Gay people the "pinnacle of evolution", study says
At a time when religious and conservative right wing groups are attempting to dismiss homosexuality as "unnatural", a leading zoologist has said gay people could be seen as the "pinnacle of evolution".
Speaking at the Edinburgh Book Festival, Clive Bromhall said that mankind's evolution has resulted in a present state of "infantilism", where we break the primate mould by being playful, creative and child-like right into adulthood.
�From men's obsession with swollen breasts to our constant search for a pseudo-parental God, everything about the human species is infantile," Bromhall said in a lecture.
"Like baby chimps we have soft downy bodies, flat faces and large rounded heads. Like them, we too want to be kissed, cuddled and stroked, and we remain playful, compliant and comparatively mild-mannered for the whole of our lives," he added.
Bromhall claims that this is rejected by straight people as they age, and that by remaining in same sex relationships, gay men and women are actually displaying a superiority over their peers.
"We've known for years that homosexuality is linked to a playful, creative character," he said.
"Homosexuals excel as artists, thespians and other playful, mimetic professions. Being playful is at the heart of being human. It's something that should be celebrated. You could say that homosexuals are at the pinnacle of human evolution.�
Bromhall was speaking to promote his new book The Eternal Child at the festival.
If you are not getting confirmation e-mails from Oasis to complete your membership, don't hesitate to e-mail jeff at oasismag dot com. Be sure to include your username.
Recent articles
Recent journal entries
Active forum topics
- The Curse of Reparative Therapy
- First Book: 'Keeping You A Secret' By Julie Anne Peters
- A Kids Reaction To A Gay Couple
- The Importance Of Giving Feedback
- Can you envisage an any more pointless existence?
- Advice?
- Will Portman - Son of Ohio's Senator Portman: His Column on Coming Out
- Can you imagine the vitriol unleashed by Republicans…
- coming out
- Islam and Homosexuality
Comments
Word of caution
Some heterosexuals constantly say gay people are the inferior. Saying homosexuals are the superior is just as bad.
Any article that says "such and so" group is better than everyone else ought to be regarded with suspicion, mistrust, and backing away slowly while lighting the torches and grabbing pitchforks.
Personally, even as an out and proud queer, I find this article offensive. We're all people, for gods' sake! This is rather disgusting. And will give straights yet another reason to dislike us, if we develop a superiority complex because of this kind of garbage.
alex
Being a transgendered person who embarks upon transition is a jump off a cliff; you have no idea who you will be when you are done. All you know is that you can't stay where you are. ~ Patrick Califia
www.ressick.net
Absolutely
Absolutely abominable. Not all gay people are creative. In fact, most of my boyfriends have been so untalented its ridiculous. And what are we suggesting? Straight people cant be creative? I dont believe its a homosexual trait. Show me the scientific backing that says we are the "pinnacle of evolution"- if anything, we are the opposite because in no way do we help our race survive.
...
Unless you consider the lesbians who have artificial insemination (sometimes by gay men).
Well, gosh. I simply thought
Well, gosh. I simply thought it was funny.
I read this article on cnn.co
I read this article on cnn.com. :-)
Chief Political Right Hand Woman to Ceo, Founder and First Member of The Movement to Free Oompa Loompa Land from the Tryanicall Capitalsitic Despot Willy Wonka
Not to be offensive, but...
... this is ridiculous.
============
RoaG
Makes ya feel kinda proud, don't it?
"Homosexuals excel as artists, thespians and other playful, mimetic professions ... You could say that homosexuals are at the pinnacle of human evolution."
I suppose this is meant at least partially to give a sense of pride to gays, but like similar vanity-building statements coming from self-appointed spokespeople for other oppressed groups, it's an oversimplification, and a stereotypical one at that, likely to only end up antagonizing "benighted barbarians" not belonging to the more "civilized" in-group, including those of the former who would otherwise wish to help the latter.
Some (maybe most) of the best music ever to come out of the US has been created by black people; John Coltrane, Leadbelly, Billie Holiday, and others are known for having produced and performed music of emotional depth unparelelled by most of their white counterparts. Similarly, many of history's greatest and most creative artists have also been homosexuals. However, this has nothing to do with evolution or some genetically-inherited penchant for making great art and everything to do with coming from a non-repressed culture in which art is used for personal expression rather than merely looking cool. White heterosexual males in mainstream American society, on the other hand, are brought up from an early age supressing their emotions and taught that they should have more interest in "masculine" endeavors like sports than in the arts. Thus, any sort of "artistic expression" that does come about is intended to express machismo or "coolness" (e.g. slam-dancing at punk shows or bands like Korn).
No group of people is more evolved or talented than another - it's just a question of coming from a repressive cultural background versus one that is less repressive.
There is, however, one other thing this statement has in common with the aforementioned pride-inducing rhetoric. I think this Bromhall character's remarks should also be looked at within the context of society's homophobia and the anger it creates being translated into feelings of pride and vanity.