Editing Zoosexuality (section)

== Sexual orientation and zoosexuality ==

The concept of zoosexuality refers to sexual orientation as opposed to fetishism, [[paraphilia]], or mental ailment. The term seems to have been introduced by Masters in the 1960s. At this time, in line with Kinsey's work, minority sexualities and various sexual attractions were beginning to be seen as anything other than a sign of a mental anomaly.

[[Hani Miletski]] was arguably the first formal research author discussing whether or not there is a sexual orientation towards animals. 

The term '[[zoosexual]]' itself is used by researchers like Miletsky in the 1990s being envisioned as a value-neutral term that would be less likely to be emotionally charged or rhetorical. Its use in nominal form can be applied both to a zoosexual person and to a zoosexual act.

In his doctoral thesis on zoophilia from 1996, Donofrio says her findings support the opinion of the American Psychiatric Association (American Psychiatric Association) expressed in its diagnostic manual ( DSM-IV ) as [[bestiality]] n in itself is not a "clinically significant problem" and its incidence is relatively uncommon. Studying the question [[further]], he also concludes that the conception and recognition of a sexual orientation towards animals (as opposed to a simple classification as paraphilia ) was supported by his study.

In a 1999 study described as "monumental" and "pioneer" , a reference work which analyzes the question in a global way and reviews all the work on the subject, Miletsky was the first researcher to formally consider whether an actual sexual orientation existed (as opposed to sexual fetishization) on the grounds that a scale similar to Kinsey's could apply to it.

Considering that zoosexuality would imply a sexual orientation towards animals and that the thesis of Donofrio (1996) supports the fact that zoophilia is a sexual orientation, on a scale like Kinsey's concerning sexual orientation, those who would not feel any attraction towards animals would appear at the zero points. Individuals whose desire and attraction relate to animals would be assigned the 6th position. In this continuum, between the two extremes, would appear individuals who have fantasies of sexual contact with animals, who have had incidental or more regular experiences with animals, or who place their sexual activity with animals at an equal place. than those involving humans, or finally, those who prefer and

When asked whether there is a sexual orientation towards non-human animals, Miletsky responds positively in his book. According to her, people show different levels of sexual inclination towards animals. Some have feelings of [[love]] or affection for their animals, others have fantasies about them and admit to being sexually attracted to them. She says:

"As we know, sexual orientation can be fluid and changeable over time and according to circumstances. We can thus place all people at different levels of the Kinsey scale by applying it to sexual orientation towards animals. Thus, it is logical to assume that the majority of the human race will be placed at the zero points of such a scale ... but the present study shows that there are humans whose place on such a scale is definitely not zero In fact, there are a few individuals whose place on this scale could even be the other extreme (6 = exclusive inclination towards animals)."
These results have also since been accredited by Andrea Beet who in her 2002 book: Love, Violence, and Sex with Animals agrees that there has been a lack in previous studies and that:

"The results of this study are consistent with the view of recent authors ... that in fact a sexual orientation towards animals - a zoosexuality - does exist, even if it is not appropriate to look at all people who have sex with animals as zoosexuals".
A series of articles from 2005-2006 published in the Journal of the International Society for Anthrozoology also supports this view.

A 2005 article, Zoophilia, between pathology and normality published by doctors from the Munich Polyclinic of Psychiatry and Psychology, establishes that:

"Bestiality, a sexual preference for animals, has lost its character as a severe mental disorder. In clinical practice, it is rarely seen these days, especially since it was decriminalized in Germany in 1970. The results of this study do not offer an explanation for the causes of bestiality. It is notable, however, that the subjects in question were socially well adjusted and fitted into good interpersonal relationships. ". The authors also draw attention that zoophilia exhibits a wide variety of manifestations.