June 5, 2025, 3:50 pm | Read time: 5 minutes

Homosexuality in the animal kingdom remains a taboo topic that is not often discussed. It was long believed that sexual behavior in animals primarily served reproduction. However, same-sex relationships in the animal world are normal and not as rare as once thought.

What Exactly Does “Queer Behavior” Mean in Animals?

The term “queer behavior” in animals encompasses various behaviors such as same-sex mating, courtship, sexual acts, forming lifelong same-sex partnerships, or jointly raising offspring. The latter occurs regularly and systematically in some species. However, queer behavior in animals should not necessarily be understood as a fixed sexual orientation like in humans, but rather as observable behavior.

So why does queer behavior occur in the animal kingdom when there are no romantic feelings, sexual identity, or reproductive advantages involved?

There have long been several theories about why animals, which typically invest energy in reproduction, also engage in sexual contacts that do not serve this purpose. In some cases, it has been shown that many species do not mate solely for reproduction. In some instances, they simply experience pleasure and enjoyment.

Also interesting: Study shows that homosexual behavior is widespread in the animal kingdom

Why Does Homosexuality Occur in the Animal Kingdom?

Another hypothesis suggests that animals engage in homosexual acts to establish positive social contacts and strengthen relationships. This helps them form bonds and alliances that can be beneficial. For example, there are documented cases of male lions having sex with competitors to secure mutual loyalty and jointly lead the pride.

Same-sex acts have also been observed in situations where this behavior was used to reconcile after disputes. This is especially noticeable in animals that live in social groups such as packs, herds, or flocks.²

Thus, homosexuality in herd animals not only strengthens the social network by sharing food and caring for the young. Another possible reason for same-sex sexual behavior in animals is the reduction of aggression and conflicts within a gender. For example, if a female primate wants to protect her offspring from a higher-ranking female, sexual acts may occur between the two to gain favor.³

Homosexuality Is More Widespread in the Animal Kingdom Than Previously Thought

This hypothesis also suggests that animals redirect aggressive behavior into courtship behavior. This could help restructure dominance and communicate or change social status. It is said to occur mainly in species that engage in aggressive or even deadly reproductive methods.

Contrary to common belief, it has also been proven that homosexual acts in animals do not only arise from a lack of options or imprinting in captivity. They have been documented in 83 percent of cases in the wild. Therefore, it is not a behavior artificially induced by captivity. Instead, it offers various advantages for the animals.

In numerical terms, the most common forms were sexual acts and touches (87 percent), followed by courtship behavior (27 percent) and long-term same-sex partnerships (24 percent). Male and female homosexuality occurred at roughly equal rates.⁴

Of Queer Bonobos and Penguins

So much for theory. But what does it look like in practice? Scientists repeatedly describe how bonobos use sexual acts to strengthen social bonds and resolve conflicts. Same-sex activities are common and serve group cohesion.⁵

But queer behavior is not limited to primates; it is also found in giraffes. Studies indicate that a significant portion of sexual interactions in giraffes occurs between males. This also suggests a social function for these behaviors.⁶

It is also notable that Humboldt penguins incubate eggs and raise chicks together. A well-known example is the penguins “Z” and “Vielpunkt” at the Bremerhaven Zoo, who successfully adopted and raised a chick. The two males took in an egg that the original parents had pushed out of the nest, incubating it alternately until it hatched.⁷

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Creative Family Solutions Among Queer Animals

Thus, “Z” and “Vielpunkt” are in good company, as various scientific publications state that about one in five penguins is homosexual. Same-sex relationships are more common among males than females. According to scientists, it is not uncommon for these animals to adopt abandoned eggs or “incubate” large stones together.⁸ They are monogamous and very loyal, just like their heterosexual counterparts.⁹

But penguins are far from the only ones where homosexual animal pairs take on parenting roles. Researchers report queer flamingos and storks that have stolen eggs from conspecifics and raised the chicks as their own. Similar behavior has been observed multiple times in black swans. According to experts, about 20 percent of male swans pair with another male to raise chicks together. There are also observations of male gulls building nests together and adopting abandoned young.¹⁰

That there are more than just binary gender concepts of male and female in the animal world is demonstrated by clownfish, among others. These colorful fish are known as protandrous hermaphrodites, meaning they are born male and can later become female. This queer behavior in animals depends on the social structure of their group.¹¹