Sexual Orientation/Evolution

[Aisntllecxtual]

I searched the archives and could not find a poll that addressed the evolution of sexual orientation. The poll also allows for options of no change. The options use the three of the colors in the AVEN flag, symbolic of orientation: Black signifying asexuality; gray signifying gray-A and demisexuality; and white signifying being sexual. So, if an option is "White - Gray," it means evolution from being sexual to now feeling gray-A or demi. The poll requires one to look back on life with the hindsight/enlightenment one now possesses to assess as best as one can the evolution (if there has indeed been any change) that has transpired in regard to sexual orientation. If a person sees/saw themselves as black, gray, or white now/previously, it could be in primary, not necessarily absolute terms. Thus the colorations describe how one feels/felt in dominant inclination, not in a requisite exclusive rub. I also included another question in the poll regarding how old one is. I wished to make evident the age distribution of those participating in the poll. The reason is that age could be an important factor as to whether one's orientation has evolved: it would be logical that the more time one has lived, the more likely change has occurred.

In voting in my own poll, I selected the option "Gray - Black." I am in the age bracket 50-59. When I was younger I was primarily gray with specks of black. As I aged, I turned primarily black with specks of gray. If I was to try to explain this evolution rationally, I probably would not do justice to the complexity of development. Regardless, to risk faulty analysis in offering a simplistic explanation, it may be in part due to the decrease of my libido as I aged. I do not believe a high libido or low/nonexistent libido determines whether one is sexual or asexual, but, in my case, in a complex fashion with other factors/realities, it could well have contributed in evolution from being gray leaning black to black with vestiges of gray.

[Ficulnean]

The nature of the colours was pretty clear to me before reading your explanation. I am around AVEN too much.

[MadRat]

From partly sex-repulsed grey-A to very sex-repulsed asexual.

[R_1]

My past sexual orientation died out. So, it's white to black.

[kelico]

From gray to black. : ) I first assumed I was gray-A when I first came across the terminology...but then I realized, nope, right now I'm definitely ace!

[WhenSummersGone]

I don't think mine has changed, so I voted Gray.

[Skycaptain]

I am definitely black, so have voted as such. I always believed I was sexual, but with hang-ups, however the reality has been that this whole sex thing has never interested me at all. I just stopped pretending and lying to everyone and for the first time EVER, I stood and faced a truth about myself, rather than hiding from said truth.

[deltaX]

I'm 20, and I think I've always been fully on the "black" end of the asexual spectrum.

[h_langley]

From identifying as a demisexual to realizing I was asexual

[Amatista]

I identified as sexual in middle school but now I'm ace all the way

[MeriKarhu]

From gray to black. : ) I first assumed I was gray-A when I first came across the terminology...but then I realized, nope, right now I'm definitely ace!

Same. I think at first 'asexual' sounded so definite and inflexible, I was worried about categorizing myself in such a strict sense, so I went with Gray-A. Now that I've had time to discover more about myself and the terminology, I'm quite happy to call myself an Ace.

[Skycaptain]

In reality I have been black all my life, despite pretending unsuccessfully otherwise. As time has gone on the degree of sex-repulsion or phobia has increased as well

ignore this, I just noticed I'd already commented earlier

[poindexter]

Crap, I thought "white" meant asexual lol X) Ignore my vote.

[Lady Girl]

Crap, I thought "white" meant asexual lol X) Ignore my vote.

Changed a white vote to a black vote... :)

[Aisntllecxtual]

It really does take a lot of reflection

In reality I have been black all my life, despite pretending unsuccessfully otherwise. As time has gone on the degree of sex-repulsion or phobia has increased as well
ignore this, I just noticed I'd already commented earlier

Skycaptain, no need for us posters to ignore this. You are welcome to post as many times as you please! :)

I hope you don't mind if I imply in making a far reach extension to what you state. Can one distinguish in retrospect as to whether one's vision is clear or clouded utilizing the insight one possesses today? Even though I voted "Gray - Black" in my own poll, I reflectively struggle a lot. I wonder whether I was gray gravitating to black back then or whether I was just simply black (plain and simple) in mode of repression/denial, of pretending. Difficult... All I do know is that there has been no point at any time in my life - going as far back as memory serves - where I did not spend a fraction of a second thinking of sex or remotely desiring it.

[R_1]

4 people chose W2B, but none chose B2W. Theres more people who is G2B than G2W. Does this means that it seems far more likely to lose sexuality than gain it? Results seem to indicate that.

[Guest]

4 people chose W2B, but none chose B2W. Theres more people who is G2B than G2W. Does this means that it seems far more likely to lose sexuality than gain it? Results seem to indicate that.

Don't forget that there's a very strong sample bias. AVEN being a community board about about asexuality, it's far more likely to have (currently) B people posting here than any other group. B2W and G2W may well simply see no need (anymore?) to attend this site, so you could expect a sizeable number of them never seeing the poll to start with.

Just look at the White: 0% number. There's no freaking way that lifetime allosexuals could be close to non-existent; they just have neither chance or incentive to get counted into the poll.

[Guest]

My sexuality hasn't actually changed much, just the label I choose. First I thought I was straight, then I figured I was asexual and now it swings between asexual and grey-asexual....so "black with a few specks of grey".

[Guest Cairne Bloodhoof]

Similiar to Doctor. I used to think that I am heterosexual. But now, after I learned that there are more attraction than the sexual one, I identify as heteroromantic asexual.

[Xavy]

If the question is how the way I indentify my sexual orientation has changed, then the answer is heterosexual before I discovered that thee was a term for what I really was ...asexual. I don't think my orientation ever changed, I always this way even before I called myself asexual.

[aussiekirkland]

I think part of the reason I had so much trouble figuring out my romantic orientation was because I was using past experiences to figure out whether I was aromantic. I really had to get over that and go "look, even if you did have crushes, or whatever it was, you haven't felt romantic(?) attraction in a long time so you're probably aromantic".

Same goes with being ace, except I didn't have trouble with it because I count the one person I felt sexual(?) attraction towards as an exception, and in a way I always have.

[Pengwyn]

I'm under twenty and have been black all my life. Before finding out about asexuality I assumed I was allosexual, but I now know that I never have been.

[allrightalready]

other - my orientation has not changed i just learned that being demi was valid and that i can refuse to get involved until my terms are met

[Guest]

I never really thought about having sex and I was never interested, so I was full on asexual for awhile. Ever since I got into the dating scene I think that, under specific circumstances, I could bear through sex. But they'd have to ask first, because I ain't gonna.

[SkyWorld]

My sexual orientation itself has not changed, but I will admit that I did identify from grey-a to ace because of lack of understanding, information, and research. So yes, my identity itself has changed, but orientation? No.

[Sisky]

Probably Black, but I voted Other because there was a period of very dark gray confusion.

[Bob32]

I'm under twenty and have been black all my life. Before finding out about asexuality I assumed I was allosexual, but I now know that I never have been.

Exactly the same

[Autumn Season]

Been ace all my life. The only thing which changed, is that my libido went from "slightly there" to "nope". And today I have even less patience with impolite people who think they are entitled to sex.

[Larien]

This poll is being locked and moved to the read-only Census Archive for 2014. As part of ongoing Census Forum organization, and in an attempt to keep the demographics of the polls current with the active user base at the time, each poll will last for one year. However, members are allowed and even encouraged to restart new polls similar to the archived ones if they like them.

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