1996? Written as a deliberate provocation for the AntiClockwise column in The Statesman
Tell you what, homosexuals are not only a great credit to our society, they are also specimens of a superior evolutionary expression whose contribution to the benefit of mankind is indispensable. The practice is prevalent in every strata of the animal kingdom starting from insects upwards but the most illustrative fact about homosexuality is that it finds its most mature manifestation among the most intelligent group of primates, viz., rhesus macaques, baboons; chimpanzees and, of course, the gayest of them all, the homo sapien himself.
This is surely not a biological accident. Mankind has pressing social and intellectual requirements which just cannot be fulfilled by individuals who are driven by the natural need for reproductive maximization. Homosexuality sets promising individuals free from arduous parental duties and enables them to concentrate efficiently on their roles as seers, shamans, artists, keepers of knowledge, etc. It is no surprise that celibate monks (and the occasional maiden aunt!) were entrusted to preserve and propagate knowledge by both the Buddhists and the Christians. It was wisely realized even then that heterosexuals had too many worries and children on hand to bother too much about matters of civilization.
The key thing to remember about homosexuals is that they voluntarily sacrifice their reproductive potential and thus lose all their chances of spreading their genes into posterity. This is a monumental level of martyrdom but crucially for the argument here, such altruistic behaviour is not characteristic of mankind alone. It is, in fact, quite widespread across the entire zoological spectrum. Common examples abound. Among the best known is the behaviour of sentinels in animal herds who deliberately expose themselves to predators so that the rest of the brood may escape unhurt. Human body- guards who fling themselves in the line of assailants' fire also display similar tendencies. A personal sacrifice, a la homosexuals, is therefore no biological aberration or exception but an adaptation measure essential for the survival and flourishing of the species' as a whole. Indeed, without homosexuals among us, we would be lesser people.
It is sad, therefore, that the immense invisible contribution that the homosexual community makes to the general society is neither perfectly understood nor appreciated. One possible reason is that ours is a culture obsessed with breeding. Soldiers who rape hapless women in vanquished enemy territory are silently applauded by their mates because it is subconsciously understood that they have planted their genes in the enemy population thereby maximizing the reproductive potential of their own community at the expense of the enemy's. Raped women are then ostracized by their own people for the same reasons. We have been biologically attuned to conclude that even rape is worthwhile if it culminates in reproductive success. Among animals, ducks and scorpion flies in particular, resort to the stratagem of rape for reproductive success, and mankind taking a cue from them often turns a blind eye towards the evils inherent in rape if reproductive interests are involved. Rapists who pine for kids invariably win public sympathy.
It is immediately comprehensible in this context why the homosexual refusal to propagate is automatically construed as a threat to the established modus vivendi. Science and other evolved streams of knowledge are fast and surely veering towards the ineluctable conclusion that homosexuality is not unnatural, as has been made out to be for centuries by prudes worldwide. It is about time that the vital role of homosexuality in the larger context of evolutionary progress is assessed and respected. Over the ages it has been myopic of us to have derided and vilified homosexuals for favoring other pursuit over the artificial social obligation to rear kids. Recognize them now for what they are -- folks who breed in spirit rather in kind. Without them we would still be amoeba.
Tell you what, homosexuals are not only a great credit to our society, they are also specimens of a superior evolutionary expression whose contribution to the benefit of mankind is indispensable. The practice is prevalent in every strata of the animal kingdom starting from insects upwards but the most illustrative fact about homosexuality is that it finds its most mature manifestation among the most intelligent group of primates, viz., rhesus macaques, baboons; chimpanzees and, of course, the gayest of them all, the homo sapien himself.
This is surely not a biological accident. Mankind has pressing social and intellectual requirements which just cannot be fulfilled by individuals who are driven by the natural need for reproductive maximization. Homosexuality sets promising individuals free from arduous parental duties and enables them to concentrate efficiently on their roles as seers, shamans, artists, keepers of knowledge, etc. It is no surprise that celibate monks (and the occasional maiden aunt!) were entrusted to preserve and propagate knowledge by both the Buddhists and the Christians. It was wisely realized even then that heterosexuals had too many worries and children on hand to bother too much about matters of civilization.
The key thing to remember about homosexuals is that they voluntarily sacrifice their reproductive potential and thus lose all their chances of spreading their genes into posterity. This is a monumental level of martyrdom but crucially for the argument here, such altruistic behaviour is not characteristic of mankind alone. It is, in fact, quite widespread across the entire zoological spectrum. Common examples abound. Among the best known is the behaviour of sentinels in animal herds who deliberately expose themselves to predators so that the rest of the brood may escape unhurt. Human body- guards who fling themselves in the line of assailants' fire also display similar tendencies. A personal sacrifice, a la homosexuals, is therefore no biological aberration or exception but an adaptation measure essential for the survival and flourishing of the species' as a whole. Indeed, without homosexuals among us, we would be lesser people.
It is sad, therefore, that the immense invisible contribution that the homosexual community makes to the general society is neither perfectly understood nor appreciated. One possible reason is that ours is a culture obsessed with breeding. Soldiers who rape hapless women in vanquished enemy territory are silently applauded by their mates because it is subconsciously understood that they have planted their genes in the enemy population thereby maximizing the reproductive potential of their own community at the expense of the enemy's. Raped women are then ostracized by their own people for the same reasons. We have been biologically attuned to conclude that even rape is worthwhile if it culminates in reproductive success. Among animals, ducks and scorpion flies in particular, resort to the stratagem of rape for reproductive success, and mankind taking a cue from them often turns a blind eye towards the evils inherent in rape if reproductive interests are involved. Rapists who pine for kids invariably win public sympathy.
It is immediately comprehensible in this context why the homosexual refusal to propagate is automatically construed as a threat to the established modus vivendi. Science and other evolved streams of knowledge are fast and surely veering towards the ineluctable conclusion that homosexuality is not unnatural, as has been made out to be for centuries by prudes worldwide. It is about time that the vital role of homosexuality in the larger context of evolutionary progress is assessed and respected. Over the ages it has been myopic of us to have derided and vilified homosexuals for favoring other pursuit over the artificial social obligation to rear kids. Recognize them now for what they are -- folks who breed in spirit rather in kind. Without them we would still be amoeba.
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