NETL Utilizes Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy to Characterize and Quantify Subsurface Fluids in Cores: Improved Recovery in Shale Reservoirs is a Likely Outcome

   

     Researchers at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) are focusing on new techniques for enhanced oil & gas recovery. In particular, they are utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy as a tool to characterize and quantify reservoir fluids in subsurface cores.

     According to Interesting Engineering:

“Primary recovery from hydraulic fracturing in these unconventional formations is typically between 3% and 10% of oil in place and 5% to 30% of natural gas in place,” said NETL researcher Angela Goodman, a world-renowned expert in geological systems.

     NMR can be used to determine the porosity and pore size distribution for pores as small as 1 nanometer. NMR can differentiate what fluids are present and in what quantities. It can also help determine how the reservoir would react to water flooding or CO2 flooding.

     They begin by saturating the cores in hydrocarbon oil, which makes the hydrogen nuclei line up. Then they apply a radiofrequency pulse, which knocks the hydrogen nuclei out of alignment, and as the pulse is switched off, the nuclei then “relax” back into an aligned state.  

“NMR relaxation times provide information about in-situ porosity (percentage of void space within a rock indicating how much water, oil, or gas it can hold), pore size distribution (size of pores within a rock), permeability (a measure of how easily fluids can flow through the interconnected pore spaces within the rock), and fluid saturation of the rock.”

     The researchers are also able to simulate reservoir conditions up to 10,000 psi and temperatures of 100 degrees Celsius. This is important because it allows simulations to be much closer to actual reservoir conditions.

“Such analyses enable the measurement of initial multiphase fluid saturation (water, hydrocarbons, etc.) and monitor fluid saturation changes throughout injection of new fluid such as CO2, natural gas, water, and surfactants intended to initiate oil recovery” said NETL researcher Lauren Burrows.

     The NMR technology will be used for experiments in which the oil-saturated rock core is held at high pressure and injected with natural gas, water, surfactant, or CO2 to complete a technique known as “huff-and-puff.” After digital scanning, they end up with a 3D map of the reservoir and fluid movements through it. With the resolution to study fluid movement through extremely small nanopores, the researchers are able to predict how effective secondary recovery will be in the formation. As noted from the NETL post below, the information gained can also help determine if surfactants will improve secondary recovery.

“Other benefits of undertaking NMR studies include tracking the ability of surfactants to change the wettability of oil-bearing rock. Wettability is the tendency of a fluid to spread on or adhere to a solid surface. Surfactants increase EOR by changing the wetting properties of the rock, allowing oil to flow more freely from pores.”

     NMR is not new in the oil & gas industry. I remember NMR being used in wireline logging to indicate reservoir fluids. A 2020 paper in the International Journal of Geosciences explores the use of NMR in the oil & gas industry. As indicated in the more recent studies, the rock is subjected to or is naturally abundant in hydrogen atoms, which align to a magnetic field, and when it is removed, switch back to a relaxed state and can provide information about reservoir fluids, as shown below in the graph. Some of the oil & gas uses of NMR are also described in the paper’s abstract.

     A 2022 paper in the Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology goes into more detail about the use of NMR in the oil & gas industry, including its use in logging-while-drilling and geosteering. Below are some “relaxation maps” for different reservoir fluids, followed by a depiction of one of the early developed NMR logging-while-drilling tools.

     The paper’s conclusions on the potential of NMR technology for oil & gas exploration and production are given below.

References:

 

US' oil, natural gas production could be maximized with highly advanced lab's new method. Prabhat Ranjan Mishra. Interesting Engineering. May 31, 2026. US' oil, natural gas production could be maximized with highly advanced lab's new method

NETL Research To Boost Oil and Gas Production by Maximizing Production in Tight Formations. National Energy Technology Laboratory. May 19, 2026. NETL Research To Boost Oil and Gas Production by Maximizing Production in Tight Formations | netl.doe.gov

A review on the applications of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in the oil and gas industry: laboratory and field-scale measurements. Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology. Volume 12, pages 2747–2784. March 14, 2022. Mahmoud Elsayed, Abubakar Isah, Moaz Hiba, Amjed Hassan, Karem Al-Garadi, Mohamed Mahmoud, Ammar El-Husseiny & Ahmed E. Radwan. A review on the applications of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in the oil and gas industry: laboratory and field-scale measurements | Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology | Springer Nature Link

A Review of the Application of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in Petroleum Industry. Ayorinde Janet Olaide, Ehinola Olugbenga, and Durogbitan Abimbola. International Journal of Geosciences > Vol.11 No.4, April 2020. A Review of the Application of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in Petroleum Industry

 

Latest U.S. Coal Revival Plans Include Building Large New Plant in West Virginia, Which is Already Powered by 87% Coal

    

      The state of West Virginia only recently became less than 90% coal powered as other sources came online. In fact, natural gas recently overtook wind power to become the second largest generation source in the state. This is despite the availability of abundant natural gas and some of the least expensive natural gas in the country. The coal lobby is very strong in the state and has long opposed natural gas power. The state has the highest per capita carbon emissions and, more importantly, likely the highest per capita air pollution emissions from the power sector in the country. Wyoming rivals it with coal-fired output, but Wyoming is a state with a lower population and is not near population centers in nearby states, unlike West Virginia. The state produces more power than it consumes, so some of its production is exported to nearby states. Thus, it also exports coal power for consumption in nearby states.

     I was a bit flabbergasted to read that the U.S. Dept. of Energy is planning to offer millions in funding for a new 1.6 GW coal-fired plant in West Virginia. If that plant were online today, it would bring the coal share back up to 89%. The state is an aberration, being powered by coal far more than any other state (except Wyoming). I also think the administration has been overly cautious in ordering the delay of some coal plant retirements. The utility companies in those states, some red, some blue, generally say the retirement delays are not needed.  

     Trump said that coal-powered electricity is cheaper, so I thought I would look at the EIA data. West Virginia, 87% coal-powered, had an average residential electricity price of 16.37 cents per kW-hour. I first compared with nearby states that have less but still significant amounts of coal production. Ohio is at 18.78 cents/kWh, and Pennsylvania is at 20.92 cents/kW-hr. However, when I looked at nearby Virginia, which is powered by natural gas (56.5%), nuclear (26.3%), solar (8.45%), coal (3.36%), and biomass (3.33%), I saw that the residential electricity price as just 17.05 cents/kW-hr, only slightly more expensive than nearly all-coal West Virginia, with barely any coal -fired power. Thus, the argument that coal-powered electricity is cheaper has some truth to it, but it is really just slightly cheaper. Many states with far less coal-fired power produce it cheaper than West Virginia. There are many different reasons for power cost differences, but the argument that coal power is cheaper is not a super-strong one to promote coal. It is likely only moderately cheaper. If negative externalities like air quality degradation are accounted for, the societal expense of coal goes up, not to mention carbon emissions.

     The Trump administration has announced two new coal-fired plants in Anchorage, Alaska, and Mt. Storm, West Virginia, which would total 2.85 GW of capacity. They would be the first new U.S. coal plants to come online since 2013. They announced $850 million in funding for the two new plants and various upgrades to 17 existing facilities.

    David Jenkins, president of Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship, had some harsh words about the announcement:

“{It is} swamp politics at its worst, and there is nothing even remotely conservative about it.”

     As in several of the administration’s moves, they cited an emergency situation, invoking the Defense Production Act funding to expand the coal industry.

“Last year we prevented 17 GW of coal-powered electricity from going offline. That’s enough power for about 13 million homes, and at a very low price. It’s the lowest price,” Trump said of coal resources.

     Of course, most of those plants were operating at very low utilization rates, far below their capacities. The most inefficient plants are commonly the first to face retirement, in addition to the oldest ones.

     According to Utility Dive:

“This move, along with the President blocking the retirement of old coal plants that are too costly to operate, is making most Americans poorer,” Jenkins said. “This is a total misuse of the Defense Production Act, a giant giftwrapped payout to subsidize and prop up a flailing industry that can no longer compete in the free market.”

     Below, they summarize some of the planned upgrades:

“In a separate announcement, DOE said four projects will receive up to $350 million under the agency’s “Restoring Reliability: Coal Recommissioning and Modernization” initiative, to add or preserve roughly 3.6 GW of coal-fired capacity.”    

     Energy Secretary Chris Wright had this to say:

“Americans are upset about high electricity prices,” Wright said at the White House event. “Blame closing existing, reliable, secure plants, and replacing them with subsidized, unreliable plants — a guaranteed way to drive electricity prices up.”

     What he doesn’t mention is that natural gas plants are reliable, more dispatchable than coal since they can be ramped up and down more easily, and can provide baseload power as cheaply as coal in many places, and can do it much cleaner than coal. It is true that more intermittent renewables on the grid drive up power prices. That is a good argument for slowing down the transition to cleaner power, but, of course, it is not a reason to abandon it. In the case of West Virginia, it should have a massive abundance of baseload, generally dispatchable power, but that coal power is not as readily dispatchable as natural gas power.

 

References:

 

Trump administration announces $850M to modernize US coal capacity, build two new plants. Robert Walton. Utility Dive. June 5, 2026. Trump administration announces $850M to modernize US coal capacity, build 2 new plants | Utility Dive

List of power stations in West Virginia. Wikipedia. List of power stations in West Virginia - Wikipedia

Electric Power Monthly: Table 5.6.A. Average Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers by End-Use Sector, by State, March 2026 and 2025 (Cents per Kilowatthour). Energy Information Administration. Electric Power Monthly - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

List of power stations in Virginia. Wikipedia. List of power stations in Virginia - Wikipedia

Cuba is Scrambling to Deploy Solar Energy Amid Oil Blockade: Chinese Workers Have Been Helping, Starting Before the Blockade, Now Accelerating

      Cuba is fast-tracking and expanding its solar deployment amid the current U.S. oil blockade on the country. China is helping Cuba deploy solar. Even before the blockade, the country was struggling with frequent and sometimes long power blackouts due to an inadequate power grid, creating a severe energy crisis. These days, they can last longer than 24 hours.

     I have noted before that while I agree that pressure is needed on Cuba and the regime needs to be fixed or changed, the blockade is not the best way to go about it. It creates a humanitarian disaster that hurts everyone in the country, not just the government. According to CNN, Cuba is:

“…currently pulling off one of the fastest solar revolutions on the planet, with help from China.”

     The solar push began well before the blockade. According to the Washington Post:

Chinese exports of solar equipment to Cuba “skyrocketed from about $5 million in 2023 to $117 million in 2025 and show no sign of stopping. Beijing pledged last year to help Cuba build more than 92 solar parks by 2028, and more than half of these projects have come online.” Along with providing materials, Chinese companies “have also been facilitating installation” and “working directly in Cuba to build solar farms.”

     The Cuban government has announced plans to move to 100% renewable power by 2050, but that is not likely to solve its energy problems, even if successful, due to the limitations of intermittent power.

     According to ‘The Week US’:

“The “installation of 52 solar photovoltaic parks has been completed, contributing more than 1,000 MWp and generating, at peak output, 38% of the energy consumed during daylight hours,” said Granma, the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party. Renewable energy “now accounts for some 10% of the island’s electricity, up from 3.6% in 2024,” said The Associated Press. However, “distribution remains limited, and few Cubans can afford such a system.”

“While solar power and renewable energy in general have ramped up in Cuba, it is “highly unlikely that, considering their current situation today, Cuba could achieve the goal of 100% renewables by the year 2050,” Jorge Piñon, a researcher at the University of Texas at Austin’s Energy Institute, said to NBC News. The “surge may be rapid but solar power is not yet available at scale,” said CNN. Cuba’s solar parks are “small and scattered.” Solar power is “also only generated when the sun shines, meaning it cannot meet peak evening demand.”

     They note that the wealthier areas of Cuba, such as Havana, have more batteries deployed and are likely the only areas to succeed with solar plus battery options for round-the-clock power. Rural areas and poor areas likely won’t see much improvement from solar, and certainly won’t be able to afford expensive battery backup.

     Ultimately, we need a Cuba free of communist dictators, free of Russians, free of alliances with other U.S. adversaries, and with a democratic government. Then the country can rejoin the international community and become free and prosperous. Well over half century of oppressive government has done little for the country.

   

 

 

References:

 

Cuba’s solar expansion is happening fast. Devika Rao. The Week US. May 27, 2026. Cuba’s solar expansion is happening fast

First Craneless Installation of a Wind Turbine in Namibia is An Important Milestone That May Lower Future Installation Costs

      Fortescue subsidiary Nabrawind successfully erected a utility-scale turbine without the use of a giant crane in a wind industry first in Namibia. This makes it possible to erect turbines in windier conditions since operating giant cranes is limited to low wind conditions, and they must wait for the wind to die down before they can be used. The giant cranes are also difficult to transport to remote areas. Once the approach is perfected, this could lower costs for utility-scale wind farms. Nabrawind installed its first Goldwind GW165/6000 turbine at Namibia's InnoVent Diaz wind farm using what it calls its Total Self-Erecting System (SES) and Skylift technology. The crane in the pictures below is not being used. It is only there if needed. It was not needed.

     An article in The Cool Down notes the advantages of the company’s craneless turbine deployment system:

“The system can function in unstable winds of around 15 meters per second, or about 33 miles per hour, with gusts reaching 20 m/s, or about 45 mph. Conventional cranes, by comparison, may be limited to roughly six to eight m/s (13 to about 18 mph) during some key installation steps.”

“The company also said the technology can work with multiple existing turbine and tower types, rather than just a single custom design.”

“If the method proves repeatable, it could help solve one of the biggest logistical challenges in wind development: transporting enormous equipment to remote sites and then waiting for perfect weather conditions to use it.”

“Less downtime and less heavy transport could translate into lower project costs, shorter construction timelines, and more dependable deployment.”

     According to Electrek:

“The InnoVent Diaz wind farm will eventually feature seven Goldwind GW165/6000 wind turbines deployed with Nabrawind’s Total SES and Skylift solutions, enabling the company to demonstrate both the repeatability of the processes and their ability to handle complex installation procedures a broader range of environmental conditions.”

     The company’s goal is to decrease the installation time to a net cycle time of one week by the time they get to the seventh one.

     Below, a commenter further explains how the alternative erection system works:    

References:

 

Wind turbine installed without giant crane in breakthrough test. Brooklyn Smith. The Cool Down. June 4, 2026. Wind turbine installed without giant crane in breakthrough test

Fortescue Nabrawind deploy first crane-less wind turbine in Africa. Jo Borrás. Electrek. May 30, 2026. Fortescue Nabrawind deploy first crane-less wind turbine in Africa

Quaise Energy’s Project Obsidian Details Released: Millimeter Wave Drilling Expected to Make Vitrified Boreholes for Superhot Geothermal Energy Production

     Phase 1 of Quaise Energy’s Project Obsidian is underway in Oregon as construction commenced in April. The goal of the project is to tap into hot rock greater than 300 degrees C (572 degrees F). The project is hoped to be operational and producing power in 2030. The first power plant is slated to make 50MW of low-emissions baseload power.  Phase 2 is expected to target 250MW, and the final goal for the area is 1GW of power production capacity.

     Quaise has been working on its subsurface and heat modeling. According to Daniel W. Dichter, a senior mechanical engineer at Quaise:

“This analysis validates our long-held hypothesis that higher subsurface temperatures entail substantial improvements in power production. It shows us that we can get to a capacity of 50 megawatts of power with this system.”

“If these first wells work the way we think they will, they will be on par with exceptionally productive oil and gas wells in terms of equivalent power output.”

     Phase 1 plans are detailed below:

“The first phase of Project Obsidian will consist of two separate geothermal well systems. One will target rock at temperatures reaching as high as 365 degrees Celsius (689 degrees F) with an average temperature of 315 degrees C. The other will target rock at temperatures as high as 415 degrees (779 degrees F) with an average temperature of 365 degrees C.”

“Why build two systems targeting different temperatures? The one targeting an average of 315 degrees C, says Dichter, “is on the cusp of what is achievable today, so it’s lower technical risk. With what we learn from that system, we’ll go to the hotter one, which is riskier.”

     Quaise has classified its project criteria into three types: Tier I, which accesses shallow superhot rock, which is only available in certain places. Project Obsidian is being developed in a Tier I location; Tier II locations will drill to rocks at intermediary geothermal gradients, which make up nearly 40% of the world; Tier III involves drilling as much as 19 kilometers down (about 12 miles). That will be the real test for millimeter wave drilling, since it will exceed the deepest drilled wells globally. Quaise’s process involves drilling down first with the conventional rotary drilling technology utilized in the oil & gas industry, then drilling the deeper basement rocks, typically granite and other igneous rock, with millimeter wave technology. Theoretically, once Tier I and Tier II sites are developed, learning from that can be applied to Tier III sites.

     Below are some of the details of the first drilling to be done at the site:

“Each of the two well systems, in turn, comprises three wells. Water will be pumped down one of these to the hot rock. The two wells on either side will capture the hot water that results from flowing through the hot rock. Contributing to the project’s small footprint: the pipes conveying water to and from the SHR {superhot rock} formation have a maximum inner diameter of only about ten inches.”

“The first phase of Project Obsidian will also have a seventh, or confirmation, well. This one—the first to be drilled— will give the Quaise team key information on variables including the geomechanical, or physical, properties of the superhot rock. These data will dictate, for example, how the team fractures rock at depth to create pathways for water to flow.”

“The confirmation well is expected to be in operation later this year.”

      Below, what may be learned by Phase I to improve the project is given.

History and Potential of Millimeter Wave Drilling and Borehole Vitrification

     An article for the American Ceramic Society explores the science and technology of millimeter drilling. Higher temperatures and pressures in deeper rocks can cause conventional tungsten carbide or diamond-tipped drill bits to fail. The mechanical teeth are pulverized, and the bearings wear down to nothing in a matter of hours. Hard rock drilling in hard granitic rocks can drop to less than a meter per hour and lead to multiple hours-long tripping out and in of drill pipe to change the bit. The article explains:

“Millimeter wave (MMW) drilling is a paradigm-shifting directed-energy approach to achieving universal superhot rock access by melting and vaporizing rock rather than grinding it. It is more efficient than traditional drilling because there are no cutting heads to wear out. Rather than fighting the superhard bedrock, it simply melts it out of the way…”

“MMW drilling leverages a well-established nuclear fusion technology: the gyrotron. A gyrotron is a high-powered vacuum tube that emits millimeter-wave electromagnetic radiation. These waves are traditionally used to heat plasma in fusion reactors, but ceramic engineers may also use them to sinter advanced ceramics. In the case of MMW drilling, the gyrotron is used to melt and vaporize the hard bedrock.”

     The long wavelengths of the energy beam generated by the gyrotron make it much more efficient for heating and melting rock, up to five times more efficient than shorter wavelengths.

“High-pressure gas streams (such as nitrogen or argon) are continuously injected downhole to flash-cool the hot rock vapors into fine nanoparticles, flushing them cleanly up and out of the wellbore.”

“The intense high-frequency thermal energy fundamentally alters the borehole walls. As the primary beam vaporizes the central core of the hole, the peripheral heat partially melts the surrounding rock walls. As this molten layer cools, it transforms into a permanent glass-like liner. Vitrification has the following intrinsic advantages:”

     In 2009, scientists at MIT validated millimeter wave drilling. The MIT scientists and some geothermal geologists and engineers from AltaRock Energy founded Quaise Energy in 2018. They got an ARPA-E grant in 2019 and secured $6 million in seed funding in 2020.

“Quaise’s long-term goal is to deploy MMW drilling rigs at soon-to-be-decommissioned coal and natural gas power plants. By drilling deep, localized superhot rock loops at these facilities, they can swap out the old fossil-fuel boilers and feed clean geothermal energy directly into the plant’s turbines and export it through the existing electrical grid connection. This setup preserves local energy jobs and saves trillions in capital expenditures.”

     There are still some engineering challenges to be worked out as the technology is further validated. They are listed below:

     As the abstract from a paper about Project Obsidian, published in the Proceedings of the 51st Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering at Stanford University notes, the project is an enhanced geothermal project that requires hydraulically fracturing the impermeable rock after drilling and adding water to the newly created reservoir. The abstract discusses the well and power plant configurations.

      According to the paper:

“The wells are planned to be drilled vertically until reaching approximately 2 km TVD, after which they back-track slightly, then follow a straight path inclined at 45°. This inclination provides horizontality in the feedzone such that the wells can be connected by a series of fractures, which are expected to propagate approximately in the vertical direction. The chosen inclination angle may be modified within the approximate range of 45-80° based on confirmation well results, challenges associated with high-temperature directional drilling, and stimulation modeling. Regardless of the inclination angle, the trajectory is planned to provide a feedzone measuring at least 1 km long as projected onto the ground plane. The producer wells have a 7” outer diameter casing below about 2.5 km TVD, and a 9 5/8” outer diameter casing above; the injector wells have similar trajectories with a 7” outer diameter casing throughout.”

     Below is a graph of the modeled energetic power in MW vs. Enthalpy in kJ/kg.

 

 

References:

 

Quaise Energy on track to build world’s first power plant using superhot geothermal energy. Elizabeth A. Thomson. April 22, 2026. Quaise Energy. Quaise Energy on track to build world’s first power… | Quaise Energy

Concept of a High-Temperature EGS Plant in Central Oregon. Daniel W. Dichter, Trenton T. Cladouhos, Quinlan Byrne, Victor J. Rustom, and Greg Szutiak. PROCEEDINGS, 51st  Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering. Stanford University, Stanford, California, February 9-11, 2026. SGP-TR-230. Concept of a High-Temperature EGS Plant in Central Oregon

Millimeter-wave drilling: Extracting geothermal energy through vitrified boreholes. Ceramic Tech Today. The American Ceramic Society. May 28, 2026. Millimeter-wave drilling: Extracting geothermal energy through vitrified boreholes - The American Ceramic Society

 

 

Hydrostor’s Compressed Energy Storage Technology Requires Caverns Built in Igneous or Metamorphic Rock, A Closed-Loop Water Reservoir, and Both Air and Water Shafts

      Company Hydrostor has patented its compressed air energy storage (CAES) technology, which utilizes constructed caverns in igneous or metamorphic rock. The company builds its caverns in a ‘room-and-pillar’ fashion, similar to underground mines. The system uses air pressure provided by large compressors and water pressure provided by water pumped in and out from a surface reservoir.

     Building the system in igneous and metamorphic rock severely limits where it can be deployed, but those rocks have low porosity and permeability, so that air and water do not leak out, which would make the system less effective. When the air is injected into the cavern, the water is pushed out to the surface reservoir.

“To increase the energy density of the cavern and improve the operating efficiency, the cavern is flooded with water and connected to a water reservoir on the ground surface – referred to as hydrostatic compensation.”

     Below, it is shown how the caverns are constructed.

     Below is the company’s Willow Rock Energy Storage project in Kern County, California, which is at an advanced stage of development. The company also has active projects in Australia, Ontario, Canada, and near Phoenix, Arizona.

     The technology is basically emissions-free when it is running, but things like cavern construction and rock analysis through drilling cores are generally emissions-intensive. There is no information about costs, which are likely to be high, especially for the cavern and shaft building. The rock removed needs to be stored or moved for disposal. Moving rock is energy-intensive, and storing it may have environmental impacts. I have not seen anything about the economics of these projects, but they are likely to be very high, as most long- duration energy storage (LDES) projects are. This limits their applicability. Thus, issues like cost and the lack of availability of suitable rocks will limit where such facilities can be built. However, LDES projects can provide important benefits to places where intermittent renewables are saturating power grids by storing excess generation and limiting the need for backup power that is often provided by natural gas.

   

 

References:

 

What Lies Beneath: Unearthing Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage. Hydrostor. 2026. What Lies Beneath – Unearthing Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage - Hydrostor

 

LGBTQ Rights are Basic Human Rights, and We Should Accept Them as Such

 

 

       It’s Pride month, so I will post about LGBTQ issues, specifically the data on its growing acceptability around the world, and where it is dangerous. In some societies, it is not acceptable, and people found guilty of it are imprisoned, tortured, and generally treated badly. Many people see homosexuality as a crime, as unnatural, as a disease, or as something to scorn and choose to shame those involved with it. Homosexuals were tortured and killed by the Nazis, just as the Jews and Roma people were, all considered less than human. Is it unnatural? If you have ever had farm animals or even pets for that matter, you would know that it is indulged in by animals. That certainly suggests that it is not unnatural at all, but a common feature of nature.

     Some people will point out that many child molesters indulge in homosexual behavior. This is true, but it is often perpetrated by people who are not openly gay or bisexual, and often by those who openly oppose such behavior even though they indulge in it privately in a criminal way.

     Many people like the events of Pride Month, but others hate them, especially things like gay parades. Societies where human rights are suppressed, like Russia, openly hate gay behavior, seeing it as too open and associating it with more permissive European societies. Perhaps they see it as “satanic,” like some religious groups see it.

     As the graph below from humanprogress.org shows, the legality of homosexuality continues to grow around the world and is not likely to backtrack.

     GZero World notes that while acceptance of homosexuality continues to increase, there is still much opposition to it, and the world remains divided about it.

“Twenty-five years ago, the Netherlands became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage. Thirty-seven countries have since followed — but same-sex marriage remains illegal in far more places than it's legal. In Sweden, 92% support it. In Nigeria, just 2%. As Pride Month begins, the world remains deeply divided on LGBTQ rights.”

     Below, they give the data on same sex marriage for selected countries. The graphic is based on Pew research that shows the percentage of people in different countries who support or oppose same sex marriage.

     Acceptance of same sex marriage allows those people to enjoy the same rights afforded to couples with heterosexual marriages, such as tax advantages, spouse medical coverage, and other rights afforded to spouses. This is simply an issue of fairness.

     I think we can glean from the data that strongly religious in general oppose it, including majority Christian societies (Hungary, Kenya), Muslim societies (Indonesia, Malaysia, and likely many more not listed here), Jewish societies (Israel), and even some Buddhist majority societies (Sri Lanka). There may also be cultural taboos against it.

     In the U.S., generally speaking, it is accepted more by Democrats than Republicans. Republicans tend to be more traditional, supporting religious reasons for opposing it. A case in point is a post and comment thread from two Republican Reps, one anti-gay and the other gay, shown below.

     Unfortunately, many gay people feel oppressed by society, even in societies that generally accept them. In the U.S., acceptance can vary by state. Gay people often move to states where acceptance is higher, to escape perceived oppression. Lots of people hate ideas like Pride Month because they say it promotes gay behavior and grooms people to want to experiment with it. Of course, acceptance does not in itself encourage people to try it, but more people will experiment in societies that accept it. That is a natural side effect of acceptance that those who oppose will just have to accept it and deal with it. Gay people have existed throughout history, sometimes thriving, but often being oppressed as well. Warriors in ancient societies often practiced homosexuality and transsexuality, and at times, such behavior was considered normal.

     Some may argue that events like Pride Month are overly celebrated and that we shouldn't have companies celebrating it. The argument there is often that we can accept it without promoting it. That is a legitimate argument. It is also often associated with so-called "woke" ideologies. 

     My own view is to accept it. It’s not a big deal. People who oppose it tend to make it a big deal, but it’s really not. It’s just loving, liking, or being aroused by whoever you want. As they say, love is love, but also interest is interest. Religious people may see it as the work of Satan, but others see that as a foolish notion that should not hold sway in society. Some people are afraid of being turned gay by a permissive society, but we shouldn’t care about their hangups. Gay is here to stay. It ain’t going away, so get used to it. As the humanprogress.org graph shows, acceptance of it is a trend that is not likely to reverse itself.