from Social Issues

Weinstock's essay describes a study in the October issue of Biological Psychology that compared sexual arousal between heterosexual males and females. Men were sexually aroused by photos of women, but women were sexually aroused by men, women, lesbian erotica, and mating Bonobos.

The writer asks why heterosexual women are capable of such sexual fluidity and wonders how this impacts the institution of marriage or heterosexuality.

Weinstock believes that humans should model the social behaviors of Bonobo apes. According to the author, Bonobos have a pansexual culture that is not male-dominated. Bonobo females form "sisterhoods" that are strengthened by lesbian sex. If a male attempts to attack a female, the sisterhood attacks him.

Weinstock says that female Bonobos not only have sex with females but initiate sex with males and males have sex with each other. She says there is little violence in the Bonobo culture. "When a fruit tree is spotted, instead of duking it out for the bounty, the Bonobos start copulating in all manner of combinations. A little while later, everyone is happier and ready to share the food peacefully -- the perfect expression of the old adage, 'make love, not war.' In these times of Neanderthal violence, we could all benefit from aping the Bonobos. They are, after all, our ancestors."