Animals in LGBT culture

Animals have served as symbols within LGBT culture.

Pets

In the United States, polls indicate that LGBT adults are more likely to own pets than heterosexual adults, and child-free LGBT households are more likely to own pets than child-free heterosexual households. Within some queer communities, there has been an urban myth surrounding lesbian households being more likely to own cats, "with free spirited feline self-sufficiency making cats an essential accoutrement to all lesbian’s lives, providing a mirror to their owners' challenge to the hetero-patriarchal social order." Although little academic research has been done on pet ownership among sexual minorities, it has been noted that gay and bisexual men may be more likely look to pets as a means of support. This is due to the fact that gay and bisexual men are more likely to live alone, and less likely to have children than heterosexual men. Among older LGBT populations, pets may have a positive impact on a person's mental health and feeling of social support, but may act as a net stressor on gay and bisexual men diagnosed with illness, such as prostate cancer.

Animal roleplay and furry fandom

See also: Animal roleplay

Two men in puppy outfits

Furries at a pride parade in London, United Kingdom, in 2016

According to Men's Health, puppy play is "is a form of consensual, adult role-play popular in the gay leather community, where people dress up and embody the characteristics of a dog".

Covering furry fandom, Vox's Dylan Matthews said in 2015, "Surveys suggest that furries are overwhelmingly male and white, are disproportionately likely to be gay, bi, or trans, and skew younger, with an average age in the mid-20s."

Animal slang terms

Main article: LGBT slang

Bears marching in San Francisco's pride parade in 2004

The following slang terms have been used to represent various types of people within the LGBT community:

• Bear – A bear is a larger and often hairier man who projects an image of rugged masculinity. The bear subgroup is among the oldest and largest of the LGBT community. Pride.com says "Bears are on the heavier side, either muscular, beefy, or chunky. They wouldn't dream of shaving their body hair (which comes in abundance) and they usually have a full beard to match. They exude masculinity, and are some of the kindest men you'll meet in your entire life." Attitude magazine says bears are "typically older" with a big build, a belly, and lots of hair. There are many bear subtypes, including the black bear (Black or African American men), the brown bear (Hispanic men), the grizzly bear ("dominant bears of extreme stature or hairiness"), the koala bear (Australian men), the panda bear (men of Asian descent), and the polar bear, which represents an older bear with white hair.
  • Cub – A cub is a younger bear. Pride.com describes cubs as "baby bears" or "large, hairy guys in their teens and 20's who are on their way to becoming a bear".
• Bull – Pride.com says a bull is a "hunky, muscular" bodybuilder who weighs 200 pounds or more. The website says, "These men are big, strong and have muscles you didn't even know existed." Attitude says bulls have a "super-muscular build" with any hair style, and can be any age.
• Chicken – A chicken is a young twink. Attitude says chickens are "hairless and young" with a slim or skinny build.
• Chickenhawk – A chickenhawk is "an older man who sexually pursues younger chickens" or twinks, according to Pride.com.
• Deer – In Brazil, deer are associated with homosexuality.
• Giraffe – Pride.com says a giraffe is "an incredibly tall gay man".
• Otter – According to Pride.com, an otter is "someone who's in between a twink and a bear. Medium build and hairy. Otters come in all ages with all different types of facial hair. Otters often trim their chest hair and manscape their bodies, but always leave at least some hair." Attitude says otters are "typically younger" with a slim or lean build and lots of hair. PinkNews describes an otter as "a man who is especially hairy, but is smaller in frame and weighs considerably less than a bear".
• Pig – A pig is someone who is "more focused on sex than anything else, often into kinkier and somewhat seedier sexual practices", according to Pride.com.
• Puppy – In animal roleplay, a puppy is a man who wants to be treated like a puppy, "with love and affection", by a handler. Attitude says pups are "young and submissive" with a slender build and little hair.
• Silver fox – A silver fox is a grey-haired man who is "older with some body hair" and has a "muscular or athletic build", according to Attitude.
• Unicorn – Urban Dictionary defines a unicorn as "a bisexual person, usually though not always female, who is willing to join an existing couple, often with the presumption that this person will date and become sexually involved with both members of that couple, and not demand anything or do anything that might cause problems or inconvenience to that couple." Pride.com has appreciated this definition and said, "They're called unicorns, because bisexuals like these don't (or rarely) exist."
• Wolf – Pride.com says, "Similar to an otter, a wolf has some hair and is in between a twink and a bear. However, there are some key differences between wolves and otters. Wolves typically have a lean, muscular build and are sexually aggressive." Attitude says wolves are "typically older and masculine" with a "muscular/athletic build".

Fictional animals

See also: History of LGBT characters in animation

Fictional LGBT animals include Mr. Ratburn, an anthropomorphic rat who wed his partner Patrick in the 22nd season of the animated series Arthur.

Ursula, the octopus-inspired sea creature from The Little Mermaid, was inspired by Divine, an American actor, singer and drag queen. In 2019, Reiss Smith of PinkNews suggested drag performers Ginger Minj, Nina West, Peaches Christ, and Peppermint, as well as queer actor Tituss Burgess, could play Ursula in the Disney's upcoming remake of The Little Mermaid.

Sean Griffin, author or Tinker Belles and Evil Queens: The Walt Disney Company from the Inside Out, said Disney's cartoon Ferdinand the Bull (1939) is "not necessarily gay, but it's definitely queer". The short film depicts a "sleepy eyed bull who doesn't conform to expectations of masculinity". Nico Lang of Harper's Bazaar said Disney's 1941 film The Reluctant Dragon "is extremely queer, even if it's not necessarily gay". He also noted the inclusion of a gay couple (two male antelopes) in Zootopia. Lang wrote, "in 1937, a group of lesbians in Chicago threw a series of bashes known as 'Mickey Mouse's parties.' These gatherings for like-minded ladies were a reference to the fact that 'Mickey Mouse' was a common term at the time for gay men", according to Griffin.

Unicorns

See also: LGBT symbols

Pride festival attendee carrying an inflatable unicorn in Washington, D.C.

In addition to the slang term, unicorns have become associated with LGBT culture.

Alice Fisher of The Guardian wrote in 2017, "The unicorn has also done its bit for the LGBT community in the last century... Rainbows and unicorns are so intrinsically linked (the association is also a Victorian invention) that it's unsurprising that the magic creature started to appear on T-shirts and banners at Gay Pride around the world, with slogans such as 'Gender is Imaginary' or 'Totally Straight' emblazoned under sparkling rainbow unicorns."

Gay Star News has said unicorns are "queer icons of our time".

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  Inflatable unicorn at a pride parade in Portland, Oregon, 2017

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  Inflatable unicorn at Equality March 2018 in Katowice

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  Unicorn balloon at Helsinki Pride 2019

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  Inflatable unicorns at MozFest 2019

References

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