Outrage erupted online after transgender actor Elliot Page said that animals could be homosexual while promoting a new documentary on the same topic.
Second Nature is a documentary that explores the diversity of sex, gender, and social behavior in the animal kingdom. It does this through interviews with scientists and wildlife footage. The film examines scientific research documenting same-sex sexual behavior, same-sex parenting, and sex changes across numerous animal species. This challenges the notion that these behaviors are unique to humans or are unnatural. Elliot Page serves as the documentary’s narrator and executive producer. He helps bring the project to audiences while highlighting the scientific research behind its exploration of gender and sexuality in nature.
In an interview promoting the documentary, Page described it as “absurd” to view nature as “some sort of cis hetero patriarchal structure.” He went on to argue that what many people were taught in school about “heterosexual existence” is “completely false.” Page added that the documentary explores why information about same-sex behavior in some animal species has, in his view, been “suppressed.”
In another promotional video, Page spoke further about the documentary and its message. “It is so exceptional sharing this information that we did not learn in school about gender and sexuality in the natural world,” he said. He also highlighted the scientists featured in the film. The actor then encouraged people to watch the documentary if they had the opportunity.
Page’s comments about the documentary are broadly consistent with current scientific research on animal behavior. Biologists have documented same-sex sexual behavior in hundreds of animal species. Researchers have also observed long-term same-sex pair bonds and consistent same-sex partner preferences in some species. These observations are well documented in the scientific literature and form part of the evidence explored in Second Nature.
While scientists often use terms such as “same-sex sexual behavior” or “same-sex partner preference” because animals cannot communicate their identities or attractions, the underlying research shows that these behaviors occur naturally across many species. Second Nature presents this body of scientific evidence through interviews with researchers. It highlights that diversity in animal social and sexual behavior has been observed and studied throughout the animal kingdom.
Viewers Outraged Over Elliot Page’s Statements
While actor Elliot Page’s statements about same-sex behavior in animals are broadly consistent with current scientific research, many people expressed outrage over his remarks while promoting the documentary. The online reaction also included numerous comments targeting Page because he is transgender. Among the responses, Rep. Nancy Mace wrote, “Nothing about this is natural. A woman pretending to be a man is not and will never be normal.”
More people rejected Page’s comments and argued that same-sex behavior in animals is not normal. “Yes…they can…it is typically classed as a genetic defect in the individual animal…because if it were the norm, the species would collapse,” one person wrote. Another commented, “Why is everything that they do have to be sexual? They sexualize everything. You add mental illness to a sexual deviant and you get the trans movement.”
Page’s comments on the documentary sparked a conversation about how scientific findings on animal behavior can face public disagreement. It also led to discussions about the personal attacks directed at the actor. Many pointed out that some of the criticism focused on his gender identity rather than the scientific claims being discussed.
