Sep 30, 2009 by Caleb
Media Bias and the “Gay” Vultures of Jerusalem
Shifting from penguins, yet another media story focusing on purported homosexuality in the animal kingdom has surfaced – this time involving vultures in the Holy Land.
While it’s tempting to revisit the topic of “gay” penguins, we’ve already covered that base here.
Instead, what’s fascinating about this story – reported in Ha’Aretz from Israel and Fox News – is the unmistakably pro-gay media bias.
Specifically, both stories speak about Dashik and Yehuda – two male Griffon vultures – as having been a “gay vulture couple.” While Ha’Aretz offers details going back ten years, in neither story is there an explicit recognition that this “couple” is past tense and that there has quite evidently been a shift in the respective sexual orientations of these males – who have subsequently dated, mated and procreated with female vultures.
Indeed, this ex-gay perspective is conveniently ignored – lest the obvious get in the way of promoting the politically correct view that homosexuality is innate and unchangeable.
Even more striking is the portrayal by Fox News that Dashik and Yehuda had previously “fathered” a chick together – as if it were possible for two males, of any species, to physiologically reproduce. However, buried in the details of the Ha’aretz piece we see that Dashik and Yehuda were part of a program to reestablish their dwindling aviary species in Israel. Zoo keepers gave them an artificial egg some years ago to care for – one that was later replaced by a live chick with the apparent goal of training Dashik and Yehuda to nurture it.
Beyond this, Fox characterizes the breakup of Dashik and Yehuda as two gay males who have “gone back into the closet.” The implication here is that these carrion creatures are suppressing “who they really are” and “living in denial” – sentiments that align with invective hurled by gay activists at those today who choose to walk away from homosexuality and instead steward their sexuality in alignment with their values and faith.
The assumption reflected by these media outlets is known as the “essentialist” theory on homosexuality – a view which says that humans (and animals, apparently) are, somehow, at their essence, homosexual. Never mind that valid and reliable evidence to support this bias-driven theory continues to elude researchers.
Caleb, how do you know these vultures aren’t bisexual?
Alex, thanks for your comment positing the possibility that these vultures could be bisexual.
As discussed in the penguin posting, I would argue for caution when it comes to attempts to superimpose upon animals and their observable sexual and parenting behavior what we believe we know about human sexuality and parenting – let alone try to derive human morality from animal behavior.
The main point of this post was to highlight an unabashedly pro-gay bias by the media in their treatment of the supposed “homosexuality” of two male vultures. Given that neither article mentioned bisexuality as a possibility – and instead portrayed Dashik and Yehuda as “gay” in spite of the fact that they are now coupled with females – only reinforces the point.