London Zoo’s penguins are getting in on the party action this Pride month.
Zookeepers have made a banner for the zoo’s most famous gay residents – penguins Ronnie and Reggie – paying homage to Stonewall’s ‘Get Over It’ campaign, aimed at tackling homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying.
The sassy sign, which is penguin-height and a fetching shade of red, reads: “Some penguins are gay. Get over it.”
People will be able to see it IRL at the zoo next Friday (5 July) – the day before London’s annual Pride parade – when the regular Zoo Nights event gets a Pride makeover.
And yes, the zoo’s colony of 93 Humboldt penguins will be joining in with the celebrations.
Ronnie and Reggie got together in 2014, according to the zoo, and adopted an egg that had been abandoned by another couple a year later. The pair shared parenting duties of their chick, Kyton, until he left the nest. “They remain as strong as ever and are often found snuggled up in their nest box together,” zookeepers say.
The duo share their home with 91 other penguins, including fellow same-sex couples Nadja and Zimmer and Dev and Martin, as well as one-year-old Rainbow, who hatched during Pride celebrations last year.
On 5 July, visitors to the zoo will be able to learn about gender and mating in the animal kingdom at a Pride-themed talk, where they’ll discover just how common same-sex pairings are – from penguins and pandas to goats and giraffes.
Visitors can also check out the zoo’s pride of lions, enjoy delicious street food from around the world and score a hole-in-one at a new mini-golf course.
And, on Sunday 7 July the zoo will host Rainbow Families – a storytelling show hosted by drag artist Mama G from Petite Pantos, sharing positive tales about “being who you are, and loving who you want”.
Sounds right up our street.