michaeld Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 It's that time of year again! International Asexuality Day (Mon 6 April 2026) is just a couple of days away! As you probably remember, IAD is an event run by a collaboration of ace organisations and individual activists around the world, of which AVEN is but one. It was founded in 2020 (during the pandemic) to showcase aces in different countries, especially (but not exclusively) those outside the Western anglosphere, which has so far had most attention. As well as many local events happening around the world, there's the traditional "24 hour livestream". Except this year it's not 24hrs - apparently that's not enough! There's 31 hours of planned (and not so planned!) content. Because IAD is on a Monday, the livestream actually starts on Sunday 5 April at 1400 UTC/Zulu. You can find all the streams on the IAD website: https://www.youtube.com/@InternationalAsexualityDay If anyone else has events they'd like to share for IAD, let me know and I'll include them here! -- Here's one! I see that the Ace Questions thread is running again on AVEN: 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeld Posted April 4 Author Share Posted April 4 The team also put together these cool slides for the livestream: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeChat Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 The slides look cute (i.e., with a static, animated pic of a pink axolotl, underwater, looking happy at a laptop, surrounded by fish; a piece of cake; and a cup of coffee). The last pic shows the axolotl holding an ace flag, with a quote about "sharing the hype.") Thanks, to the team for making that. I look forward to learning new updates about ace organizations around the world for IAD, especially underrepresented aces outside of Western countries that don't have as much focus. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeld Posted April 5 Author Share Posted April 5 And we're off!! First up is the introduction from S (an Italian activist who should be familiar to everyone who's followed the IAD livestream for the last few years) and then Nepali Aces! Part 1 of 7 comprises the following: 14:00 UTC - 5th April Greetings 14:15 UTC - 5th April Aces Unwinding- a chill and crafting time with Nepali Aspecs We hope we can all unwind, de-stress, and create something we love. Join us with any medium you prefer, using themes, references or colours that are Ace coded (not compulsory). We are open to questions and queries from you all in the comments. Feel free to post your craft and tag us on Instagram! If you want to join, message us on Instagram! 17:00 UTC - 5th April [IN ITALIAN] Anti-Violenza Aspec Come costruire servizi anti-violenza aspec-inclusivi? Ne parliamo con Margherita, operatrice anti-violenza di Lucha y Siesta e attivista aspec. 18:00 UCT - 5th April Aspec WorldPride Week This year, WorldPride will be held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. During this week, various activities will be organized for Aspec people, focused on pride, Dutch culture and community. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeld Posted April 5 Author Share Posted April 5 We're now into the Italian stream! If you speak Italian, please join! Btw the full schedule can now be found here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DWwG9R-DBrr/?img_index=1 Please do boost this on your social media, and of course the link to the livestream channel: https://www.youtube.com/@InternationalAsexualityDay . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterh_137 Posted April 5 Share Posted April 5 35 minutes ago, michaeld said: Please do boost this on your social media, and of course the link to the livestream channel: https://www.youtube.com/@InternationalAsexualityDay I've shared it with some of the Irish Aces via our WhatsApp group Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeld Posted April 5 Author Share Posted April 5 33 minutes ago, peterh_137 said: I've shared it with some of the Irish Aces via our WhatsApp group Thanks! Incidentally we're now into the discussion on WorldPride 2026 in the Netherlands, which features a week of ace related activities (31 July - 8 Aug). More info here: https://www.aspec-nederland.nl/webshop/worldpride-week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeld Posted April 5 Author Share Posted April 5 Part 2 of 7 is about to start! Featuring the following: 19:00 UTC - 5th April ASPEC TAKE OVER HOUR: a Counter-romantic Manifesto The allonormative idea of romantic love erases all aspec experiences. We’ll discuss this with Rete Lettera A’s activists, who recently published an article titled “An Aspec Counter-Romantic Manifesto” in the feminist magazine DWF. 20:00 to 22:50 UTC - 5th April Gartic Phone & Break Time! Chill with us, play, draw, chat. Are you an aspec artist? This is the time to showcase your art! 23:00 UTC - 5th April ASPEC TAKE OVER HOUR: GREAT ASPEC-TATIONS! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeld Posted April 6 Author Share Posted April 6 We're now well into part 3! 00:00 UTC - 6th April [IN SPANISH] Entrevista a autor Alex Valentín & Conversación: “sí al sexo ficticio, no al sexo real” Panel que explora la creación y representación asexual en la ficción - desde libros hasta fanfic- abordando la idea de “sí al sexo ficticio, no al sexo real” como una forma válida de experiencia, visibilidad y construcción de relaciones ficticias más allá de lo romántico y sexual; la primera mitad es una entrevista a Alex Valentín, autor de Colores del cielo, obra que representa realidades de personas asexuales. 01:00 UTC - 6th April Colonization of Desire and Allonormativity A panel that explores how coloniality and allonormativity shape what we see as desirable, lovable, and “normal,” using an asexual and decolonial lens to question beauty standards, attraction, and the value assigned to different bodies—and to imagine more conscious, self-defined ways of relating and desiring. 03:00 to 04:50 UTC - 6th April BLACKNESS, ACE REPRESENTATION AND ART: a chill time with yagirllici and Kim Riot We’ll have some free chat with yagirllici and Kim Riot, talking about blackness and asexuality, ace representation, art... and whatever we want! Join us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeld Posted April 6 Author Share Posted April 6 We're now into part 4! 05:00 UTC - 6th April Anti-Asexual Conversion Practices in Australia and Across the World A conversion practice, also known as conversion "therapy", is any practice in any setting which aims to change, suppress or eliminate a person's orientation or gender identity, or their expression of it, based on the false belief that their orientation, identity and expression can and should be changed, suppressed or eliminated. This session will explain more about what conversion practices are, how to recognise them and what we can do to stop them. 06:00 UTC - 6th April “How do I know I’m Aromantic?” Having finally answered the question "Am I asexual?" many ace people are still left struggling with the question "Am I also aromantic?" or "Am I actually not ace at all and I'm actually aro?", and "Wait, what's the difference, anyway?" We want to help you answer some of those questions, by sharing our different experiences and how we came to understand our identities as ace and/or aro people. (Please note that our definition of aromantic in English may not match the definition in other languages) 07:00 UTC - 6th April Spotlight on... Kenya! Let's talk about asexuality and ace activism in Kenya with Jacgues Jacky. 08:00 UTC 6th April Aces in STEM A discussion-panel with Sarah Cosgriff and Katherine Holmes. 09:00 UTC - 6th April Asexuality in Eastern Europe There’s a lot of specificities to the experiences of asexual people in Eastern Europe that get lost in simplifications and generalizations about Europe. We’ll discuss this with Nico (Asexualita a Aromantickosť po slovensky), Viktoria (Magyar Aszexuális Közösség) and Juno (Asfera Polish Asexuals) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeld Posted April 6 Author Share Posted April 6 In half an hour, part 5 starts! Here is the lineup! 10:00 UTC - 6th April Literature Panel We’re back on topic! Once again this year we’ll discuss literature, representation and writing ace stories with Marisa (Ace Chat), CJ’s Galaxy, Asuka Ishimaru and Phenomena Press, an indie press championing aromantic and asexual speculative fiction stories: brace yourself for some cryptids to invade the stream! 11:00 UTC - 6th April "That's Not a Real Thing": Bad Doctors, Weird Causes and HSDD Asexual people who disclose their sexuality to their doctors report being diagnosed with illnesses they don't have, refused medical care, given harmful treatments they don't need and subjected to all kinds of malpractice. Yasmin Benoit joins us to talk about her work with the Human Rights Campaign, Luciella Scarlett will discuss her research into drugs that supposedly treat Hyposexual Desire Disorder and Kate Wood will share wild stories from her research into medical mistreatment. 12:00 UTC - 6th April Yasmin Benoit for the Human Rights Campaign: an interview Find out more about Yasmin Benoit’s research for the Human Rights Campaign: coming out today! 13:00 UTC - 6th April Spotlight on… Denmark! (happy birthday to FAD!) Let’s celebrate FAD’s birthday with Martin (Foreningen for Aseksuelle i Danmark)! 14:00 UTC - 6th April Spotlight on... Catalonia! With Clara and Ana (ACA - Associació Catalana d'Asexuals) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeld Posted April 6 Author Share Posted April 6 We're now well into part 6! Here is the lineup: 15:00 UTC - 6th April Spotlight on... Indonesia! With Koala, Indonesian aspec activist! 16:00 UTC - 6th April Spotlight on... France! With Aspace Paris! 17:00 UTC - 6th April Free slot! Do you want to join? Is there something you want to talk about? Do you want to chat with other activists? Draw? Create? Showcase your art or advocacy? Get in touch and join the fun! 19:00 UTC - 6th April [IN SPANISH] Una forma ase de relacionarnos (an ace way of relationships) Panel que busca repensar todos los tipos de relaciones que involucran afecto desde una mirada ace: familia, amistades, relaciones platónicas; una visión ace de la jerarquía en las relaciones; vínculos más allá de las normas sexuales y románticas tradicionales. (Rethinking all types of relationships that involve affection from an ace lens: family, friends, platonic relationships; an ace view of hierarchy in relationships; relationships beyond the usual sexual and romantic norms.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeChat Posted April 8 Share Posted April 8 Thanks, everyone, who helped with—or was a part of—the livestreams. It was nice to hear others' experiences. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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