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Asexuals included in UK NUS LGBT campaign!


michaeld

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I have some extremely exciting news! Asexuals are now included in the UK's National Union of Students LGBT campaign!!!

The latest drive to include asexuals is entirely due to the dedication and determination of member Yolly, who both submitted the motion and argued for it at the 2012 conference. The conference is actually going on right now in Manchester - it finishes tomorrow - and Yolly is also running an asexual caucus.

More details to follow hopefully, when Yolly returns from the conference. All I have so far is a text message from her that her motion was successful. :D

Absolutely masses of :cake: :cake: :cake: to Yolly for getting this through. Much :cake: :cake: :cake: also to everyone else who made this possible, both asexuals and our allies. There have been numerous failed attempts before this one, and I was seriously wondering if this day would ever come!!

PS. I realise this is primarily UK news and not everyone might be excited by it, especially those who don't feel part of LGBT, but I hope we can all agree that it's more evidence of asexuals being accepted and taken seriously.

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this is excellent news indeed! :D

:cake: for all!

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Oh that is sweet. Too bad I'm no longer a student.

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AmoebaAssociate

AWESOME! Students get benefits from this? OH WELL, WHO CARES! THIS IS AMAZING!

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Thanks everyone! I am absolutely over the moon! I have to give massive props to everyone involved; couldn't have done it without them.

Here's the motion as passed:

For the Active Inclusion of Asexuals

Conference believes:

  1. An Asexual is someone who does not experience sexual attraction; or who experiences sexual attraction rarely or under limited circumstances.
  2. Asexuality neither prescribes nor precludes romantic attraction.
  3. Asexuality is in itself a variation within the spectrum of human sexualities.
  4. Heterosexuality is a sexual attraction to those who are not of one’s own gender.
  5. That, in accordance with CB4 above, Asexuality is neither Heterosexual or Heteronormative.
  6. Asexual individuals can and do face discrimination for being non-heteronormative.
  7. “Bisexual” implies sexual attraction, and thus excludes Asexuals who are attracted to people of more than one gender.

Conference further believes:

  1. The Asexual Community Census 2011 suggests that 41.5% of Asexuals consider themselves part of the LGBT community, with a further 38.1% considering themselves allies.
  2. Many Students’ Unions and LGBT+ student groups include Asexuals within structures for gender and sexuality minorities or actively support asexual awareness and activism, both within their group or nationally; including but not limited to: University of Warwick Students’ Union, Warwick Pride, Unity Bangor, Bangor Students’ Union, Reading University Students’ Union, University of Birmingham Guild of Students, University of Birmingham LGBTQ, Lancaster University LGBTQ* Association, West Thames College Students’ Union, University of Hertfordshire Students’ Union LGBT+ Association and Society, and Aberpride.
  3. That other national organisations of similar purpose (e.g. QYN) have seen fit to include Asexuality as both an acceptable criterion of membership and as a distinct point within the campaigning structure.
  4. That several LGBT+ student groups organised events for Asexual Awareness Week 2011; including Warwick Pride and the Kent Union LGBT Campaign.

Conference resolves:

  1. To amend Standing Order 106 to read: 'Individual Members who self-identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bi and/or Trans or Undecided/Questioning or Queer, or who self-define as any other marginalised romantic/sexual orientation or gender identity (including but not limited to Asexual, Pansexual, Bigender, and Genderqueer), or who choose not to define their romantic/sexual orientation or gender identity shall be considered the Members of the Campaign.
  2. For NUS LGBT to promote and raise awareness of all its membership, including Asexuals.
  3. For NUS LGBT to not exclude some Asexuals on the grounds of being non-queer, i.e. both heteroromantic and non-trans.
  4. For a workshop on Asexuality to be included in at least one of the 2012 LGBT Activist training days.
  5. For NUS LGBT to support and affiliate to Asexual Awareness Week.
  6. To organise an “Asexual Caucus” at each NUS LGBT event where caucuses are held.

Also, this stuff (that isn't just Standing Order changes) should definitely be implemented: one of the people elected to the NUS LGBT Committee for next year (i.e. starting in July) is ace and there is a lot of enthusiasm from other committee members too. We are hoping to set up an Asexuality Working group within the campaign.

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Yahoooo! :cake: :cake: :cake:

*Leaps with joy!*

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Thanks everyone! I am absolutely over the moon! I have to give massive props to everyone involved; couldn't have done it without them.

Here's the motion as passed:

For the Active Inclusion of Asexuals

Conference believes:

  1. An Asexual is someone who does not experience sexual attraction; or who experiences sexual attraction rarely or under limited circumstances.
  2. Asexuality neither prescribes nor precludes romantic attraction.
  3. Asexuality is in itself a variation within the spectrum of human sexualities.
  4. Heterosexuality is a sexual attraction to those who are not of one’s own gender.
  5. That, in accordance with CB4 above, Asexuality is neither Heterosexual or Heteronormative.
  6. Asexual individuals can and do face discrimination for being non-heteronormative.
  7. “Bisexual” implies sexual attraction, and thus excludes Asexuals who are attracted to people of more than one gender.

Conference further believes:

  1. The Asexual Community Census 2011 suggests that 41.5% of Asexuals consider themselves part of the LGBT community, with a further 38.1% considering themselves allies.
  2. Many Students’ Unions and LGBT+ student groups include Asexuals within structures for gender and sexuality minorities or actively support asexual awareness and activism, both within their group or nationally; including but not limited to: University of Warwick Students’ Union, Warwick Pride, Unity Bangor, Bangor Students’ Union, Reading University Students’ Union, University of Birmingham Guild of Students, University of Birmingham LGBTQ, Lancaster University LGBTQ* Association, West Thames College Students’ Union, University of Hertfordshire Students’ Union LGBT+ Association and Society, and Aberpride.
  3. That other national organisations of similar purpose (e.g. QYN) have seen fit to include Asexuality as both an acceptable criterion of membership and as a distinct point within the campaigning structure.
  4. That several LGBT+ student groups organised events for Asexual Awareness Week 2011; including Warwick Pride and the Kent Union LGBT Campaign.

Conference resolves:

  1. To amend Standing Order 106 to read: 'Individual Members who self-identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bi and/or Trans or Undecided/Questioning or Queer, or who self-define as any other marginalised romantic/sexual orientation or gender identity (including but not limited to Asexual, Pansexual, Bigender, and Genderqueer), or who choose not to define their romantic/sexual orientation or gender identity shall be considered the Members of the Campaign.
  2. For NUS LGBT to promote and raise awareness of all its membership, including Asexuals.
  3. For NUS LGBT to not exclude some Asexuals on the grounds of being non-queer, i.e. both heteroromantic and non-trans.
  4. For a workshop on Asexuality to be included in at least one of the 2012 LGBT Activist training days.
  5. For NUS LGBT to support and affiliate to Asexual Awareness Week.
  6. To organise an “Asexual Caucus” at each NUS LGBT event where caucuses are held.

Also, this stuff (that isn't just Standing Order changes) should definitely be implemented: one of the people elected to the NUS LGBT Committee for next year (i.e. starting in July) is ace and there is a lot of enthusiasm from other committee members too. We are hoping to set up an Asexuality Working group within the campaign.

This is fantastic Yolly! Thanks so much for your dedication to this motion and for reporting back to us, and thanks also to anyone else who may have been involved.

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