BigCuddlyRoe Posted November 19, 2017 Share Posted November 19, 2017 Hey there! I'm currently working on a critical review looking at anti-discriminatory practice and in particular ways in which asexual individuals may feel discriminated, isolated, or accepted by the mental health community. I'm also interested in things that may make asexuals feel more welcomed and accepted in society. Just to clarify, this isn't official research and your personal accounts won't be included in any meaningful or identifying way. It's more just a question for my own personal development and to improve my understanding of this area. As someone whose partner recently came out as asexual I feel it's an important thing for me to understand better and part of my role as a Counselling Paychologist is to promote diversity, awareness, and anti-discriminatory practice and so hearing the asexual communities own experiences and desires for this would be really helpful for me! So if you have any thoughts on this then please share them if you are comfortable doing so. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sally Posted November 19, 2017 Share Posted November 19, 2017 You say this is a "critical review" but then say it it's for your own personal development/understanding. That's a little confusing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BigCuddlyRoe Posted November 19, 2017 Author Share Posted November 19, 2017 Yeah I probably could have worded it better, I'm not accustomed to reaching out like this. It's more I was in the process of writing the critical review (which is just a piece of coursework rather than a published article) and on the topic of anti-discriminatory practice it made me wonder about the experiences of asexuals. Part of of what the course would like me to do as a counselling psychologist is turn social justice rhetoric into social justice action. That's more where this comes in to improve my own understanding and practice. I can imagine some of the discriminations asexuals might face in their day to day life (marketing and other messages targeted at a sexual audience being a prime one in my mind) but that's not the same as learning what the real experience is like straight from the horses mouth so to speak. Since I learned of asexuality, I feel it's probably the most invisible sexual minority (it never got mentioned in any of my lectures on Gender and sexual minorities for example) and so I feel there's a real value to be had in understanding firsthand accounts of asexuals. So to clarify I am writing a critical review on non-discriminatory practice and it made me wonder about asexual experiences of this and so I came here to improve my understanding. What I hear will improve my own learning (and therefore possibly my essay) but it won't be 'used' in my essay if that makes it any clearer. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Apathetic Echidna Posted November 19, 2017 Share Posted November 19, 2017 Just going to mention as this came up recently but apparently the wording of the Australian anti discrimination legislation's sexual discrimination act has wording which excludes the situation of not being attracted to any gender. Even though in summary supposedly it protects people from discrimination no matter their orientation the actual wording leaves a loophole to discriminate against asexuals. So simply if an issue came to up it is very possible that the discriminator would get away with it if they had a good lawyer. It has some people very annoyed down here and gives them another reason not to live openly as asexual in situations where discrimination may impact on their employment or quality of life activities. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sally Posted November 19, 2017 Share Posted November 19, 2017 "Discrimination" seems to mean different things to different people. In the US, it generally means that people in a certain group are treated differently in terms of housing, jobs, marriage, and other areas of life. It doesn't mean that people may hold less-than-friendly opinions of certain groups, nor does it mean that some individuals of a group may have comments made to them that may be biased. As such, it's unlikely that an asexual will face actual discrimination, because most people don't really care whether someone wants to have sex or not. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
everywhere and nowhere Posted November 19, 2017 Share Posted November 19, 2017 17 hours ago, Apathetic Echidna said: Just going to mention as this came up recently but apparently the wording of the Australian anti discrimination legislation's sexual discrimination act has wording which excludes the situation of not being attracted to any gender. Even though in summary supposedly it protects people from discrimination no matter their orientation the actual wording leaves a loophole to discriminate against asexuals. ??? How is it written and how is such a loophole possible? What were the people who wrote it trying to achieve? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Apathetic Echidna Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 1 hour ago, Nowhere Girl said: how is such a loophole possible? Well it was probably written around the mid 1980s and it goes along the lines of sexual orientations are: Sexual attraction to a different gender sexual attraction to the same gender sexual attraction to a different gender and the same gender not leaving an option for an orientation about not being sexually attracted. I did hear a story of someone homoromantic and asexual declaring that on a form for some sort of support aid but being told they were not homo-enough to claim, but I don't know if that was in Australia or not ~ however the institution that turned them down did not fear a discrimination claim. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
everywhere and nowhere Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 Why can't they just write "sexual orientation"? Saves a lot of space, by the way. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BigCuddlyRoe Posted November 21, 2017 Author Share Posted November 21, 2017 On 11/19/2017 at 5:23 AM, Apathetic Echidna said: Just going to mention as this came up recently but apparently the wording of the Australian anti discrimination legislation's sexual discrimination act has wording which excludes the situation of not being attracted to any gender. Even though in summary supposedly it protects people from discrimination no matter their orientation the actual wording leaves a loophole to discriminate against asexuals. So simply if an issue came to up it is very possible that the discriminator would get away with it if they had a good lawyer. It has some people very annoyed down here and gives them another reason not to live openly as asexual in situations where discrimination may impact on their employment or quality of life activities. Wow that would be horrible if people wanted to exploit something like that. It could be particularly bad if someone came out as asexual and their partner then started abusing them for it which would be how I could see a case about sexual discrimination coming up. On 11/19/2017 at 5:32 AM, Sally said: "Discrimination" seems to mean different things to different people. In the US, it generally means that people in a certain group are treated differently in terms of housing, jobs, marriage, and other areas of life. It doesn't mean that people may hold less-than-friendly opinions of certain groups, nor does it mean that some individuals of a group may have comments made to them that may be biased. As such, it's unlikely that an asexual will face actual discrimination, because most people don't really care whether someone wants to have sex or not. I suppose for me it's not just about "discrimination" but it's about inclusion. It's easy for me NOT to discriminate but the culture many of us live in has been constructed under the assumption that heterosexuality is normal and therefore the laws, legislation and values have been influenced by those heteronormative roots. Apathetic Echidna's example of the law automatically assuming that sexual attraction is present is a good example of this. So anti-discriminatory practice to me is about realising that and thinking of ways to go OUT of our way to be more inclusive of others. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Apathetic Echidna Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 On 20/11/2017 at 11:34 AM, Nowhere Girl said: Why can't they just write "sexual orientation"? Saves a lot of space, by the way. when have governments been particularly sensible, open minded and forward thinking? or even bothered about how much paper they use? http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/public-service/get-with-the-programme-public-servants-20131002-2us38.html <<don't they have something better to do? no? okay then, lets all start preferentially changing spelling. I wish I could think of something for your inclusive points but sadly I can't. I have been fairly blind to all these issues until the last few months. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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