Asexual Awareness Week takes place from October 23rd to 29th! In this article we have summarized everything important about this topic for you.
What is A_sexuality?
The term a_sexual describes a person who feels little to no sexual attraction to others. It can also mean that someone does not seek or have a desire for sexual relations, but this need not always be the case for everyone.
Nonetheless, a_sexual people may experience other forms of attraction, such as romantic, aesthetic, sensual, or platonic attraction. While most a_sexual people have low libido, some a_sexual people experience sexual desire. It is important to keep in mind that a_sexuality does not necessarily mean having an aversion to sex.
Did you know what the colors of the flag mean? Black represents a_sexuality, gray represents the a_sexual spectrum, white represents sexuality, and purple represents community. To emphasize that A_sexuality is a spectrum, many people add an underscore to the word ” a_sexual”.
History of A_sexuality
The term A_sexuality first emerged in the 1890s when German sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld referred to people without sexual desire as “anesthesia-sexuals.” In the 1940s, the Kinsey scale, a sexual scale assessment scale, was expanded to include Category X, which classified people without sexual contact or responses.
In the 1970s, psychologists distinguished between lack of sexual behavior and lack of sexual attraction to others. Over time, the term a_sexual gained more recognition and awareness, and today it is a commonly used term to describe sexual orientation. However, there are still many misconceptions about a_sexuality that need to be cleared up.
Did you know? Some famous a_sexual people are:
Emily Bronte
Isaac Newton
Yasmin Benoit
Nikola Tesla
Cavetown
Note: The individuals listed here have either publicly expressed their asexuality or have been deemed asexual by historians.
Now the question arises: do a_sexual people have sex anyway?
The short answer is yes, absolutely. But it really depends on the person and their preferences. In this article we will explain a few terms that further describe the relationship of a_sexual people to sex.
Sex-repulsed. This term describes a person who finds sex repulsive as an activity, as a topic of conversation, or in some other context. This is the common image people have of a_sexual people. However, it is only one form of experiencing one’s own sexuality and by no means applies to every a_sexual person.
Sex-indifferent. Refers to a person who feels indifferent to sex or the mention of sex in conversations, media, etc. They might compromise, e.g., have sex to feel connected to their partners, but have no need for it.
Sex-favorable. A_sexual people who are sex-favorable enjoy sex in a physical or emotional way and enjoy giving sexual pleasure to others. Often a_sexual people who are sex-favorable are confused with allosexual people, but it is important to remember that sexual preference is not the same as sexual attraction.
More a_sexual identities
A_sexuality is a spectrum – the term is often used as an umbrella term. We have already explained what A_sexuality means and yet there are more terms that describe identities that also fall on the spectrum. The question is: What are these identities?
Gray-Asexual. Refers to a person who experiences
sexual attraction infrequently, of low intensity, or
or directed toward specific individuals.
Demisexual. Describes a person who does not experience sexual attraction until they make an emotional connection.
Cupiosexual. A person who is on the a_sexual spectrum but still desires sexual relations.
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Fraysexual. Refers to a person who is sexually attracted to people they do not know well. The attraction diminishes once they get to know the person better.
Aceflux. Describes a person whose sexual orientation fluctuates between none, little, and strong attraction. Yet they are always somewhere on the ace spectrum.
Aegosexual. The person feels that there is no connection between them and the object of arousal. They may have sexual fantasies, etc., but not desire to have sexual intercourse.
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Common misconceptions about A_sexuality
A_sexuality is a relatively small label – it is estimated that about one percent of the population may be a_sexual. Because it is such a small label, it is no surprise that there are many misconceptions about a_sexuality. It is important to be aware and and educated about this topic.
“A_sexual people just hate sex.”
This may be true for some, but a_sexual people may have different sexual preferences.
“A_sexual people just haven’t found the right person yet.”
To a straight woman you probably wouldn’t say that she hasn’t met the right woman yet either….
“A_sexual persons cannot fall in love either.”
Not true! Yes, there are a_sexual people who also happen to be aromantic, but still, many a_sexual people can experience romantic attraction.
“A_sexuality is the result of trauma.”
Also wrong. A_Sexuality describes the attraction and not why one does not feel a certain kind of attraction.
“A_sexuality doesn’t really exist.”
Don’t be fooled by the lack of representation in the media or in your everyday life.
“A_sexual people don’t have sex, and when they do, it’s always vanilla.”
First, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying vanilla sex. And second, kink doesn’t have to be sexual.