Primates are teaching humans that homosexuality is natural

“In all the primates, we see some homosexual activity. And so that's also why that whole argument that homosexual behavior is unnatural … that really doesn't hold up very well,” says Frans de Waal, professor of primate behavior in the Department of Psychology at Emory University. Photo by Shutterstock.

Gender, sex, and sexuality are the subjects of political battles over what kids should be taught, who gets to use which bathroom, and even what is considered child abuse. People are all still grappling with how much of gender and sex is nature versus nurture, biological versus cultural. 

A new book explores what we might learn about sex and gender from our closest primate relatives — chimpanzees and bonobos. It’s by Frans de Waal, a world-renowned primatologist and professor of primate behavior in the Department of Psychology at Emory University. He’s studied animal behavior for more than four decades.

His book is called “Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist.

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