Remember those two male penguins in that Chinese zoo who stole straight couples' eggs in an attempt to fulfill their parental yearnings? 
Remember how zoo keepers segregated the dynamic duo from the rest of the birds? Well, after animal-rights groups and angry visitors complained about the couple's treatment, the reformed baby bandits are now being given a shot at fatherhood.
Authorities have snatched two eggs from an inexperienced, first-time mother and have handed those eggs over to the same-sex couple.
From the Daily Mail:
"We decided to give them two eggs from another couple whose hatching ability had been poor and they've turned out to be the best parents in the whole zoo," said one of the keepers.
"It's very encouraging and if this works out well we will try to arrange for them to become real parents themselves with artificial insemination."
Wildlife experts at the park explain that despite being gay the three-year-old male birds are still driven by an urge to be fathers.
"One of the responsibilities of being a male adult is looking after the eggs. Despite the fact that they can't have eggs naturally, it does not take away their biological drive to be a parent," said one.
It's not clear from the article if the gay couple's adopted eggs have hatched, but I sure hope they have or will.
It seems like the zoo keepers are in a way just carrying out "survival of the fittest," sort of like Child Protective Services of the animal kingdom. If you're deemed to be unfit parents, perhaps it's better to let the gays take over.
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9 Comments
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Sheesh! Symbolically, well, jeez.
Oh penguins.
Alex Blaze | December 15, 2008 8:57 PM
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A rare story that is not only a 10 on the Awww-thats Soooo Cute scale, but also a powerful social message.
I just hope we're not the only ones to understand it.
** But ... does this mean Britney's gotta fork over her eggs now? **
Taylor Siluwé | December 16, 2008 7:45 AM
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The male penguins aren't gay; they're carrying out their instinct to hatch eggs.
If they were mounting each other, THEN I'd think they were gay.
And why did the zookeepers take a egg from an "inexperienced" female? How's going to get experience this way?
James Nimmo | December 16, 2008 11:03 AM
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James, see Britney comment above. :)
Prince Gomolvilas | December 16, 2008 2:25 PM
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Re: "We will try to arrange for them to become real parents themselves with artificial insemination."
1. I'm pretty sure adoption advocates aren't going to like the idea that only biological babies are "real."
2. Do they know that boys can't get pregnant? Unless there's something about penguin anatomy that I don't know.
Cheryl | December 16, 2008 4:26 PM
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OMG, I love this story!!!
It appeals to the radical activist in me who fantasizes about organizing raids to rescue queer kids from the clutches of their right-wingnut families and place them safely with nurturing lgbt familes.
Brynn Craffey | December 16, 2008 9:11 PM
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but the genetic instincts if straight would be to pair bond with an opposite sex penguin....... if they chose each other same sex to pair bond and not mate with a female they are a gay couple.. there is an article about two gay penguins who were brought two female penguins and refused to mate wiht the females. The pair bonding is their way of making a couple not how we pair off and have sex because we can. Their exclusivity as a pair of males makes them a gay couple.
but it is hilarious that they would steal eggs from others and put rocks in place of the stolen eggs. They are showing that know they can't have an egg because they cannot even with intercourse because the penguins have to mate to produce eggs. They may not have had what we humans consider s successful physical relationship but they paired off anyway. Hmmm let me take that back. They had to have some sort of something because they know eggs must be a results of a pair bonding, but that they as a couple should have an egg to raise just like "all the other couples".. They have no adoption and can't talk like we do but their instincts say we are a couple we should raise kids....
That is powerful. It shows even in the animal kingdom that a couples instincts don't change just because they are not a 'traditional couple',,, they are like everyone else which is what we have been trying to say to the world whether we want gay marriage personally or not.
James | December 17, 2008 9:55 AM
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I just clicked on a link for thegayquiz.net and took a quiz that should figure out my sexuality. But all the results said were 80%. I'm not really sure which is the 80 and which is the 20. . .
Oh, those penguins are totally 100% queer!
mike valentino | December 17, 2008 10:06 AM
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Cheryl, I think they're meaning to take boy sperm and then inject it into a womyn and then hand the egg back to the boy.
Byran, or maybe you just think penguins are adorable.
James, yes, I think my favorite part of the story is about them putting rocks in place of the eggs. Ha ha ha!
Mike, I think the 80 is in your pants and the 20 resides in your nose.
Prince Gomolvilas | December 20, 2008 1:21 AM
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