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Scientists look to straighten homosexual sheep
Scientists look to straighten homosexual sheep
Former Wimbledon champion Martina Navratilova has come out in favour of the rights
of homosexual sheep in a burgeoning row over tests carried out by two US universities
aimed at "curing" ovine friends of Dorothy.
According to The Times, researchers at Oregon State University in the city of Corvallis
and at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland were able to "pinpoint the
mechanisms influencing the desires of 'male-oriented' rams by studying their brains".
Specifically, they cut open the offending sheeps' skulls, attached electonic sensors to
their grey matter and monitored them while "varying the hormone levels, mainly by
injecting hormones into the brain". They reported "considerable success" in getting
previously gay rams to consider a bit of boy-on-girl.
The purpose behind these experiments is to "improve the productivity of herds" since
"approximately one ram in 10 prefers to mount other rams rather than mate with ewes".
The implications are far more sinister, opponents claim, since the acquired knowledge
could in the future be used to "cure" human homosexuality, or may offer the prospect
that "pregnant women could one day be offered a [hormone] treatment to reduce or
eliminate the chance that their offspring will be homosexual".
Ms Navratilova weighed in with: "How can it be that in the year 2006 a major university
would host such homophobic and cruel experiments?"
UK gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell declared: "These experiments echo Nazi
research in the early 1940s which aimed at eradicating homosexuality. They stink of
eugenics. There is a danger that extreme homophobic regimes may try to use these
experimental results to change the orientation of gay people."
Udo Schuklenk, Professor of Bioethics at Glasgow Caledonian University, who has
"written to the researchers pressing them to stop", added: "I don't believe the motives
of the study are homophobic, but their work brings the terrible possibility of exploitation
by homophobic societies. Imagine this technology in the hands of Iran, for example.
It is typical of the US to ignore the global context in which this is taking place."
Professor Charles Roselli, the Health and Science University biologist heading the
research programme, defended his work with: "In general, sexuality has been
under-studied because of political concerns. People don't want science looking into
what determines sexuality."
Michael Bailey, a neurology professor at Northwestern University near Chicago, risked
the wrath of the gay community by stating: "Allowing parents to select their children’s
sexual orientation would further a parent's freedom to raise the sort of children they
want to raise."
As for the unfortunate gay rams subjected to the research teams' uninvited attentions,
it remained for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to slam their sufferings as
"a needless slaughter of animals, an affront to human dignity and a colossal waste
of precious research funds".
of homosexual sheep in a burgeoning row over tests carried out by two US universities
aimed at "curing" ovine friends of Dorothy.
According to The Times, researchers at Oregon State University in the city of Corvallis
and at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland were able to "pinpoint the
mechanisms influencing the desires of 'male-oriented' rams by studying their brains".
Specifically, they cut open the offending sheeps' skulls, attached electonic sensors to
their grey matter and monitored them while "varying the hormone levels, mainly by
injecting hormones into the brain". They reported "considerable success" in getting
previously gay rams to consider a bit of boy-on-girl.
The purpose behind these experiments is to "improve the productivity of herds" since
"approximately one ram in 10 prefers to mount other rams rather than mate with ewes".
The implications are far more sinister, opponents claim, since the acquired knowledge
could in the future be used to "cure" human homosexuality, or may offer the prospect
that "pregnant women could one day be offered a [hormone] treatment to reduce or
eliminate the chance that their offspring will be homosexual".
Ms Navratilova weighed in with: "How can it be that in the year 2006 a major university
would host such homophobic and cruel experiments?"
UK gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell declared: "These experiments echo Nazi
research in the early 1940s which aimed at eradicating homosexuality. They stink of
eugenics. There is a danger that extreme homophobic regimes may try to use these
experimental results to change the orientation of gay people."
Udo Schuklenk, Professor of Bioethics at Glasgow Caledonian University, who has
"written to the researchers pressing them to stop", added: "I don't believe the motives
of the study are homophobic, but their work brings the terrible possibility of exploitation
by homophobic societies. Imagine this technology in the hands of Iran, for example.
It is typical of the US to ignore the global context in which this is taking place."
Professor Charles Roselli, the Health and Science University biologist heading the
research programme, defended his work with: "In general, sexuality has been
under-studied because of political concerns. People don't want science looking into
what determines sexuality."
Michael Bailey, a neurology professor at Northwestern University near Chicago, risked
the wrath of the gay community by stating: "Allowing parents to select their children’s
sexual orientation would further a parent's freedom to raise the sort of children they
want to raise."
As for the unfortunate gay rams subjected to the research teams' uninvited attentions,
it remained for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to slam their sufferings as
"a needless slaughter of animals, an affront to human dignity and a colossal waste
of precious research funds".
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