does anyone else feel that their gender identity influenced them being aspec?

[Ellie04]

For me my identity cannot be separated and seen as two distinct labels instead it all feels connected.

[ThePapercraftingCat]

Interesting. I've never thought about my gender identity and and my asexuality being connected, so I guess that I'd say for me, it's not connected at all. I've never felt that one has influenced the other. Maybe on a subconscious level it has, but I don't know. I'd describe myself as a cis woman and a heteroromantic asexual. 

[samp]

I wouldn't say it affects the way I view my identity but I do think it affects the way I dress. I dress very traditionally masculine and not very traditionally feminine. I don't wear skirts or dresses and I own quite a bit of men's clothing. I view myself as a woman and don't plan on changing that any time soon but I know a lot of people view me differently because of the way I dress. In terms of clothes, I've always been a strong believer in that people should wear whatever they want regardless of what the clothing is labelled. I don't feel the need or desire to change my gender identity despite wearing clothes that I think most people would think suggests otherwise. 

[Captain_Tass]

Not asexual, but I'm a lesbian because I'm genderqueer and I'm genderqueer because I'm a lesbian, so that idea isn't foreign to me at all!

[illumi]

the only connection between my gender and orientation is the fact that both r nonexistent. im anattractional meaning experiencing 0 attractions of any type; while my gender is singularian [which doesnt necessarily equate to being genderless] but very much agender. its ironic to describe my genderlessness as a gender label but i have no other way of introducing it

[verily-forsooth-egads]

Absolutely. If I had a romantic relationship I'd have a gender in the context of that relationship. If I had a general desire to be in a certain kind of relationship it'd probably make sense to identify with that gender in general too, but I don't, so I don't.

[SilenceRadio]

I did kind of see them as linked in the past, in that heteronormativity is based on the binary genders and since I didn't fit within heteronormative norms, I didn't really see the point of fitting into one of binary genders. Nowadays, if anything, instead of my asexuality validating my gender identity, it's my gender questioning 'invalidating' my asexuality even though there's no reason to.

[DarkStormyKnight]

I think my realization that I'm asexual opened up space for me to be non-binary for sure. For me Woman was always "attraction to men" (and men the opposite) (yes this lacks a lot of nuance but that's how I grew up) and once I didn't need to feel attraction to anyone, it made space for my gender to be whatever it wanted. It definitely has a connection between the two as a result, but they don't feel deeply intwined to me either.

[Dawning]

Non-binary people are ace at a far higher rate than the population in general… And ace people are non-binary at a much higher rate than the population in general… So clearly, there is a connection.

 

No one's gender or sexual orientation needs to be validated; these things exist inside your brain, and whatever they are, that's what they are, no matter what anyone else thinks about it. If you never feel sexual attraction to anyone, you are ace regardless of what your gender or genders might be. If you don't feel connected to a binary gender, then you are non-binary, regardless of what your orientation might be. Nobody else but you gets a vote!

[verily-forsooth-egads]

3 hours ago, Dawning said:

Non-binary people are ace at a far higher rate than the population in general… And ace people are non-binary at a much higher rate than the population in general… So clearly, there is a connection.

I always thought the connection was that someone who's already examining their identity is more likely to figure out they're a second thing than someone who thinks they're cishet is to start questioning in the first place. At least a major part of it, if not the whole story.

[Guest]

Not directly, but they’re both affected by my autism, so I guess indirectly? While I still think I would probably be trans if I was allistic, given that I would still have gender dysphoria, my understanding of it would vary wildly. Resultingly, the terms that I describe it with would change. Sometimes sensory issues interact with dysphoria as well, so that’s another way it plays a role. My asexuality and autism are basically inseparable. I sometimes wonder if I’m actually ace, or just so sex repulsed due to touch aversion that I would never do it. So they’re not directly linked, but rather indirectly linked.

[Janus the Fox]

Maybe partially, knowing I’m Agender may have at least solidified the Aro Ace identity.