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March 28, 2024

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Friday, January 28, 2022

…and Baby Makes Three.

Yesterday, I was on the Shannyn Moore Show (1020koan.com) for my weekly segment, Thursdays in the Mud. I’d just come from the press conference held by the One Anchorage campaign which will put basic equal rights for the LGBT community on this spring’s Municipal ballot. It proposes the radical notion that gay and transgendered people should not face legal discrimination in the areas of housing, employment, education and the use of public facilities.

During the show, a perennial homophobic caller decided to voice his opinion about “homo encounter relations” and went on a rant about the unnatural nature of gay marriage, or any kind of non-heterosexual relationships. Shannyn explained that the issues on the ballot had nothing to do with gay marriage, to which he responded, “it’s the same thing.”

Speaking to the “unnatural” argument, I signaled to Shannyn. I wasn’t on the air yet, so I gestured to her, bending my elbows, flapping and mouthing, “What about the penguins?” She remembered a previous conversation we’d had on the subject, and informed the caller that individuals in many species in the animal kingdom, including humans, are gay – penguins being a notable non-human example.

On the break we joked as we wondered how they could really tell the difference anyway, since they were all in tuxedos.

Then this story crossed my radar today. It would likely throw our caller and those who believe as he does into a tailspin. It seems that one of the gay penguin couples – Adam and Steve – at the China Zoo, are raising a baby!

They were once given the cold shoulder at the wildlife park in China for stealing heterosexual couples’ eggs to nest as their own.

But after being allowed to try out with eggs rejected by their mothers the couple have become the zoo’s best penguin parents.

Now keepers at Polarland Zoo in Harbin, north east China, have rewarded their devotion with a wedding day.

One wore a tie and the other was dressed in a red blouse – a traditional Chinese bridal colour – as they stepped into their icy wedding room to the music of the Wedding March.

Keepers then served them their favourite dish for the occasion – spring fish.

“They have been a good couple and deserved their reward,” said one keeper.

This isn’t the first example of excellent parenting skills from gay penguin couples. The Central Park Zoo in New York City has a penguin couple named Roy and Silo who were given a chick (Tango) to raise as their own. A best-selling children’s book was even written about it.

So, here’s to loving couples, equality, and great parents of all stripes.

[Adam and Steve’s wedding photos can be found at the second link above]

Comments

comments

Comments
39 Responses to “…and Baby Makes Three.”
  1. Am I the only person who finds it incredibly odd that a Chinese zoo would choose to name a pair of gay penguins (or penguins of any sexuality, really), “Adam and Steve”?

    Also, how did they determine that one penguin wanted to be in drag for the wedding, and which one?

    Inquiring minds are reeling.

    On the other hand, I’m very happy for the flightless couple.

  2. mike from iowa says:

    Well,as a concerned,patriotic American citizen,I can clearly see where Washington D.C. needs to expand the federal payroll and devise a new cabinet position where concerned citizens can send complaints to the No Gay Penguins In our Zoos-Czar so conservatives can sleep at night knowing penguin chicks won’t be coddled and/or read poetry. This has got to stop somewhere and a cabinet level position should be the right course to weed out Gay and Lesbian Penguins before homo-penguins become a rampant mob with voting rights. Pretty soon,I’ll bet,Penguins will demand beefsteak instead of fish for dinner and they won’t be content sitting in the back of the bus. I see a new Apartheid in America. Gay Penguins-your days are numbered. To hell with Charles Darwin!

  3. Bob Benner says:

    I really have no opinion one way or the other on this topic… But I do have an observation about the article and the conclusions drawn by the author… If gay penguins are truly the “best parents” at raising the youngsters, as the article suggests, then could one not conclude that perhaps THAT might be a reason so many penguins end up being raised to be gay birds??? Just asking… (yawn in advance to the Bob Benner is a moron detractors…lol)

    • AKMuckraker says:

      “the couple have become the zoo’s best penguin parents.” Not all gay penguin couples are better parents than heterosexual couples.

      And second, REALLY? “Raised to be gay birds?” Just for giggles, what on earth makes you think that a child of any species can be “raised” to be gay? Assuming that you are heterosexual, do you think all it would take was a gay parent to make you gay? Don’t you think that there are plenty of gay offspring from heterosexual parents? As a matter of fact, if I remember my biology, ALL offspring (gay or not) come from heterosexual pairs.

      And do remember to cover your mouth when you yawn.

      • Bob Benner says:

        I didn’t see anywhere in the article where you wrote “Not all gay penguin couples are better parents than heterosexual couples”. Instead you wrote “This isn’t the first example of excellent parenting skills from gay penguin couples”. Based on what was in your article, I assumed you were trying to convince the reader to conclude excellent parenting skills in gay penguin pairs is the rule rather than the exception. My bad.

        Are little penguins that are raised by penguin parents who are gay somehow being influenced in their upbringing to also be gay. Well which came first? The gay penguin or the egg? After all, birds of a feather flock together.

        • AKMuckraker says:

          I didn’t write it in the article, I wrote it in the comment to you. Just because there is more than one example doesn’t mean I’m saying that all gay penguins make better parents than all heterosexual penguins. My guess is that they’re probably… wait for it… equal.

          Let me know when you find evidence that penguins (or any other animal, including humans) can be *taught* to be gay. We is what we is.

          • leenie17 says:

            Sigh…

            AKM – do you sometimes feel like you’re repeatedly slamming your head into a cement wall?

          • jimzmum says:

            Sending the bajillion count jar of Advil your way.

          • Bob Benner says:

            You have to look no further than the article you published for an example of the evidence you are asking me to find for you. From the article: Some Penguins are gay. Some gay penguin couples choose to be parents. Some gay penguins make “great” parents. Some penguins are gay. etc.. One could argue there is a social link that is influencing the penguins to “choose” to be gay because the social gayness exists in penguin culture. Certainly stating “we is what we is” or “I am who I am” is no more evidence of anything than perhaps that too many Popeye cartoons were watched as a child or too much time was spent hanging out at gay pride festivals… Sheesh…

          • Bigtoe says:

            And will somebody ask these two just exactly when they “chose” to be gay. Just saying. (hee hee)

    • mike from iowa says:

      and Bob B at 15 is down for the count. Oh my,will he be able to stand up and continue? Only the Shadow knows. That’s it,the winner by unanimous decision and TKO is the valiant and ever so brilliant tactician-AKMuckraker! YEAHHHHHHH!!!!

      • bubbles says:

        damn straight Mike. me thinks Bob already knows he is an idiot and is bored hearing about it.
        AKM can duke it out with the best of them.

      • Bob Benner says:

        Actually, this is more of a professional wrestling match than a boxing match… The referee decides whether the participants are allowed to get up off the mat, not the fighters… lol

        • mike from iowa says:

          Did you just admit to being fake? For the record? In pro-rasslin’ the outcomes are decided beforehand. It is in the script.

    • juneaudream says:

      Good person..not a moron..just not..widely educated..for this year of 2011. Had moi parents..put me into an..expandable flour sack..in January of 1938..and cut proper eye holes for viewing the world..and then..with periodic washings, sewing tweaks..kept me in a storage shed, or..out in the world..where my major ..realworld tours..were made by..carefully feeling along the sides of our little abode..which would then lead to..an uncountable series of..repeated circles..not daring to leave the safe-harbor..of ‘known’ informations..I might be be..much like you. It happens.

  4. leenie17 says:

    “And our next couple on Dancing with the (Arctic) Stars is Adam and Steve!”

    “Adam and Steve will be dancing the 2-step because that’s pretty much all they can do with legs only two-inches long.”

  5. ks sunflower says:

    So sweet. Love should (and does) conquer all – eventually. Maybe our society will grow out of its adolescence and realize it soon.

    Thanks for an uplifting post.

  6. laurie says:

    Love wins.

  7. Zyxomma says:

    There are also instances of lesbian penguin couples raising chicks. It’s not just the guys. Love the photo!

  8. mike from iowa says:

    I guess I didn’t look close,but do gay Penguins dress snazzier than straights. It is well known that gays earn more lucre than their straight counterparts. I shouldn’t wonder but what that holds true for Penguins. Traditional Motherhood may be a thing of the past.

    • Baker's Dozen says:

      Their society has gone to the unisex formal attire look so that no one feels left out. However, they do have a more sleekier motion to their swim stroke and go to a feather stylist rather than the local pet groomer’s.

      I remember seeing a science movie in school where they showed a male penguin wooing another male and getting rejected rather abruptly. The movie said that scientists couldn’t tell male and female penguins apart just by looking at them, and that, obviously, the penguins could also have the same problem. Stories like this seem to call that “scientific truth” into question.

      Isn’t it nice to see that they choose someone they actually seem to like; that it isn’t just, “yeah. whatever.”

    • Ripley in CT says:

      It’s all about the shoes, Mike.

  9. Baker's Dozen says:

    Off topic, though oh so important to this Alternative Lifestyle Family.

    Who would you vote for in the Republican primary? Would you vote for Obama? Newsmax wants to knowl

  10. Dia says:

    .
    Awwwwwwwww!

  11. beth says:

    Oh, noes!!!eleventy-one! not teh gay pengwins! !!!

    Just you mush-for-braims libruls wait and see — the chinee chick will end up with teh gay and then where will you be? you’rell hve to find another prevert penguin for it to live with. and iven if it doesnot catch teh gay lifestyle from it’s “parents,” it’s going to end up wanting to have sex with another bird, something we have warned you hippocritics about time and time a gain — if you make same-sex marriage ok, next thing youre’ll know, there be sex with animals and with children as the study said by the doctor in colorado who studied it and wrote a paper abiut it. The lifestyle, too. And sgenda.

    So dontnot come running to me whan youre missguided social enginering experimewnt goes kablooie nad our country becomes the laughing stalk of the world for driving it into the ground with letting unnatural and gay happen while we sit idilly by. Dontnot say I didnot warn you. [beth.]

    • leenie17 says:

      I didn’t get a copy of it so could you please tell me – does Teh Gay Agenda include snack breaks (preferably with chocolate cookies) and time for a quick nap?

      ‘Cause I could really use a nap and there should ALWAYS be time in EVERY agenda for chocolate cookies (but none for the pengwins even if they are gay).

      • Leota2 says:

        Also, ask if there will be warm blankies for the naps.

      • beth says:

        Ah hah! you have come acrossed one of the major lies of libruls that the agenda of gay is benine and/or doesn’not matter. the think of it is, the agenda of teh gays has no time for cookies or naps — it is to busy having sex with eachother and consoumed with recruting innocent children in to there homo lifestyle for anything else or anything wholesome or contributting positivly to our society of America.

        Teh gays have no regard for the US constitution or the the holy bible of G-ds words which is the foundatin of the US constitution from our founding father’s, airgo, gays are unamerican and are ruinining our country with there 24/7 days a week thinking about –and having– unatural sex with eachother and grooming children to join in teh gay lyfestyle.

        They must be stopt !!eleventy-one!!! — WE must stop them !!eleventy-one!!!

        We must save our nation for our children and grandchilden and for the future of freedom and for our troops and there family’s who sacrifice and for religious freedom of the english Pilgrins who came to these shores for it and to become American’s. For all of them and for the future of Americsa we HAVE to get rid of teh gay from our country or we are dooomed. . we, alltogether as patriots have to all prey at teh gay. Wont’not you as a patrotic American join me in that preying at teh gay? [beth.]

        • leenie17 says:

          No naps??? No blankies???? NO COOKIES??????

          Now I’m reelly a-skeered of Teh Gay!

          (I think you made a spelling mistake thow…I think its suppose to be ‘unamurkan’)

    • jimzmum says:

      I like the idea of cookies, naps, blankets. But, I am wondering about books and coffee. Some agendas are kind of hum-drum, and I like to sit in the back of the conference room and read while pretending to be rapt. When not napt.

  12. Leota2 says:

    Here! Here!
    And Tango Makes Three is wonderful.
    I regularly give copies as gifts.

  13. Marnie says:

    Good for the Chinese penguin keepers for allowing the guys to raise a hatching.

    Mother nature holds no prejudices, and, yes, sometimes she does know best.

  14. AKPetMom says:

    Anyone or any couple who has the patience and desire to be a parent is a winner in my book! I’m glad that my folks did it but it sure isn’t for me 🙂

  15. Moose Pucky says:

    Cheers to penguins who know who they are and how to love a baby too!

  16. Tami says:

    I love this story,thank you

  17. juneaudream says:

    None of us..is worth anything..if we do not have the capacity for love. Genuine love. Love that flys..that soars and then..love that heals, that shelters..that has..made one whole..and strong. Ask yourselves..this day, this evening..have you..Loved? If..the answer is..YES..then you are..forever rich..beyond measure. To cherish..IS all!

  18. Ripley in CT says:

    Yayyyy!