9th entry - Moving On

Come April 1st, I will be starting a new job. In the last 8 years, I moved 5 times to 6 different departments within the same parent organization. Fortunately, all the movements were voluntary and initiated by me, i.e. it wasn't as if my bosses wanted to get rid of me. To many people this could be considered fast.

My longest posting was just over 2 years, and it was my first posting and my first job after graduating. I witnessed several major changes there: shifting of office, which was a grand, historic affair and a logistical nightmare; 4 different bosses who came and left (boss no. one resigned 6 months after I joined, boss no. two posted out 6 months later, boss no. three took over as an interim measure for 3 months, and boss no. four joined the section for 8 months until I posted out); and 4 different co-workers in the same section who also came and left (2 of them posted out 6 months after I joined, and their replacements left just before I did).

The subsequent postings were all relatively short, but gave me greater exposure and more learning opportunities, including the chance to go for study trips overseas. My shortest posting was my last one - only 11 months and 14 days. It was tough coping with the changes and I have become quite tired of moving from one job to another. Adjusting to changes in the job, colleagues, bosses and working environment can be quite difficult as one ages. Right now I just want to find something I enjoy doing and stick with it, perhaps for at least 3 years or more.

Is it good or bad to keep moving on to different jobs?

8th entry - Lizards

In the natural world, some animals are known to exhibit transgender characteristics in certain situations for survival.


Reptiles, the closest relative of the ancient dinosaurs in prehistoric times, for instance, can switch from male to female to increase their chances of mating. According to an article in Yahoo News, researchers reportedly found that young male Augrabies flat lizards in South Africa imitate females to fool aggressive older males into leaving them alone, in an example of transvestism among animals. Experienced males chase and bite their young rivals, so by becoming "she-males", the younger males can avoid being picked on, and thus increase their chances of mating. Every underdog has his day.

Stanford biology professor Joan Roughgarden postulated that the diversity of sexual behavior and gender roles, whether in the animal or human kingdoms, is not an aberration. Her research, published in "Evolution's Rainbow - Diversity, Gender and Sexuality in Nature and People" (University of California Press) showed that more than 300 species of vertebrates have sex with the same gender. There are gay sheep and lesbian lizards. Some animals change gender or have more than one type of male or female. History, science, even the Bible shows us the multiplicity of human nature. Gender is an expression of identity rather than biological expression. It is much like an occupation.

Roughgarden is not alone in her views. A 1999 review by researcher Bruce Bagemihl shows that homosexual behavior has been observed in close to 1,500 species of animals ranging from primates to gut worms, and is well documented for 500 of them. In most instances, however, it is presumed that the homosexual behavior is only part of the animals overall sexual behavioral repertoire, making the animal "bisexual" rather than "homosexual" as the terms are commonly understood in humans.

Another researcher, Petter Bøckman, the scientific advisor of the exhibition Against Nature? speculates that the true extent of the phenomenon may be much larger than currently recognized: "No species has been found in which homosexual behaviour has not been shown to exist, with the exception of species that never have sex at all, such as sea urchins and aphis. Moreover, a part of the animal kingdom is hermaphroditic, truly bisexual. For them, homosexuality is not an issue." Examples include giraffes and penguins, the latter of which may form same-sex pairings that mate monogamously for life (they even refused to mate with other sexes of their own species when compelled to do so).

However, Bagemihl cautioned against the scientific observations made about homosexual behaviour among animals: "We are in the dark about the internal experience of the animal participants... as a result, the biases and limitations of the human observer--in both the gathering and interpretation of data--come to the forefront in this situation.....With people we can often speak directly to individuals (or read written accounts)....With animals in contrast, we can often directly observe their sexual (and allied) behaviors, but can only infer or interpret their meanings and motivations."

Not everyone agrees that animals exhibit homosexual behaviour or transgender characteristics. Researcher Luiz Sérgio Solimeo argued that there is no "homosexual instinct" in animals. In 1996, homosexual scientist Simon LeVay admitted that the evidence pointed to isolated acts, not to homosexuality: "Although homosexual behavior is very common in the animal world, it seems to be very uncommon that individual animals have a long-lasting predisposition to engage in such behavior to the exclusion of heterosexual activities. Thus, a homosexual orientation, if one can speak of such thing in animals, seems to be a rarity."

Dr. Antonio Pardo, Professor of Bioethics at the University of Navarre, Spain, explains why homosexuality does not exist among animals: "For reasons of survival, the reproductive instinct among animals is always directed towards an individual of the opposite sex. Therefore, an animal can never be homosexual as such. Nevertheless, the interaction of other instincts (particularly dominance) can result in behavior that appears to be homosexual. Such behavior cannot be equated with an animal homosexuality. All it means is that animal sexual behavior encompasses aspects beyond that of reproduction."

Actually I find that both Pardo and LeVay do not deny the existence of homosexual behaviour in animals - rather, they are saying that homosexual behaviour is uncommon (and abnormal) among animals and animals that engage in homosexual acts do so for other reasons than the fact that they preferred having same-sex relations. Many scientists and doctors such as Solimeo and Dr Charles Socarides seem to have a judgmental "right and wrong" perspective towards homosexual behaviour among animals, just as they would judge homosexual behaviour among humans.



I think that such scientists and doctors in no position to criticize other scientists for being unscientific in "reading" human motivation and sentiment into animal behaviour. Humans have been "humanizing" animals in cartoons, movies and documentaries, and live animal shows in zoos etc. Science and religion can be interpreted in any way individuals want to because both are based on faith - believing in what we cannot see or understand after making certain assumptions about the Truth. I do not think that there is anything right or wrong with our interpretations so long as we are not imposing them on others.