Are Flamingos really Queer?

Elegant, glamorous and outrageously pink, no-one should be too surprised that flamingos can be queer.

Queer Flamingos illustration from Queer Animals Coloring zine. Written by author of trans speculative fiction, Kes Otter Lieffe. Illustrated by Anja Van Geert. This coloring zine celebrates the diversity of animals and our beautiful queer communities.
© Anja Van Geert

Among flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber), both males and females form same-sex pairs. They feed, travel, and sleep with their partners.

According to studies, female pairs engage in “full genital contact.” It seems that male pairs don’t so much, but they can build super-sized nests to incubate, hatch and raise foster chicks. Sometimes they have no previous experience with different-sex partners and sometimes they’re bi.

They also form triads. One female partners with two males or one male with two females. With lots of sexual affection all around.

A lot of this behaviour has been observed only in captivity, but researchers have also found super-sized nests in the wild, probably belonging to male-male pairs. There’s always more to discover.

One thing’s for certain, whatever flamingos are up to, they are always fabulous.


Read more about queer flamingos in our

Queer Animals and Plants colouring books

Queer Animals Colouring zine by author of trans speculative fiction, Kes Otter Lieffe. Illustrated by Anja Van Geert. This, the second edition of the colouring zine celebrates the diversity of animals and our beautiful queer communities.

Lesbian lizards, gay giraffes, bisexual red deer and sex-changing clownfish. This colouring book celebrates the diversity of animals. We explore some of the ways in which our beautiful queer communities exist far beyond the realms of human culture.

Order your copies here

Queer Plants Colouring zine by author of trans speculative fiction, Kes Otter Lieffe. Illustrated by Anja Van Geert. This, the second zine in the series celebrates the diversity of plants (and fungi) and our beautiful queer communities.

Asexual dandelions, sex-changing willows, boundary-smashing lichens and a fungus with over 20,000 sexes (kind of).
This colouring book celebrates the beautiful queerness that exists even in the places we least expect.

Order your copies here


Can animals be gay? Can plants be queer? Of course!

This coloring book celebrates the diversity of animals, plants, fungi, lichen, and coral. We explore some of the ways our beautiful queer communities exist far beyond the realms of human culture. 

Bring your brightest colors to learn about and befriend some of the most colorful characters in nature. This entertaining and educational resource was created by trans author and ecologist Kes Otter Lieffe. This book is richly illustrated by Anja Van Geert.

The perfect gift for all your friends who love queer animals and plants!

Order your copies here