# Fritz has gone bonkers (aka. gay penguin sexual rights) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 15, 2005, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fritz-has-gone-bonkers-aka-gay-penguin-sexual-rights/290188 "2005-02-15T14:13:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ReuvenB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@ReuvenB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReuvenB)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fritz-has-gone-bonkers-aka-gay-penguin-sexual-rights/290188/21 "2005-02-18T21:22:30Z")
I figure if he mentions F (counts) four times himself in his columns, there’s no problem mentioning F here. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fritz-has-gone-bonkers-aka-gay-penguin-sexual-rights/290188/22 "2005-02-18T21:30:33Z")
Who the hell is F? This story made me immensely happy, too: it’s just silly on so many levels. And there’s not many stories involving penguins that **aren’t** silly, mind you, but this one is extra-silly. That said, I suspect that if North Carolina’s Zoo turned up with gay penguins, the protests would me more along the lines of not displaying them in public, lest children be corrupted. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fritz-has-gone-bonkers-aka-gay-penguin-sexual-rights/290188/23 "2005-02-18T21:31:29Z")
If yer so good at counting, how many times does he mention “P”? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fritz-has-gone-bonkers-aka-gay-penguin-sexual-rights/290188/24 "2005-02-18T21:55:42Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > Who the hell is F? [David Feldman](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/006092327X/qid=1108764517/sr=8-2/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i2_xgl14/002-4825016-1224068?v=glance&s=books&n=507846). His _Imponderables_ books do what the Straight Dope does, though (IMO) not as well. Also not as surly, of course, but that’s part of Unca Cece’s charm… ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fritz-has-gone-bonkers-aka-gay-penguin-sexual-rights/290188/25 "2005-02-18T22:11:37Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > …I suspect that if North Carolina’s Zoo turned up with gay penguins, the protests would me more along the lines of not displaying them in public, lest children be corrupted. How would anyone know, unless they were playing “Y.M.C.A.” on the overhead speakers? ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fritz-has-gone-bonkers-aka-gay-penguin-sexual-rights/290188/26 "2005-02-18T22:16:34Z")
I was thinking the only thing that could really make me side with the protesters was if the zoo didn’t have the proper capacity and resources to house another four penguins and was doing this despite these conditions. But that is so hypothetical and out there and against zoo protocols that I doubt it could ever be true. So much for playing devil’s advocate. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fritz-has-gone-bonkers-aka-gay-penguin-sexual-rights/290188/27 "2005-02-18T22:25:04Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > They only eat the low fat versions of chinese food - the bamboo shoots. They keep their cages tidy. They also refuse to mate with female pandas (despite being shown how-to porn (this is, rather wonderfully, completely true). They are also non-agressive, despite being bears (sort of). > > I think you may be onto something… Oh effing effing crap, I just outed Mei Xiang and Tian Tian. I’m _really_ sorry! Don’t tell the FotF & Dobsonites, OK? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fritz-has-gone-bonkers-aka-gay-penguin-sexual-rights/290188/28 "2005-02-18T22:27:50Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > despite being bears (sort of). Actually, they _are_ bears. They’ve been reclassified out of the raccoon family. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2005, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fritz-has-gone-bonkers-aka-gay-penguin-sexual-rights/290188/29 "2005-02-19T10:14:54Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Actually, they _are_ bears. They’ve been reclassified out of the raccoon family. Then they are definately the gayest bear (previous holder of the title being the spectacled bear). ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2005, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fritz-has-gone-bonkers-aka-gay-penguin-sexual-rights/290188/30 "2005-02-19T10:30:39Z")
If you put “gay bear” into google, you get some images that would make an uncouth grizzly bear proud. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2005, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fritz-has-gone-bonkers-aka-gay-penguin-sexual-rights/290188/31 "2005-02-19T10:32:41Z")
As it happens I once put the phrase “gay otter” into google. That was an informative experience. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2005, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fritz-has-gone-bonkers-aka-gay-penguin-sexual-rights/290188/32 "2005-02-19T19:01:58Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > As it happens I once put the phrase “gay otter” into google. That was an informative experience. Looking for 'ot gays, were you? ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fritz-has-gone-bonkers-aka-gay-penguin-sexual-rights/290188/33 "2005-02-20T09:57:09Z")
As it happens I was looking for a gay otter - a real one. There’s one in a zoo in scotland. I had no idea that it had another meaning. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fritz-has-gone-bonkers-aka-gay-penguin-sexual-rights/290188/34 "2005-02-20T10:40:25Z")
Oh good og! Will the gay activists please stop with the gay animal thing? puhleeze. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fritz-has-gone-bonkers-aka-gay-penguin-sexual-rights/290188/35 "2005-02-20T23:50:41Z")
I wonder if there are any mammals out there that display no homosexual behaviors. I’ve seen some pretty randy homo dogs; I hear sheep and goats sometimes swing the other way; our primate cousins certainly have queer members; and bonobos in particular are way past bi-curious. But are there any completely hetero hairy beasts like us extant? It might be interesting to find out, if so, why. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fritz-has-gone-bonkers-aka-gay-penguin-sexual-rights/290188/36 "2005-02-21T13:06:27Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > What if the new female penguins decide to ignore the males and prefer each other? 😃 The obvious solution is of course to bring along some bi sexual penguins. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fritz-has-gone-bonkers-aka-gay-penguin-sexual-rights/290188/37 "2005-02-21T15:26:09Z")
the only thing about putting in the female penguins, is that if they do go back to mating with females, it will just add fuel to the fire of groups like FotF that homosexuality is a choice. I certainly wouldn’t agree with them, but it’s one possible extrapulation of the possible results. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fritz-has-gone-bonkers-aka-gay-penguin-sexual-rights/290188/38 "2005-02-21T15:27:21Z")
I’m just wondering how long the scientists at this zoo spent on their breeding program before they decided to have female penguins taking part. Not that that’s a bad thing. Tris ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fritz-has-gone-bonkers-aka-gay-penguin-sexual-rights/290188/39 "2005-02-21T16:49:22Z")
Could the penguins simply be short-sighted? How do they tell which sex they are? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fritz-has-gone-bonkers-aka-gay-penguin-sexual-rights/290188.md?page=1)