Rees explains the various sexual patterns of bonobos and other close relatives to humans in the chimpanzee world. As we examine the article, we see that chimpanzees are highly bisexual and give no restriction towards open sexual expression. Rees discusses for example how the female apes will engage in sexual activity with other females regularly. Acts include female genital rubbing, or as those studying primates call it calls it, "genito-genital rubbing." Rees explains In bonobos, females show strong social bonds which they express through sexuality – and male violence towards a female, should it occur, is countered by a concerted attack on the male in question from the other females." This shows how incredibly important physical action is in the female bonobo world, obviously indicating bonobo bisexual encounters to be a supreme social facilitator. It is one way that they resolve conflict (male and female) as well as how they express emotional connections and social ties. It is important for the functioning of their society. I think that similarly, if we were to have the degree of bisexual expression in our society and reject the stigmas that cause us to in turn reject bisexual relations we would be much better off socially. Additionally, the intervention on the part of the women emphasizes how physical acts – sexual or forceful – are an extension of expression of social closeness in bonobos that is incredibly important for the functioning of their complex society and the health and safety of the bonobo species. Lastly, she writes, “Recent accounts of homosexual behaviour in animals (Bagemihl, 1999)
have shown the degree to which uncomfortable pieces of apparent evidence
are ignored by mainstream writers… These examples, however, were
rarely cited and largely ignored. They didn’t fit the image of heterosexual
reproductive sex that is at the heart of modern evolutionary theory.” This calls to question who is should we be studying – the bonobos or the humans? Why does this concept make us so uncomfortable that we abandon scientific integrity and an intergral part of the living world and complex social systems. It is clear that Rees believes that heteronormacy has influenced this rejection of what we can CLEARLY see is innate bisexually. Maybe it is good that we’re studying the bonobos because we have a lot to learn – and maybe we’ll change our behavior patterns!
Source:
Rees, Amanda. "Higamous, hogamous, woman monogamous." Feminist theory 1.3 (2000): 365-370.