# Would you oppose inter-species unions? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 5, 2010, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-oppose-inter-species-unions/545596 "2010-07-05T12:31:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-oppose-inter-species-unions/545596/41 "2010-07-06T22:45:46Z")
> [@](#): > > As long as all partners are consenting sentient adults, then I don’t have a problem with the question stated. Are Kzinretts sentient? Some of the Man-Kzin Wars series Kzinretts are, and “modern” Kzinretts apparently have a “tiny female language” consisting of phrases like “My Hero” (spoken in admiration to a Kzintosh) and “Chrowl” (let’s DO it, Hero!)(and there’s an apostrophe in Chrowl somewhere, but I can’t remember where). Anyway, would a male Kzin even LET a human male mate with a female Kzin, if he knew about it and could do something about it? There’s a scene in one of the Ringworld books where a human wants to _rish_ with a Kzin, but the Kzin exposes his genitals and immediately disabuses the human of the notion that it would be possible. I’m sure that the sufficiently perverse could find a way, but it need not necessarily be as simple as “insert Tab A into Slot B”. For comparison from another science fiction work, on _Babylon 5_, the Narn anatomy is never explicitly described, but we do know that G’Kar (who is sufficiently perverse) is able to have sex (and apparently, quite mutually satisfactory sex) with both human and Centauri women, despite Centauri women having six reproductive orifices arranged along the sides of their abdomens. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-oppose-inter-species-unions/545596/42 "2010-07-07T03:14:53Z")
I suppose the Constitution is a little glib on the issue: > [@](#): > > While the United States Constitution’s [First Amendment](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution) identifies the rights to assemble and to petition the government, the text of the First Amendment does not make specific mention of a right to association. Nevertheless, the United States Supreme Court held in [NAACP v. Alabama](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NAACP_v._Alabama) that the freedom of association is an essential part of the [Freedom of Speech](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_Speech) because, in many cases, people can engage in effective speech only when they join with others. but it seems to me ‘sentient beings’ = ‘free association’ is a pretty strong legal argument. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-oppose-inter-species-unions/545596/43 "2010-07-07T03:54:54Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > I suppose the Constitution is a little glib on the issue: > but it seems to me ‘sentient beings’ = ‘free association’ is a pretty strong legal argument. Since when did the US Constitution have any relevance to the vast majority of non-American earthlings? If there are relevant laws that apply to **all** people, not just Americans, you’ll find them in the [UN Charter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UN_Charter) and the [Universal Declaration of Human Rights](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Declaration_of_Human_Rights). ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-oppose-inter-species-unions/545596/44 "2010-07-07T04:18:16Z")
In answer to the OP: If humans meet up with sentient aliens, they’ll be declared “people” in the legal sense very swiftly. If they are like us enough to use language and technology, then they _are_ people. Non-human people. As such, they’ll have the same rights that _human_ people have. “Human Rights” will be redefined as “Sentient Rights” and therefore inter-species relationships will have the same protections that human relationships have. Meaning that humans and sentient non-humans will be able to marry, and (if possible) have children… hybrids… whatever. Personally, I’m in favour of it, and I’d probably be interested in getting intimate with aliens myself. Why not? That’d have to be interesting at the very least. Hot alien sex? I’m in. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-oppose-inter-species-unions/545596/45 "2010-07-07T04:53:45Z")
I don’t think aliens are hot. Not like hot chicks, certainly. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-oppose-inter-species-unions/545596/46 "2010-07-07T11:03:18Z")
> [@Shakester](#): > > In answer to the OP: > > If humans meet up with sentient aliens, they’ll be declared “people” in the legal sense very swiftly. If they are like us enough to use language and technology, then they _are_ people. Non-human people. > > As such, they’ll have the same rights that _human_ people have. “Human Rights” will be redefined as “Sentient Rights” and therefore inter-species relationships will have the same protections that human relationships have. Meaning that humans and sentient non-humans will be able to marry, and (if possible) have children… hybrids… whatever. Given past history, where human humans have been declared legally less than human for purposes of either slavery or slaughter, and even today large segments of the human race are still treated as second class people or worse, I wouldn’t be quite that confident… but I would _hope_ you are correct. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-oppose-inter-species-unions/545596/47 "2010-07-07T13:48:35Z")
> [@Shakester](#): > > Since when did the US Constitution have any relevance to the vast majority of non-American earthlings? > > If there are relevant laws that apply to **all** people, not just Americans, you’ll find them in the [UN Charter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UN_Charter) and the [Universal Declaration of Human Rights](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Declaration_of_Human_Rights). Well, I expect us to attempt to impose the Constitution on the rest of the universe once we get the chance. At least the parts with di-lithium crystal deposits. Eventually the locals will figure out how to lay claim to their rights. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-oppose-inter-species-unions/545596/48 "2010-07-07T14:34:32Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > Well, I expect us to attempt to impose the Constitution on the rest of the universe once we get the chance. At least the parts with di-lithium crystal deposits. Eventually the locals will figure out how to lay claim to their rights. As soon as they get out of Gitmo. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-oppose-inter-species-unions/545596/49 "2010-07-10T05:17:54Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > As soon as they get out of Gitmo. In the year 2525… ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-oppose-inter-species-unions/545596/50 "2010-07-10T05:47:57Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Given past history, where human humans have been declared legally less than human for purposes of either slavery or slaughter, and even today large segments of the human race are still treated as second class people or worse, I wouldn’t be quite that confident… but I would _hope_ you are correct. I’m not assuming that we’d give them “human” legal status out of niceness and interplanetary solidarity, I’m assuming that we’d give it to them so that trade agreements are binding. We’re humans: we will want to sell them crappy Planet Earth snow globes and T-shirts. And we’ll want to buy _their_ crappy rip-off items as well. Trade requires legal status, because we don’t want to accidentally agree to sell them Manhattan Island for $24 worth of alien geegaws. I honestly think that the first people to make a fortune out of alien contact would be lawyers. And once again I am sad that I didn’t go to law school. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-oppose-inter-species-unions/545596/51 "2010-07-10T06:49:12Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Given past history, where human humans have been declared legally less than human for purposes of either slavery or slaughter, and even today large segments of the human race are still treated as second class people or worse, I wouldn’t be quite that confident… but I would _hope_ you are correct. It’s rather more likely that we’d have to worry about whether or not they’d treat us like people than the other way around, given that they are the ones who showed up here and therefore have more advanced technology. We aren’t likely to declare a species nonhuman before the law and enslave them when it would be trivial for them to render the Earth into a ball of molten rock. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-oppose-inter-species-unions/545596/52 "2010-07-10T10:37:52Z")
I shall defer to the world’s leading expert on [the results of xeno-human reproduction](http://www.philstockworld.com/wp-content/uploads/spock-illogical2.png). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-oppose-inter-species-unions/545596.md?page=2)