Dragonflies

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During sex, the male dragonfly damages the head of the female dragonfly. Sexy! But it has recently been discovered that the characteristic marks that are on the female’s head as a result of mating are also found on males. As a result, researchers believe that there is male on male mating occurring. Although there isn’t a lot of research where homosexual activity has been witnessed, researchers do not believe the damages to the dragonfly’s head to be a coincidence. What do you think?

Whiptail Lizards, Teiidae genus

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For the female Whiptail Lizard, sex is used to stimulate ovulation, not necessarily to conceive offspring. This is because Whiptail Lizards reproduce through parthenogenesis, meaning they are able to produce offspring without fertilization by a male. As a result of this phenomena, males are rare and so is the most popular version of making babies. Interestingly, a female whiptail’s sexual behavior is based on her hormonal cycle with females with more estrogen taking on female sexual roles and those with less estrogen taking on the role of the male.

Lions

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Roar honey! Bet you didn’t know these predators had a homosexual bone in their bodies. About 8% of male lions have engaged in some kind of homosexual activity. While lionesses are known to partake in homosexual behavior while in captivity, this has yet to be observed in the wild. Males, on the other hand, have been observed initiating homosexual behavior, such as affectionate nuzzling and caressing and ending with mounting and thrusting.

Bottlenose Dolphins

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BFF’s forever! Male Bottlenose Dolphins engage in homosexual acts as calves to form strong relationship bonds with one or multiple dolphins, that serve them well in the future. These bonds forged give the dolphins a sense of security and team work. For example, dolphins that have these relationships early on tend to track females and restrict their movements until they are willing to mate. They also protect each other from outside threats.

American Bison

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Well not many animals get any festival time dedicated to their sex lives. But every animal isn’t the American Bison. The Mandan Nation Okipa festival ends their celebrations with a whole ceremony dedicated to reenacting the homosexual coupling of the bison. They do this to ensure that the bison will return in the coming season. It is as common for female bison to mount each other as it is for male. But buffalo go the full mile, starting with courtship, then mounting, and then anal penetration. As a result, the Lakota Native Americans call them pte winkte, meaning bison designating two spirits. Get it?

Fruitflies

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Does the name give it away? The genetic proponent of homosexuality in animals has been largely studied in the fruit fly because they have multiple genes that have been identified to possibly cause homosexuality. It is believed that these genes may not only alter the makeup of the brain, they may also control behavior through pheromones as well. For example, scientists have discovered that males with a duplicate copy of a mutant allele in the fruitless gene prefer to mate exclusively with other males.