If you can’t beat it – censor it
In case you’re not familiar with the story of Roy and Silo, these are two male penguins, living in New York zoo, as a couple. For some years, keepers had wondered why they hadn’t produced any chicks, but it took a vetinary check to confirm that they were both male.
And, after unsuccessfully trying to hatch a small rock, they were given a fertilised egg to look after, subsequently raising a baby penguin called Tango.
Now it seems that someone thought that this was a charming story and they sat down to write a little cartoon book about it, aimed at young children. Could anyone possibly be offended by such a tale of avian love?
Well, true to form, some parents in the Mid West have been complaining about the presence of the book in school libraries. There have been calls for it to be removed or put into ‘mature’ sections or for it not to be able to borrowed without a letter of consent from a parent.
These people must be really, really scared.
Presumably, the idea that homosexuality can occur in the animal kingdom, outside of humanity, is terrifying for people who view it as unnatural and against God.
Mind, this is the country that is going to play host to the world’s first Creationist museum – did you know that dinosaurs and man lived side-by-side? Scientists can’t tell how old bones are, you know, so they’re just inventing stuff when they say the world is older than 6,000 years. So there.
Perhaps we should simply be relieved that those objecting to the tale of penguins haven’t actually resorted to burning copies of the book. Presumably that’s just necessary for Harry Potter’s adventures.
And, after unsuccessfully trying to hatch a small rock, they were given a fertilised egg to look after, subsequently raising a baby penguin called Tango.
Now it seems that someone thought that this was a charming story and they sat down to write a little cartoon book about it, aimed at young children. Could anyone possibly be offended by such a tale of avian love?
Well, true to form, some parents in the Mid West have been complaining about the presence of the book in school libraries. There have been calls for it to be removed or put into ‘mature’ sections or for it not to be able to borrowed without a letter of consent from a parent.
These people must be really, really scared.
Presumably, the idea that homosexuality can occur in the animal kingdom, outside of humanity, is terrifying for people who view it as unnatural and against God.
Mind, this is the country that is going to play host to the world’s first Creationist museum – did you know that dinosaurs and man lived side-by-side? Scientists can’t tell how old bones are, you know, so they’re just inventing stuff when they say the world is older than 6,000 years. So there.
Perhaps we should simply be relieved that those objecting to the tale of penguins haven’t actually resorted to burning copies of the book. Presumably that’s just necessary for Harry Potter’s adventures.
posted by Amanda Kendal at 12:51 pm
4 Comments:
I loved reading your blog and following the various links to your sources. This article makes me particularly nervous about the future of the US which seems to become ever more conservative and extremist, both religiously and politically. In some ways I think the cyclical nature of sexual openness which moves between excess and repression is a natural one, but it does seem to be more extreme now than it has been in centuries, with America's religious cults taking up the firebrand dropped by the Vatican's Inquisitors. When G Dubbya B said that he believed he was sent by God to rid the world of religious extremists (thus identifying himself as one), perhaps he should have started in his own country?
Scientists can't tell how old bones are? Since when?
Hello, you have a wonderful blog, but I can't find your email address, can you please contact me at linkexchange@edenfantasys.com? I have something to discuss with you
Regards, Chris
(Please can you delete this comment after your decision?)
I cannot, for the life of me, understand why some people are so preoccupied with some one else's sex life. Why do people care who someone else is screwing? Much less who penguins are screwing. People are daft!
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