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The first day of Spring – What the pagan festival Ostara is all about

By Nature, PaganismNo Comments

Today marks the first day of Spring and is also the pagan festival of Ostara (pronounced O-star-ah). So what’s Ostara all about?

ostara

It’s about new beginnings, rebirth and fertility. Ostara is an equinox (equinox is latin for equal days), the day and night are in balance. After today, the days will get longer and the nights will get shorter. The days will not only get longer, but warmer as well.

At this time Nature renews its self and new life begins: new buds appear on trees, plants like daffodils rise out of the soil, hibernating animals with come out of hibernation and many animals will give birth to offspring.

For pagans it is about new beginnings, such as starting new projects. It’s an opportunity to appreciate the renewal and new life in nature.

Symbols for Ostara include eggs (as practically all life comes from some sort of egg), rabbits (a fertility symbol), lambs and honey.

Colours associated with Ostara include yellow, orange, red and light green.

I intend of celebrating Ostara by planning some new creative projects.

Blog soon,

Antony



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Tuesday 20 March 2018

10 Gay Animals

By Gay, History, NatureNo Comments

Homosexuality has been found in 1,500 species of animals through behaviour observation research studies. There’s probably many more species, if you consider that the number only account for the animals that have been studied. Here’s ten animals were gay liaisons or relationships exist:

gay-animals-lion 1. Lions
Male lions in Africa have been observed disregarding available lionesses in order to form their own same-sex prides. These same males have also been seen mounting one another and doing other actions commonly associated with male to female mating interactions.
chester-zoo-2012-08 2. Cheetahs
When cheetahs bond together, they do for life. Cheetah partners spend about 93% of their time together and male same-sex partners are quite common.

The two bonded males will groom one another (usually a sign of partnered straight cheetahs), defend each other in fights and get anxiety if separated. Once reunited the male cheetahs will face-rub one another, mount one another (fully erect) and stutter (a sexual excitement vocalisation).

It is estimated that 27-40% of wild male cheetahs live with same-sex partners and that 16-19% of wild male cheetahs life in a same-sex trio.

gay-animals-elephant 3. Elephants
Male elephants have been known to touch other males with their trunks (elephants see touch as essential for creating and maintaining a deep bond), kissing other males (inserting their trunk into the other elephant’s mouth) and even male on male sex (mounting). Relationships between two male elephants (usually one older and one younger) have been known to last for years.
gay-animals-emu 4. Emus
Emus travel together in pairs. Male emus have been seen making the same mating behaviours as female do to males. This includes: circling a passive male, patches of bare skin turning light blue (on both males), the passive male stretching his neck, erecting his feathers and swaying from side to side and the dominant male rubbing his breast against the other male’s rump.
gay-animals-flamingos 5. Flamingos
Flamingos are sociable animals, living together in large colonies. During mating season, they split off into smaller groups and perform synchronised displays. They choose their mate and stay together for the season. They generally have a new mate for every mating season.

The most famous same-sex flamingo couple is Carlos and Fernando. In 2007, when they had been together for five years, they adopted an abandoned chick. They fed it and raised it as their own. Homosexuality is said to be very common with flamingos.

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chester-zoo-2012-11 6. Penguins
Same-sex penguins have been seen performing mating calls to one another and intertwining their necks. There have been a few gay penguin couples in Zoos that have been given abandoned eggs to raise chicks. They have raised these chicks successfully.

Famous penguin couples include: Roy & Silo, Inca & Rayas and Buddy & Pedro.

Each of these couples is a separate subspecies of penguin, meaning that several subspecies of penguin has documented gay penguins.

gay-animals-dolphins

(Image Credit: JoJones @ Flickr)

 7. Dolphins
Several subspecies of dolphin have gay or bisexual dolphins. One researcher discovered the incredible seventeen year gay relationship between two male dolphins. Researchers have also found pods of all male dolphins who share sexual and romantic experiences together. Dolphins are known to be highly flirtatious and sexualised.

Male dolphins have been known to engage in masturbation of other males. Same-sex dolphins engage in long foreplay, with the sexual act only lasting a short time. Male dolphins regardless of their sexuality tend to be aggressive and violent towards the other during sex.

(Image Credit: Lord V @ Flickr)

(Image Credit: Lord V @ Flickr)

 8. Foxes
Foxes are nocturnal animals, which out of breeding season live alone. They often share territory were there is a dominant male. The dominant male will mount a same-sex subordinate doggy style.

During breeding season foxes generally live in a den, either as a mated straight couple or a male with several young females. I guess you could say foxes are more bisexual than gay.

gay-animals-bats

(Image Credit: Lee Carson @ Flickr)

 9. Bats
Bats are said to have the highest percentage of gayness, above all other animals, including humans. Both male and female bats can be gay with their behaviours including: affection, sexual activity and bonding.

There are several subspecies of bats that are gay including Vampire Bats, Fruit Bats and Flying Fox Bats.

gay-animals-cat 10. Cats
Tom cats (males) have been known to engage in same-sex interludes. As well as humping one another, they have been seen spooning when they sleep and grooming one another.

However cats are not picky, they will get together with anyone. Even members of their family, such as their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons and daughters.

I’m sure one of my cats, Russell is gay. He loves any sort of affection, and despite being the bigger of the two cats, he’s not at all dominant.

It’s interesting that homosexuality has been found in many species of animal; but homophobia only exists in one species of animal: humans. We’ve all heard that comment being gay is unnatural. Well sorry homophobes, but Mother Nature disagrees with you.

Published by: The Gay UK on Saturday 25th January 2014.

Blog soon,

Antony

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I aim for posts on this blog to be informative, educational and entertaining. If you have found this post useful or enjoyable, please consider making a contribution by Paypal:


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Saturday 25 January 2014