Friday, October 15, 2004

Chapter 19.6: Gay Rights For Fish?

According to a story in The Washington Post today (10/15/04), several male smallmouth bass were discovered to have developed eggs. They're being called "intersex" bass, but it's not clear whether they're capable of reproducing as males or as quasi-females. [I'm not linking the story since it'll be sent into the Post's archives within a few days and thus is a waste of time.]

The chief questions revolve around how the fish were altered -- was it pollution, hormones in the Potomac River, other causes -- but I wonder if it might signal something more profound. Could all life be capable of being sexually altered as a consequence of man's careless actions upon the environment? If so, and if played out on a major scale, how would that affect the social, political, cultural, and spiritual environment?

Gotta read the news every day ...

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