Based on the extraordinary bizarreness of the stories on that site, I struggle not to believe that New Zimbabwe is an African version of The Onion, but it bills itself as a trustworthy news source, so I try to give it the benefit of the doubt. Still, to read that site, it would seem that sex with cows and donkeys is almost commonplace in Africa. I can't help but scratch my head when I think about that. I mean, what are the cues -- visual or otherwise -- that would trigger a sexual response to a cow or donkey in a human being? The vast majority of human females don't trigger such a response in me; it is beyond my comprehension how a donkey could. The odd thing is there is never any reports of the animals resisting the advances of these people. It's almost as though the animals like this sort of behavior or at least passively acquiesce to it.
Which raises an interesting question: If the animals themselves do not spurn these amorous gestures with a good stiff kick to the groin, why should the law care? The classical answer, of course, is that bestiality must be illegal because animals by definition cannot consent to sexual activity. But as my (smoking-hot) friend Kelsey pointed out the other night, ". . . most [animals or people] would rather be screwed than stewed. It's fascinating that when bestiality comes up, we start thinking of an animal's ability to consent, but that certainly doesn't come into play when we order a hamburger or head out on a fishing expedition." She has a point. Why is it that we care about an animal's consent when sex is involved, but we don't feel the need to get an animal's consent when we take its life? I am not convinced an animal is inherently unable to consent anyway. We all know that a cat can and often does choose not to cuddle or be affectionate, so animals can certainly decline consent. By the same token, we have all read stories of sexually aggressive animals assaulting human beings, so animals can also choose to act on sexual impulses. (Incidents like these were common enough in biblical days that there is a provision in the Old Testament for destroying bulls who sleep with women.) In fact, it doesn't have to be assaultive sex. In his show Live on Broadway, Robin Williams describes an incident in which a female gorilla tried to seduce him -- right in front of her handler, who observed with great amusement. If an animal can proposition a human being for sex, why cannot it not consent to sex?
I am obviously not condoning bestiality. I find the idea personally abhorrent, not to mention disgusting. I do think, however, that some of our assumptions when it comes to cross-species sex may need to be reexamined, at least from a legal perspective. There may or may not be valid reasons for outlawing this sort of deviant behavior, but I am starting to question whether the issue of consent is a solid underpinning for bestiality bans. If animals cannot consent to sex, then neither should they be able to consent to slaughter -- any more than a human can consent to his own murder.
Originally Posted by: Nonstopdrivel