asexuality

Dear all,

My name is Andrew Hinderliter, and I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign. My dissertation is about online asexual discourse, with particular interest in its development over time. I ran one survey last January, and I am now conducting a survey on asexuality-related concepts and terminology.

To participate, you must be at least 18 years of age or older, be proficient in English, and identify as asexual, gray-A, or demisexual. The survey has a number of language-related questions, and it is asked that you do not look things up while taking the survey.

Click here to participate

Thanks!

I'm curious as to what people think of it. I have an ASD, which gives me a lot of trouble when it comes to relationships and connecting emotionally to people, and as a result of that that I am rarely physically attracted to someone else, and even if I am issues with physical intimacy mean that I rarely actually do anything about it. So, functionally, I am asexual. And since I've come to terms with this I've discovered that there is a LOT of hostility towards asexuality, from both gay and straight people. I'd like to know what your attitude is, and why.


THANS!

Just in case there are any freelance writers here - I just noticed that Elance has a job posting from a guy who wants someone who can write asexual erotica.

Figured I'd pass it on.

https://www.elance.com/j/ghostwriting-asexual-erotica-kink/40903905/

Hi everyone.

I have only discovered asexuality in the last 12 months and wish I had discovered it earlier as I am a thirtysomething woman who feels that her relationships would have been a lot better. I still have several questions though:

1. Where can I find more information on sexual attraction vs sexual arousal? Even though I strongly identify at this point as a / demisexual, I would still like to know more about this.

2. More often than not asexuality is described as: asexuals have no sexual desires with any gender and do not engage in sexual activity.

I don't experience sexual attraction and don't enjoy sex but I engage in sex for the sake of my partner. Does this affect my sexual orientation?

3. Are there any other Australians in this community? Just curious. Would also like to hear your dating adventures. I am at the point where I try to actively seek out homosexual men to spend time with as I can't get a decent conversation out of the heterosexual ones as all they want to do is talk about sex!

Many thanks for your time and tolerance.

CNN had an article today called Youth: Straight, LGBT or 'other'?

It summarized a recent Gallop poll about sexuality.

About half-way down, it goes into people who don't identify with "straight" or "GLBT" and quotes a sex therapist using the term "Gender and sexual diversity." Then it says, simply,

"That term could also include the 1% of people who identify as asexual, which means they aren't sexually attracted to anyone."

And that's it. No debate on legitimacy, no bringing in the "other side," just a neutral mention of asexualty with an accurate definition, and a (so far as I know) accurate statistic.

I don't think I've ever seen that in the media before. Either asexuality doesn't get mentioned at all or it becomes the whole point of the article, a 101 awareness bit, and often with a legitimacy debate attached.

Just a small thing I thought I'd share:

Someone on my college campus made a secret facebook group for aces on campus, and I'm pretty excited! It's small (which fits, because our school is tiny), but I like that I know most of the people in it and didn't realize that half of them identified as someone on the asexual spectrum. It feels like I'm in a secret club, and helps me realize that there are more of us than I thought.

Seeing as there are so many parodies of the Facebook equals sign, I was wondering why there isn't one for asexuals.


Cake for everyone*!

That being said, I support the right of gay marriage 100%, just because I don't want something for myself doesn't mean others should be denied the choice.

* Count the candles.

Hi all,

I couldn't seem to find a community anywhere on LJ specifically geared towards the discussion of being aromantic. So I made one: aromanticnation Both sexual aromantics (like myself) and asexual aromantics are welcome, so please do sign up if it interests you. (: At the moment it's a WIP but I hope it gains some activity soon.

I had a great experience yesterday. I teach at a public high school so Valentine's Day is usually a horrible day - there are giant stuffed animals, chocolate, and flowers everywhere and I am aromantic as well as asexual, so I find it all a bit grating.

Some of my students were chatting about their Valentine plans when I walked up to make sure they were still working on their assignment. They asked what I was doing that night, and I told them I'd probably watch TV at home or read like normal. Suddenly, a girl asked, "Miss, are you asexual?" I had never talked to this class about my orientation - I never do unless someone brings it up - so I was flabbergasted. "Yes," I said, "though I am surprised you've heard of that." She said she knows a guy at work that is asexual and he had explained it to her, and I kind of acted like him sometimes so she'd been wondering. The rest of the group started asking questions, and between the two of us we explained it to them. The girl was very knowledgeable and the group was respectful the whole time and never once acted like they didn't believe someone could just not be sexually attracted to others. They even laughed when I made a lame joke about how much money I save on Valentine's Day because I'm aromantic.

I walked away thinking that if even hormone-ravaged teenagers on Valentine's Day could get it and accept it, maybe there's hope for the rest of society.