Saving Benjy, the Gay Bull

Recently,  a bull in Ireland made headlines when he refused to do "his job" impregnating cows and showed much more interest in other bulls.

The gay rights and animal rights communities came together to start a campaign to purchase Benjy and send him to a sanctuary where he could live out the rest of his life with other animals. Ultimately, The Simpsons creator and known animal activist, Sam Simon, donated the money to save Benjy and he is now at the Hillside Animal Sanctuary in England.

That's great for Benjy, but what about all the other animals whose sexual orientation hasn't raised them from obscurity? A representative of the animal rights organization that advocated to save Benjy is quoted as saying: "As a gay man myself, I know only too well what it is like to be treated indifferently." However, in this instance, it was Benjy's interest in other bulls that saved him from indifference.

No one should be oppressed based on their sexual orientation. But neither should they be oppressed based on their species or ability to reproduce. The rest of the animals not saved from Benjy's farm will continue to be exploited, forced to reproduce, have their children torn from them, and will ultimately join the more than 53 billion land animals that are slaughtered for food across the world annually.

When something happens to make us see a farmed animal as an individual, people rise up to try to save that individual. But little thought is given to the other individuals who end up on our plates every day. As Joseph Stalin said, "One death is a tragedy; one million is a statistic."

Gay activists connected with Benjy for obvious reasons, but those concerned about oppression of marginalized groups and individuals should not limit their concern to supposed gay animals. Every animal is an individual with needs and desires. And every animal should be allowed to live out his or her life somewhere they are loved and happy. 

Animals Slaughtered for Food Since You've Been on this Page:*

0 marine animals
0 chickens
0 ducks
0 pigs
0 rabbits
0 turkeys
0 geese
0 sheep
0 goats
0 cows and calves
0 rodents
0 pigeons and other birds
0 buffaloes
0 dogs
0 cats
0 horses
0 donkeys and mules
0 camels and other camelids
*Counter from ADAPTT