Sexuality of Animals FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
By: Mark Schmid
Version: 2007.07.05
First published: 2006.08.18
Total Reads: 900 (En: 460)
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What is castration / spaying / neutering?
The most severe form of sexual mutilation and sexualized violence:
The complete amputation or destruction of the primary sexual organs, the
testicles in males or the ovaries in females. For more information,
please read our article:
What is Castration / Spaying / Neutering?
What is vasectomy / tubual ligitation / sterilization?
An operation where the tubes in which the semen travel from the testicles
to the penis in males or the eggs from the ovaries to the womb in
females are severed and knotted to prevent reception and pregnancy.
It is one of the safest and most convenient methods of contraception
but not reversible. For more information, please read our article:
What is Vasectomy / Tubual Ligitation / Sterilization?
Why are animals castrated?
For the same reasons that they are dehorned, declawed, their teeth are
pulled, chicken's beaks are soldered off in chicken farms, pigs tails
are cut off in pig farms, etc.: Out of pure human egoism and ignorance.
To make animal keeping and handling easier or cheaper, to make more
profit, to make more convenient or to maximize human usage of animals which
are instrumentalized to objects without an own dignity and without own rights
to such basic things as physical integrity or the right to have own needs
which are independent of human usage.
Why do some people propagate castration?
Because they are ignorant egoists who want to institutionalize,
rationalize and make their form of animal abuse a widely accepted
standard.
What is sexualized violence?
In order to explain this, first the term violence must be defined correctly.
Violence is not as commonly believed, inflicting physical pain to another, even if that is a much cited example and can be a contained part. If for example, I suffer pain in connection with a treatment by a doctor because of an illness, like after a life-saving operation for instance, then that is not violence committed by the doctor, even if I have been inflicted pain or even physical injuries. On the other hand, if the doctor made a mistake and cut out more than necessary or something wrong, then that very well is violence, even if I did not feel anything of it thanks to an anesthetic. Especially though if the doctor denies his mistake afterwards and perhaps puts me out as being a liar. Then it is a clear form of violence.
Violence is a motivation, not an action.
If I really hate someone and smile at him, then that is not a kindness but a form of violence, just as lying and dishonesty are forms of violence. If on the other hand for example, I hit an animal, that does not in every case always und unconditionally have to be violence, even if it appears to be on first sight. It does not have to be, if, for instance, I must stop the animal in its own best interest from doing something which could harm the animal itself or its surrounding and no better method is available to me at that moment. This does entail though, that this happens in an ethical manner and a manner appropriate to the species, meaning on the one side, that never and not in any case permanent damages or even mutilations are caused to the animal and on the other side, as short and shockingly as possible and also exactly in the right moment, so the animal makes the instinctive connection between its unwanted action and the physical punishment.
Ethical punishment appropriate to the species finally also entails that hitting never takes place out of an own motivation or frustration or even regularly, but only in absolute emergencies and in reaction to a grave acute "error" of the animal which must be punished immediately, such as when a human is attacked by an animal or when an animal acutely physically endangers itself or humans in another way by its behavior and not better method is available to the human at the moment.
Whoever thinks in and falls back to black-and-white patterns on the subject of violence, even on the subject of physical violence or the subject of sexualized violence, immediately by chance even severely, becomes guilty of violence him- or herself. Lawyers and judges who wish to earn their income in the area of animal protection laws would be well-advised to remember that. Every generalization, even that of supposed violence, without considering and taking into account the exact circumstances, motivations and connections thoroughly and with the necessary carefulness, is also violence which is inadmissible and should be punished.
Sexualized violence now is nothing else than non-legitimate punishments, force, restrictions, actions, injuries, mutilations, etc. in connection with sexuality. Sexualized violence can be a sexual rape but also the abuse of sexuality and sexual needs for a non-legitimate manipulation or punishment with a motivation which often does not have anything to do with sexuality. Sexual mutilations however, especially the severe mutilation of castration are always a serious form of sexualized violence, because with the sole exception of cancer in the attacked organs or body parts, there is always a better way and a better method to deal with sexuality, sexual and gender-specific needs and behaviors and the corresponding body parts. With domesticated animals which are subjected to human control and are much more dependent on humans this is even more the case than with humans.
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