#i fucking love all of this
More alien aliens headcanon, no. 549:
Gorn are taste telepaths. Similarly to the elves from the Divinity series or space marines from 40k, they can get psychic impressions of thoughts, memories or skills by consuming the DNA of animals or humanoids. This is why they prefer meat from animals that lived well and died quickly. Ritual cannibalism is the standard way of showing respect to a deceased loved one, a fallen enemy or an executed convict (if considered rehabilitated). A part of the person will live on in society, their contributions are acknowledged and honoured. A person who does not get eaten is denied an afterlife, doomed to be forgotten, and forever separated from society. This is reserved as the highest form of punishment or a last resort.
When first fighting Humans, prejudices about the Gorn - cold-blooded killers, cruel savages, worse than animals - psychically affected the soldiers eating fallen enemies as a post-battle ritual. Even worse, Humans are one of the only species that cause neurodegenerative disorders in Gorn when consumed. This means that Gorn units that fight Humans will eventually turn into the bloodthirsty, sadistic killers and cannibals their enemies saw them as. When infected Gorn are given standard funeral rites they pass the double threat of psychic insanity and prion disease on to their mourners.
Once the effects of exposure to Humans became clear and study of the causes became impossible, the Gorn drew their conclusions: Humans cannot contribute to society, cannot enter the afterlife, have no souls. They are to be killed on sight, communication with them is forbidden. Any Gorn that has been near a Human needs to be executed and the body burned - a great yet necessary evil.
