The Big Gay Bighorns of Zion
Mormons named one of the most beautiful parts of Utah “Zion” in homage to their belief that Utah was the spiritual center of the world, yet they can’t even imagine a God who could make Zion what it is.
One of the most distinctive animals of the desert southwest is the Bighorn sheep. In my recent pass through Zion National Park I saw a group of them grazing their way through the scrub brush and clambering over the slickrock. It is easy to understand why the ancient Anasazi chipped pictures of these entertaining, and probably delicious, animals into the rock cliffs of the area.
The thing staunchly anti-gay Mormons can’t conceptualize is that these beautiful animals have a lot more gay sex than straight sex. Heterosexual copulation only occurs for a few days each year when the females are in heat. For the rest of the year they live their lives in same-sex groups where they court and have sex with each other, particularly when young. After signaling interest and approaching, a male mounts another male and anally penetrates him, while the mountee arches his back to facilitate entry in the manner females do. Groups of males also form huddles where they rub, nuzzle, lick, horn, and mount each other. Females play with each other in similar ways in their groups.
Intriguingly, as many as 5% of Bighorn rams are transgender, but these effeminate rams refuse to have sex with other males. These males act like females, to the point of squatting when they pee, remaining with the female group throughout their lives, and shunning sexual activity with other males in the way females do through most of the year.
The second highest Mormon leader declared at their recent conference that it is inconceivable homosexuality could be of God. Tell that to the good sheep of Zion!
(click photos to embiggen, they are beautiful creatures)
(all photos by Preston)
