Asexuality and the Queer Community
The urge to discriminate unfairly against others is not limited to racists, sexists, or homophobes.
Members of the queer community can also turn away people who want to be a part of that community.
A few decades ago, various members of the queer community did not fully accept those who identified
as bisexual, and a decade or so ago they shunned trans people for various reasons. Some older queeridentifying people are still reluctant to accept those who identify in the recently added categories
represented by the current “LGBTQ2SIA+” moniker (Lesbian [L], Gay [G], Bisexual [B], Transgender
or Transsexual [T], Queer or Questioning [Q2], Two-Spirit [2S], Intersex [I], Asexual [A], and Others
[+]).
Because members of the queer community have made immense strides in the past few decades, and
now have legal protections against discrimination based on their identification, the issue of inclusion is
more than mere lack of acceptance by some. One of the latest letter additions to “LGBTQ2SIA+”
stands for asexual and designates those who do not experience sexual attraction or desire sexual
contact. Not every “Ace” (person who identifies as asexual) wants to identify as queer or as a member
of the queer community; nevertheless, their inclusion as a group comes with the obvious benefit of
legal protections. Their inclusion would also acknowledge asexual identities as real, rather than just
what someone might say to thwart a sexual advance from an unattractive suitor.
The reasons for exclusion of asexuals by the queer community can be varied. Many believe that
asxeual people, as opposed to gay people, have not faced the same struggles that unite members of the
queer community. In other words, asexuals have not endured the hate, rejection, and violence that those
who identify as gay, lesbian, or trans have had to endure. An asexual person, as opposed to a lesbian or
gay man or trans person, can lead a life authentic to their identity without ever “coming out” as asexual.
They can thus have fulfillment without the real pain that other queer-identifying people have faced
from discrimination, physical violence, and rejection. Bisexual women and trans people, for example,
have exceedingly high rates of violent victimization. And although asexuals can also be lesbian, gay,
bisexual, or trans (as romantic attraction and sexual attraction can be separated and gender
identification is independent of sexual attraction) there is little evidence that asexuals have been
comparably targeted qua asexual by those who commit hate crimes.
Asexuality and The Queer Community
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Asexuality and The Queer Community
Introduction and Summary of the dilemma
In today’s world, debate about emerging sexual identities is common and this is due to the continued growth in our recognition of adversity in our sexual identities and the need to clearly define and understand how these identities influence human experience. The ongoing debate about sexual identities has been so intense and within the queer community itself, the debate has been majorly focusing on the identity of asexuality with the major question being whether or not asexual should be considered part of the LGBT+ community. David Jay created a website called AVEN (Asexual Visibility and Education Network) in 2001 which did not only try to define asexual but also called attention to the topic of asexuality as a different set of sexual identity (Bogaert,2012). According to AVEN, asexual person can be described as one who experiences no sexual attraction. The launch of AVEN website made it possible for a visible asexual community to grow (Bogaert,2012) and that community continued to develop, the debate on where exactly asexuality fits in the wider LGBTQ+ community became more intense.
Position
Those opposed to the inclusion of asexual as part of the queer community have advanced various reasons to support their decision and they have, most of the time, dismissed asexual as straight people who are just to invade a minority community. My position however is that asexual are part of the wider queer community and should be recognized as such.
Supporting argument: Expectations
Asexual, in my position, are in fact queer, and it is the restrictive behavior that most members of the community have developed that makes the community insecure. In terms of expectations, asexual differs from heteronormative as it faces structural as well as social discrimination and as such asexual is by large a queer orientation. It will be necessary for the society and anyone advancing debate about the position of asexuality to recognize the experiences of asexual and appreciate that they are valid even without being identical to same-gender attracted people (Llayton & Caldas, 2020). Considering their sexual orientation, expectations and experiences, it is clear that asexual fits the queer community and should recognized as part of it.
Supporting argument: Definition
Asexual is also part of queer community and this is supported by the definition that all sides attach to it. Currently, a sexuality can be described as “someone who does not experience sexual attraction”. This definition is widely accepted by all and it can generally expand to include the various types attraction that asexual people experience. That is: aesthetic, romantic and sensual. Asexual people, based on their orientation, experience attraction to appear in a non-sexual manner, develop the desire to be romantically involved and the need to for non-se...