Dr. Hani Miletski Asks DelphiGirl, "How Do You Cope?"

Happy New Year everyone! :)  I hope you and your loved ones have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2013.

For this first entry of 2013, I will be sharing an excerpt from correspondence with Dr. Hani Miletski, Ph.D., MSW,  author of "Understanding Bestiality and Zoophilia" ( www.drmiletski.com ).

I initially wrote to Dr. Miletski to thank her for her research on bestiality and zoophilia (namely, the differences thereof and the assertion that zoosexuality is a legitimate sexual orientation rather than a paraphilia), and for writing her book.  I also indicated that if she ever conducted further research, I'd be happy to participate.  I also asked her if she's spoken with many female zoophiles, to which she replied that she had, but only very few.  This is not surprising to me at all.  It's lonely and difficult for us all, I imagine, but definitely more so for females.  One of the questions she asked of me really got me thinking, not only about myself, but about others like me:
"How do you cope?"
This is an important question for every zoosexual, given the rarity of our sexuality (at least in terms of those of us who acknowledge this part of ourselves) and the nearly-universal prejudice and condemnation we face.  While much of my answer is specific to delphisexuals, I do think some of it applies to zoosexuals in general.  After much thought and reflection, I replied with the following:

"As for your question, this is something that is difficult for myself and others who share my primary attraction.  You're right, there are no wild dolphins here (obviously!) and the proposed captive marine park facility never opened (thankfully! I am passionately opposed to captive cetacea, as are all similarly-inclined zoosexuals I've spoken with).  My first exposure to dolphins occurred in different places (visits to California and living in the Bay Area for a time; beautiful pictures from a marine biology teacher and an organized visit from this class to a marine research facility in Mexico).  The sad truth is that most delphinic zoos will never be able to have a relationship for obvious reasons.  There is very limited access to captive cetacea and only a small number of animals in such facilities; all of whom can be easily identified, so contact with them is extremely unlikely for most, and very risky for those who work with them. As for wild dolphins, one faces a difficult situation due to the Marine Mammal Protection Act here in the U.S., similar laws in other coastal places in the world, and other issues prohibiting interaction with these animals.  Despite these obstacles, though, some people have had relationships with wild dolphins, and several trainers over the years have shared photos and video of their beloved companions with the DZ community.  It's obviously much harder to find this material and it passes primarily from word of mouth.
How do I deal?  I deal like most DZ's. No matter where one lives, access is limited to most people (as I shared above).  It is therefore extremely painful and awful to know that myself and others with similar sexualities will most likely never have an opportunity to have such a relationship.  I cope primarily by celebrating the species I love and doing all I can to advocate for them.  I am a passionate anti-captivity activist and my love for dolphins compels me to fight for their welfare.  At the moment, the worst issues are the dolphin drives in Taiji, Japan; the pilot whale grinds in the Faroes; captive cetacea in miserable situations and the dolphin serial mutilations/grisly murders happening here in the US.  It positively devastates me.  I'm far from alone.  Like many zoosexuals (and plenty of "normal" people!), animal rights in general is a huge issue for me.
I cope by writing, collecting precious images, stories and artwork; talking with others.  Finding the online community has helped me in a big way; to find that I'm not alone and to find you and others who have investigated this issue much further than Kinsey."


So, what about you?  How do you cope?  I would be interested in hearing from any other zoos (male or female, regardless of which nonhuman animals you're attracted to, but especially female delphisexuals) who feel like sharing how they cope with their sexuality.  You are welcome to comment here or respond privately.