BigBassFox Posted October 31, 2021 Share Posted October 31, 2021 I've heard people say it both ways and I wanted to see what the majority of people say. Link to post Share on other sites
Roon Posted October 31, 2021 Share Posted October 31, 2021 Acephobia because Aphobia sounds like a lack of a phobia. Link to post Share on other sites
kelico Posted October 31, 2021 Share Posted October 31, 2021 Acephobia. I believe Aphobia would refer to both aces and aros. Link to post Share on other sites
SithLord Posted October 31, 2021 Share Posted October 31, 2021 Aphobic would confuse me since it sounds like it would mean not-phobic. Link to post Share on other sites
SilenceRadio Posted October 31, 2021 Share Posted October 31, 2021 Acemisia or anti-ace. "Aphobia" also includes aros, and so if it only pertains to aces, it's best to use "acephobia". Link to post Share on other sites
a little annihilation Posted October 31, 2021 Share Posted October 31, 2021 Aphobia in general although obviously acephobia if it's specific to aces Link to post Share on other sites
Milque Toast Posted October 31, 2021 Share Posted October 31, 2021 39 minutes ago, løvely scary skeletøns said: Aphobia in general although obviously acephobia if it's specific to aces I agree with this ^^^ Link to post Share on other sites
everywhere and nowhere Posted October 31, 2021 Share Posted October 31, 2021 I prefer using terms such as "anti-asexual prejudice / hostility", because "phobia" is often problematic. Even terms such as "homophobia" and "transphobia" have been criticised as psychologising or even psychiatricising political bigotry. (And it's not the same - I keep telling a friend who, unfortunately, never regained full brainpower after a stroke, that Jarosław Kaczyński is not an idiot, he is a fanatic, very likely a psychopath, maybe a hardcore cynic - but these are different things and malice shouldn't be called stupidity.) But still... homophobia and transphobia definitely often have a component of fear - fear of one's own homoerotic impulses, or a fear, fueled by fanatism, that people can supposedly be "turned" queer just by queer people's social presence. Prejudice against asexuals usually doesn't have a component of fear, it is pure irrational hostility. (I admit that I don't really like using such words... because I'm very critical of rationalism and no, it's not like "irrational" is automatically positive for me, but I use words such as "above-rational" and they are by all means positive.) Plus I agree with the objection that "aphobia" sounds like "lack of fear". I don't like "acephobia" also because it's not well built - I favour Greek + Greek or Greek + Latin terms over those formed of Greek or Latin and a modern language, such as in this case. "Ace" is anyway not a scientific term, it's a colloquial, playful word and let's keep it this way. However, despite my criticism of "psychologising bigotry" (and, more generally, of medicalising all kinds of behaviour or views considered undesirable - for example I even don't consider depression an illness, or at least it's not always an illness - sometimes it's an absolutely normal reaction to circumstances), I sometimes use another "-phobia" term: asexophobia. It seems more correct from the point of view of forming terminology, it also highlights the "no sex" aspect (which I like as a committed celibate ace and a sworn opponent of unwanted sex)... Is "no sex" the aspect which makes some people so mad about asexuality? I admit that not always - some people recognise that whether someone has sex is, after all, not their business - but still cannot comprehend how could a person not have the desire and therefore they pathologise it. But when it's about common, everyday, "garden variety" anti-ace hostility... my view is that really, anti-asexual and anti-celibacy prejudice is often impossible to separate. There is so much hype about sex, so much hype about it supposedly being the driving force of all life, all creativity, about it supposedly being the greatest pleasure possible - I don't even believe that all allosexuals agree with this, I'm sure that many people who desire and enjoy sex still find some things yet more enjoyable - but they are taught to play along and, since lack of desire for sex stands in glaring contrast to all this hype, it makes those people crazy. They cannot imagine people who choose not to have sex, don't even have any need for it, or even find it not just something unnecessary, but the very opposite of enjoyable and amazing - it threatens what they have been taught to believe about sex. Yes, it's utterly stupid, because the fact that some people don't desire and/or don't enjoy sex stops no one from having and enjoying sex. I hate assumptions that we are so alike, that we should be alike, and diversity is a much deeper, philosophical or even theological issue for me. I favour a vision of the world in which we are infinitely diverse, in which no two people are alike, no two experiences will ever be the same, "the realm of possible experience is infinite" - and no, this diversity doesn't hinder communication, it is another reason to do what we are supposed to do: speak, write, communicate, create, continue the act of Creation - which is for me, even, the proper way of understanding the words "be fruitful and multiply". Link to post Share on other sites
BigBassFox Posted October 31, 2021 Author Share Posted October 31, 2021 In the words of Morgan Freeman: "I hate the word homophobia. It's not a phobia. You're not scared. You're an asshole." That's basically sums up how at least I feel about the words used to describe discrimination against LGBTQIA+/GRSM people as a phobia. I think we need new words for it, but I don't know how to go about that. Link to post Share on other sites
Phalena Posted October 31, 2021 Share Posted October 31, 2021 I'd say "acephobia", I think. When hearing "aphobia" I'd probably be confused while listening/reading because it sounds and looks similar to "a phobia". But that might just be me. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted October 31, 2021 Share Posted October 31, 2021 it's acephobia isn't it 😂 I never say aphobia Link to post Share on other sites
The French Unicorn Posted October 31, 2021 Share Posted October 31, 2021 Acephobia. For me aphobia is to talked about what affects both aros and aces. It is ghe same when I see aspec, for me ot should be acespec if aros are not included in it. Link to post Share on other sites
everywhere and nowhere Posted October 31, 2021 Share Posted October 31, 2021 1 hour ago, BigBassFox said: In the words of Morgan Freeman: "I hate the word homophobia. It's not a phobia. You're not scared. You're an asshole." That's basically sums up how at least I feel about the words used to describe discrimination against LGBTQIA+/GRSM people as a phobia. I think we need new words for it, but I don't know how to go about that. I like this quote, but still - as I wrote above - I think that particularly homophobia and transphobia very often indeed have a component of fear. Asexophobia usually doesn't, no - bigoted people are not afraid of asexuals, they are just looking for problems where there are none, they cannot comprehend that people are much more diverse and they believe that other people's life is their business. But generally, societal permission for publicly judging other people's life is a widespread problem. Link to post Share on other sites
Janus the Fox Posted October 31, 2021 Share Posted October 31, 2021 Acephobia preferred for me too, it’s more a descriptive name for the discrimination to me. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted October 31, 2021 Share Posted October 31, 2021 Acephobia. "Aphobia" just sounds like "without phobia/fear". Link to post Share on other sites
SilenceRadio Posted November 1, 2021 Share Posted November 1, 2021 On 10/31/2021 at 10:56 AM, everywhere and nowhere said: "Ace" is anyway not a scientific term, it's a colloquial, playful word and let's keep it this way. Personally I use "acemisia" because "ace" encompasses gray-As and demis, and usually the hatred extends to them (especially since some gray-As can be very similar to asexuals). On 10/31/2021 at 3:22 PM, everywhere and nowhere said: I like this quote, but still - as I wrote above - I think that particularly homophobia and transphobia very often indeed have a component of fear. Asexophobia usually doesn't, no - bigoted people are not afraid of asexuals, they are just looking for problems where there are none, they cannot comprehend that people are much more diverse and they believe that other people's life is their business. But generally, societal permission for publicly judging other people's life is a widespread problem. Even then, phobias aren't merely fears, so "homophobia" and "transphobia" don't even work, since the fear they describe is unlike the disorder: it's rooted in bigotry. Link to post Share on other sites
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