The First Gay Penguin Parents of Australia

At the Sydney Sea Life Aquarium in Sydney Australia, two male Penguins, Sphen and Magic, first became mates and then parents. Magic, a 3 year-old from Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, is childish and likes to play with toys. Sphen, a 6 year-old from Sea World, is more mature and serious. When Sphen and Magic first became mates, Australia had just faced a fight over whether gay marriage should be legal. Their relationship became a symbol of the battle for gay marriage— if penguins could do it, why couldn’t humans?

When aquarium managers found a heterosexual penguin couple being negligent of an egg, it was given to Sphen and Magic. The two penguins watched over the egg, waiting for it to hatch and to become parents. Their child, named Sphengic, is now 3 months old and learning how to swim. While other penguins in the aquarium are looking for new mates, Sphen and Magic are still together. The three penguins have become one of the main attractions of the aquarium and are a model of a true family.