ASEXUALITY AND AROMANTISM

Source

Asexuality is a sexual orientation. Asexuals, aka Ace people, have no (or little) sexual desire. Sexual desire is a spectrum; everyone has their own sexual needs. Some people want several physical relations a week, some want just a few relations per year, others will never feel this desire.

The term asexuality appeared in the 1960s. It was first considered a disease such as homosexuality. Asexuals were and still are stigmatized for their lack of sexual desire. The AVEN (Asexual Visibility and Education Network) was created in 2001 by David Jay to create a safe space for the ace communities. A year later, the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act passed in New York was the first official piece of legislation that mentioned asexuality in the world. But asexuality was still classified a disease until 2013, when it officially became a sexual orientation.

Asexuals do have romantic feelings. They can be in a couple. The wellbeing of a couple does not rely only on sexual desires. A couple composed of a sexuel person and an ace person finds its balance. Some couples do have few physical relations, others have some compromises, such as the possibility for the sexual person to have sexual relations with others.

Some people think asexuality is a contemporanean concept, but in fact, scholars that studied asexuality through history do think that famous personalities such as Isaac Newton, Frederic Chopin or H.P. Lovecraft (despite his hypersexual books) were asexuals.

Being asexual is different to being aromantic. Ace people can have a romantic relationship. On the contrary, aromantic people do not feel romantic feelings for other people. They feel sexual desires but do not need to have a romantic partner.

SIMILAR ARTICLES

Women In China

Without fears

Aphantasy