Headcanoning Teenage Characters as Asexual

[Enzi]

I often see a lot of people be strongly against headcanoning teenage (FICTIONAL) characters as asexual. 

 

Like for instance, in one of my favorite shows Miraculous Ladybug I headcanon Adrien (who is canonically in the 13-15 year age-range) as asexual. 

 

I've had people tell me that headcanoning minors as asexual is gross, tell me specifically that it isn't right, especially in a kids show (note: I am a minor myself).

 

I was wondering what other people's thoughts on this were?

 

For me personally, I think it's stupid. I started questioning if I was ace when I was 12, and I started identifying as ace when I was 13 and for the past 2 years, that hasn't changed. I don't think there should be any problem with me headcanoning characters that are in my age range from shows I like as asexual. There's nothing inherently inappropriate about asexuality. Headcanoning characters my age as asexual is the only way I really get any sort of representation. As far as I'm aware, there aren't any characters that are canonically asexual that aren't adults.

 

Is there some side to this argument that I'm just not seeing or understanding? Or is it just a matter of opinion?

[kelico]

I've never understood people's problem with this, honestly. People headcanon fictional characters are various sexualities all the time, even if they're teenage. So it is ridiculous to say that if you headcanon them as ace that it's suddenly "gross." :/ 

[crazy ace]

I think it may be because it is hard to determine a teenagers sexuality, given the fact that they are going through puberty and are vastly inexperienced.

[Philip027]

My thoughts are that I don't understand headcanoning.

[Hydrolysis]

I also knew I was asexual by the time I was 12 and had suspicions about it sooner. I'm 19 now and honestly I think not feeling those feelings in your teenage years can be the biggest telling sign contrary to popular belief. I know there was a study somewhere of if you don't feel sexual feelings by a certain age it's highly unlikely you will later on in life, but I don't know where I saw it. (although some people do change later in life and that's totally valid too!) I know that's not much help but I'd say at the very least headcanoning to yourself isn't wrong? I feel the same level of frustration of not being able to headcanon out in the open even with adult characters because of the harassment but I do feel happy with personal headcanons even though I don't tell many people.

The people who tell you those things most times are the same people who won't accept asexuality no matter what the circumstances are, so I'd say their views don't matter much as it comes from a bigoted standpoint. It's ridiculous they would say it even to you, someone who is around the character's age but aphobes never really surprise me with how ridiculous their arguments get. 

[Lunala]

I'm a teenage ace. Seriously, what's wrong with headcanoning teenage characters as ace?

 

I guess some people just get mad at EVERYTHING no matter how minor/petty/harmless it is.

[Dreamer23]

I suspect their objections are less about the age of the characters, as they are about the target audience of the show.
But that only really applies in case you are arguing with your friends about WHY those characters are ace.
E.g. "they are ace because we never see them having any romantic/sexual interests in other characters." -> that'd be a hard point to defend, as it's far more likely that we don't see them having romantic or sexual interests because it'd be irrelevant for the show and likely not interesting for the audience.

 

If the above is not the case and you're not trying to make that argument to others, but this is purely about how you interpret that character for yourself, then, well, screw them Who the heck are they to tell you how you interpret or imagine a character from a show?