Sunday, November 25, 2007

Sneak Peek! Asexuality 101

Okay, so it's not exactly the next New York Times #1 Bestseller, but it is an advanced reading copy...of something. This is my draft for the Stanford LGBT group's info card about asexuality. So if you've been wanting some basic information, read on...

Everything you’ve always wanted to know about
Asexuality
but were afraid to ask!

1. What is asexuality?

Asexuals are simply people who don’t experience sexual attraction.

2. Who can call themselves asexual?

The word “asexual” is just a label. If you feel that it is helpful in describing you, then go ahead and use it. The asexual community is extremely diverse—we are all ages, races, genders, and experiences.

3. How many people are asexual?

According to a recent study, 1% of the population has never felt sexually attracted to anyone.

4. But isn’t being sexual part of being human?

Not necessarily. Sex drive is a bell curve. Just as there are people who are very desiring of sex, there are also people who do not desire it at all. Asexuals are a natural part of the spectrum of sexuality.

5. Can asexuals fall in love?

Definitely. Non-sexual relationships can be just as meaningful as sexual ones. Sexual love is just one of love’s many forms.

6. How is asexuality different from celibacy?

While celibacy is a conscious choice that people make, asexuality is an orientation. Like being straight or gay, it is just the way we are.

7. Are all asexuals virgins?

Some are, but not all. While some people have known they are asexual from an early age, others experiment with sex before coming to the conclusion. Asexuals are physically capable of sex, and may choose to have sex for any variety of personal reasons.

8. Does being asexual mean you’ll die alone?

No. Asexuals may choose to live with any combination of family, houseplants, friends, roommates, pets, spouses, or partners. Part of the reason why it may seem difficult to form asexual relationships is because our orientation is still relatively little-known. Speed the process and share what you’ve learned here with others!




7 comments:

Fellmama said...

Should be "desirous" of sex.
/takes off editor hat.

Ily said...

Good call, Mary-- I'll fix that.

maymay said...

Got here through FigLeaf's Real Adult Sex blog and, gotta say, this is really educational.

Thanks for writing about the topic of asexuality.

Ily said...

Thanks for stopping by, maymay-- hope you'll stick around! :-)

Anonymous said...

Are you a student at Stanford? I am an asexual (gray-a) and will be attending Stanford starting this fall. Is there a strong asexual presence/acceptance in the LGBT group?

Anonymous said...

Oh! Sorry! I didn't see the date of this post. Sorry I commented on it. Although I am still curious about asexuals at Stanford.

Ily said...

@Anon, feel free to comment wherever you choose! I didn't go to Stanford, but on this particular project, I was working with someone who does, as a PhD candidate. As I recall, the LGBT organization wanted us to write this literature, so I'm guessing that they are probably accepting of asexuals. You could always ask them. There are sure to be other aces at a large school like Stanford, although it's hard to know whether or not they'd be out. We do have asexual meetups for the wider Bay Area, that take place on a rotating basis in SF, San Jose, and Berkeley. All that info will be in the Meetup Mart section of AVEN.