Cilas Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 I think this thread is in the right placeAnyways, I was reading my university paper, and the last week had a queer editionI was pleasantly surprised that, in addition to talking about homosexuality, there was an article on asexuality in there as well.The title is called "Problems Asexuals face" and I think it's an article that many people here will be be able to relate to wellThey even have a list of asexual people, real and fictional XDIf you want to have a look, the paper can be downloaded herehttp://www.src.usyd.edu.au/Honisoit/index.html2014 Mod Edit: The above link doesn't work anymore, but I found this, which is the blog of the author of the article. The blog version may be shorter than the paper's one, I'm not sure. For future reference: Problems Asexuals FaceSeptember 15th 2008 16:56 The problems that Asexuals face mostly arise from other people not understanding or not accepting what Asexuality is. In our sex-crazed society we place a high premium on sexuality and sexual conquests, so where does a person with no sexual desires or motivations fit in?Internal Identity ProblemsFaking itBuiding enough confidence to not have to fake sexual attraction to fit in is an important step for an Asexual person. It is tempting to exaggerate tales of sexual behaviour or to completely fabricate an interest in members of the opposite sex (or same sex) to avoid having to explain yourself. Some Asexuals will fool around with people they are not interested in just to maintain the facade of being "normal". It may seem like it makes life easier to mimic your high-sex-drivel friends, studying their reactions and repeating things they would say, but eventually you have to stop being a copy of a person and start being an original. A careful balance of knowing when to "fake it" at some points in your life may feel like a tug of war between becoming a complete outsider or developing into a complete sociopath!GenderThe rigid gender sterotypes we are surrounded by can make it difficult for Asexual people to know how to act and how to identify. Media, entertainment and the suburban backyard BBQ have taught us that women belong in one corner and men in the other - but which corner should an Asexual go to? So much of ones masculinity hinges on the ability to pusue a female successfully, while women are valued on their ability to attract a male and produce some offspring. A women only seems "feminine" when contrasted with a man, and vice versa, so without a partner to be compared to how can you gauge your gender identity? It is a similar confusion that some homosexual people can experience - if you are not in a traditional male-female pairing then you dont have your role automatically cut out for you . . . you have to forge it yourself!Some Religious Folk Claim Asexuals Do Not Exist"What do you call a person who is asexual? Answer: Not a person. Asexual people do not exist. Sexuality is a gift from God and thus a fundamental part of our human identity."David Nantais, S.J - Catholic minister from the University of Detroit Mercythats not very nice David . . .Common False Assumptions People Make About AsexualsExamples:"oh youre just a late bloomer""you just havent found the right man/woman""you must be a closeted gay/lesbian""were you abused as a child?""you must have a bad body image/ low self esteem""is it because you dont want people to see you naked?""you must come from a strict religious family""did an ex-partner beat/rape/humiliate you?""you must have a hormone imbalance""you must hate people that have sex""oh you wouldnt know anything about relationships or feelings""youre probably just depressed""are your genitals deformed/malfunctioning?""its probably your diet/medications/alcohol intake"None of these things are relevant to your sexual orientation, they might affect how quickly you come to accept your natural born orientation but they can not change it. Asexual people do not fear, hate, or resent sex, they simply dont think about it. They are physically able to have sex if they wanted to, they just find that they never particularly want to.The Journal of Sex Research and New Scientist magazine have reported that around 1% of people are born Asexual. Now that we know each other exist we dont have to pretend anymore. Link to post Share on other sites
theimpossiblek Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 Thanks for the link! Wow, there are so many interesting articles (including the one on asexuality, of course) ... and the list of famous asexuals?? Hmm... I dunno if Dr. House counts. From what I've seen, he does seem to experience sexual attraction- unless you think that's a "front" he puts up? I'm kinda curious how they got this list... Link to post Share on other sites
rotifer Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 I don't think lincon from the island was asexual or house but the main asexual article was good and i read some of the queer stuff and thats great to Link to post Share on other sites
141822 Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 I suddenly am overcome with an urge to transfer to your University. It's great that they mentioned asexuality in the paper. I think I'd have cardiac arrest if it was mentioned at my school. Link to post Share on other sites
EGAD! Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 I think this thread is in the right placeAnyways, I was reading my university paper, and the last week had a queer edition I was pleasantly surprised that, in addition to talking about homosexuality, there was an article on asexuality in there as well. The title is called "Problems Asexuals face" and I think it's an article that many people here will be be able to relate to well They even have a list of asexual people, real and fictional XD If you want to have a look, the paper can be downloaded here http://www.src.usyd.edu.au/Honisoit/index.html Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites
Forensic Posted September 30, 2008 Share Posted September 30, 2008 I would read that and then wonder who on the newspaper staff was Ace and how could I make them my friend. :lol: Link to post Share on other sites
Raisin Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 I suddenly am overcome with an urge to transfer to your University. It's great that they mentioned asexuality in the paper. I think I'd have cardiac arrest if it was mentioned at my school. I would read that and then wonder who on the newspaper staff was Ace and how could I make them my friend. :lol: I had both of these reactions. I would freak the heck out if anyone at my school said anything remotely related to asexuality (that they didn't hear from me). Link to post Share on other sites
metalgirl2045 Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 I recognise the famous and fictional asexuals list from Wikipedia. Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.