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Since the start of the campaign to save Benjy the gay bull from slaughter, 165 backers have so far come forward pledging over £2,000.

‘We are really blown away by the support for Benjy at this very early stage in the campaign’, said Graham Davies from TheGayUK. ‘Donations have been coming in from as far as Europe and America, as well as closer to home in the UK and Ireland.

TheGayUK, along with Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN) based in Ireland and Hillside Animal Sanctuary in the UK have forged a plan to save Benjy the gay Bull from slaughter this Christmas. Benjy is facing certain death after he failed to show interest in mating with the females in the herd.

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The farmer, had originally bought the bull for breeding, however Benjy has shown more interest in the other male bulls and failed to impregnate any of the cows.

TheGayUK has set up a Crowd Funding page to help save Benjy from slaughter. Donations can be made at: www.CrowdFunder.co.uk/Save-Benjy-The-Gay-Bull

‘We hope to raise £5,000 to buy Benjy and have him re-homed within the Hillside Animal Sanctuary where he’ll be looked after till the natural end of his life.’ said Graham Davies, Co-Founder of TheGayUK. ‘When we first heard about the story in the office we were quite shocked as poor Benjy isn’t being slaughtered because of illness, but instead because he was gay. Where’s the acceptance? Many LGBT people in the UK still fear judgment from others around them, so choose not to come out. We wanted to do something positive, to make a stand and say someone is on your side. Man or beast. We are offering certain rewards for your pledges, however the main reason here is to save Benjy from slaughter.’

Homosexuality in nature is widely observed. In fact same-sex attraction is noted in over 1,500 species. Most recently two male penguins became the talk of the town after the zoo in which they are housed called them the ‘best parents they had ever seen’.

“The plight of little Benjy is hitting the hearts and households of Irish society with the reality of what will face this innocent boy if someone somewhere doesn’t step in,” says ARAN’s John Carmody. “As a gay man myself, I know only too well what it is like to be treated indifferently, that’s why I hope we can give Benjy a second chance in life whilst helping to bring attention to the problems facing all gay people everywhere around the world, and of course the many other Benjy’s that are brought to slaughter on a daily basis who are not so lucky.”

Article | Levi Joule 

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