The song reportedly was banned by the BBC for its "explicit reference to gay sex" with the lyrics "homo superior / in my interior".
"[10] In a 1982 Trouser Press review, Jim Green said the song was "proof that Shelley is still a masterful maker of singles...and he still delivers punchy pop-rock."
[3] Charles Shaar Murray named it single of the week in NME, calling it "Shelley's coming-out as a solo artist, and it's a sharp number with a decidedly crisp rhythm, Bowiesque acoustic guitar, and vocals and a melody line you will not forget.
"[11] Lucas Hilderbrand, a professor at UC Irvine, sees "Homosapien" as a "curious pride anthem" that never uses the word "gay" in its lyrics,[12] much like other tracks by queer artists from the time, for example Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" and Queen and David Bowie's "Under Pressure".
[14] Ian Young, in a tribute to Shelley written for the BBC, called "Homosapien" "an out-and-out electro LGBT anthem,"[15] and the track was popular at gay dance clubs at the time it came out.