This week, I noticed that Facebook people had turned their profiles gray, black or white. I thought they might have done this for upcoming Halloween. Upon closer observation, I learned that those faces had turned color for National Asexual Awareness Week, celebrated October 23-29th this year.
Listen, Believe and Respect
Founded in 2010 by Sara Beth Brooks ACE WEEK has become a tradition in October. To make the public aware of asexuality each year, efforts are made to educate the public by:
- · wearing asexual pins, stickers, colors, etc.
- · supporting an asexual person.
- · printing and handing out material about asexuality.
- · writing a blogspot about asexuality.
- · putting up a poster about asexuality.
- · talking to local groups about asexuality.
- · taking AVENS survey at asexuality.com
- · using inclusive speech.
- · acknowledging asexuality as an option.
It is hard to imagine that in our seemingly hypersexed society that there are an estimated three million people or ACES as they call themselves. You might think that a person who is asexual is afraid of sex or relationships, may have been molested or has an hormonal imbalance. But these hypotheses do not ring true.
Asexuality does NOT mean:
- · you’re necessarily celibate.
- · It is not a disorder.
- · It’s not a choice.
- · It’s not a gender identity (although they may be trans, non-binary or genderqueer).
- · It’s not an abstinence pledge.
- · It’s not caused by a loss of libido or age-related circumstance, inability to find a partner or fear of intimacy.
So, What is Asexuality?
- · It’s an orientation where a person doesn’t experience sexual attraction to any gender.
- · It affects females more than males.
- · A common theme of ACE identity is feeling broken, alone or even ashamed of one’s sexual orientation.
- · asexual people may want friendships like everyone else, to fall in love, experience arousal and orgasm and be any age or background.
Inclu Included in this umbrella group are:
- · aromantic: lacking interest in or desire for romantic relationships.
- · demisexual: lacking sexual attraction towards any person unless one becomes deeply emotionally or romantically connected with a specific person.
- · grey-asexual: experiencing sexual attraction but not strongly enough to act on them.
For more information, see http://www/AVEN.comand http://www.asexuality.com
When Your Child Is Gay: What You Need To Know
For more detailed advice, see book, co-authored with a mother of a gay son and a psychiatrist, Jonathan L. Tobkes, M.D.
