It was a dark day in Sydney. On Wednesday, the Sea Life Aquarium announced the death of Sphen, aged 11.¹ The gentoo penguinA penguin species with a prominent tail. had died of natural causes.

Sphen is survived by his partner Magic. When zookeepers brought eight-year-old Magic to see Sphen's body, the younger penguin began singing a sad song to his lost lover.

Aquarium manager Richard Dilly said: "We want to take this opportunity to reflect and celebrate Sphen's life, remembering what an icon he was, the unique bond he shared with Magic and the positive impact he made in the world."

Sphen and Magic became global stars in 2018, after news emerged of their same-sex romance. They became powerful symbols of equality.²

They hit the news again for adopting and raising a pair of chicks, Sphengic and Clancy. While the other penguins in the colony were often distracted from their children, Sphen and Magic built the biggest nest and kept it warm.

Their fame grew to the point that they featured in an Australian school syllabusThe subjects or topics in an academic course - e.g. A-level Geography. and Netflix comedy-drama Atypical. In 2021 they even inspired a Mardi GrasFrench for "Fat Tuesday", for eating up richer, fatty foods. In English known as Shrove Tuesday, preceding Ash Wednesday (see below). float.

Timing played a role in their rise to the top. For a decade beforehand, Australian politics were gripped by a bitter debate over same-sex marriage for humans.³

Sphen and Magic's peaceful coexistence offered a lesson to squabbling humans. For centuries, people in same-sex relationships have been discriminated against. HomophobesSomeone who is prejudiced against gay people and relationships. often criticised them as "unnatural". 

But here was a sign that LGBTStands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. The initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.+ relationships occurred in nature - and that they could parent a child. Aquarium supervisor Tish Hannah said: "Penguins are born with the ability to raise chicks from start to finish whether they're male or female. We're the same."

Penguins are not the only non-human animals to have same-sex relationships. Scientists have found evidence of it in over 1,500 species, from bottlenose dolphins to bonobos.

Gay rights advocates say we can learn from this. If homosexuality is natural, then it deserves to be protected. It is no less normal than a heterosexual relationship.

Others think we should not make claims about humans based on the behaviour of other animals. Animals could form relationships for different reasons than humans.

And we cannot draw our morals from nature. Cats toy with their prey. Baboons kill their own young.⁴ We would not want to copy animal violence. So why should we use them as a model for anything else?

Is there a lesson for humans?

Yes: From Sphen and Magic to bottlenose dolphins, the animal kingdom abounds with same-sex relationships. From this it is clear that same-sex relationships are perfectly natural - and deserve to be respected and accepted.

No: We cannot cherry-pick those aspects of animal behaviour we identify with. Animals form all sorts of bonds that hardly resemble those preferred by humans. Gorilla males, for instance, often have numerous female partners.

Or... The story of Sphen and Magic is heartwarming. But it is depressing that we live in a world riven by so much anger, division, discrimination and prejudice that we look to penguins for a harmonious relationship.

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