BEASTIALITY

[Catholic_Lady]

(1) With our current abilities, we largely cannot know the extent to which our actions affect an animal physically, emotionally or mentally.  In the absence of such knowledge, it's better, IMO, to err on the side of caution and not go around fucking them just because we want to.  It could be causing harm we don't know how to measure or detect.

(2) I'm in favor bodily autonomy.  We do violate animals' bodily autonomy on a fairly regular basis but by in large that violation is in the animal's best interest: vaccinations against diseases, visits to vets or by vets in general, dental or medical procedures to which animals cannot consent, etc.  Bestiality violates an animals bodily autonomy for no other reason that because the human wants to have an orgasm.  In that respect, to me, it's no different than rape which is a non-consenting act that violates the victim's body.

(3) It is, fundamentally, an issue of consent, even if you cause harm.  There are sexual acts that can and do result in physical harm to one or more parties participating, but if all parties are consenting participants then who am I to condemn their sexual proclivities?  You don't have the right to have sex with an adult human in a comma even though it won't injury them physically, emotionally or mentally, even though they won't have any memory of the event or what's going on, because they are not in a position to give consent.

Throwing in the caveat of "what if it causes no harm?" doesn't change whether or not consent should be sought and obtained.

We eat them. We cage them. We separate them from their mothers so we can keep them as pets. I don't see the logic of consent not matering for these things, and suddenly it matters when it comes to sex. And that is without common farming practices such as artificial insemination blurring the line. We routinely treat even animals we adore in ways that would be an assault on the dignity of a human being. I think lack of ability to consent is a red herring. And if the empathy doesnt extend to not eating them, that's a red herring as well, in my opinion.

I think bestiality is 'icky', but I can't think of an objective reason to make it illegal. Is it beneath human dignity? I think so, but some people are clearly wired not to be discriminating about the humanity of their living sexual partners, and some even prefer nonhumans.

Maybe there is no philosophical basis to criminalize zoophilia. But maybe there is consequential basis. I've heard Germany decriminalized bestiality in 1969 and re-criminalized it in 2013 due to pressure from animal rights groups. While it was criminalized, it was still illegal to physically harm the animal. After more than 40 years of being decriminalized, was there some unintended consequence that couldn't be tolerated?

Or was it something in the air in the last 14 years? Most US states didn't have laws against bestiality before 1999.

Oh my gosh, my thoughts exactly!!