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Types of asexuality


Nyokka Nox

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Hello Aces, hope they day is going good for ya so far. Alright, to the point then. I am writing an essay on asexuality and realized that I know very little of the different types of asexualities. Can anyone help me figure out what they are and what exactly they mean? I know this is kinda vague but so is mt understanding. Thank you all for your time. :cake:

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Welcome to AVEN.

There is a lot more to it than this but the main stereotype is an asexual aromantic which does not feel sexual or romantic attraction to a person. There is also asexual romantic that doesnt feel the attraction but feels a need for a partner and relationship.

The gray-A sees asexuality not in terms of black and white but with shades of grey. They may on occasion feel that sexual attraction but lack the sex drive from what I understood.

Also demisexual is another term in which sexual attraction is discovered upon an emotional level, ie when deeply in love with a person.

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Blood Angel - Thank you for your response. I understand that the types of asexuality are varied and complex but this really does help. I appreciate you taking the time to assist me.

Birdwing - Thank you very much for the lists. They will be immensely useful.

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Asexuality just has one definition: "a person who does not experience sexual attraction". Beyond that, nothing else really matters, except the other labels people apply to themselves.

I am surprised to see you say this, Birdwing. I think that that definition sacrifices accuracy for simplicity and contributes to the invisibility of gray-a's, whom I very much consider asexual. The nuances definitely matter when it comes to an essay.

Nyokka, In my opinion it would be wrong not to include gray-asexuality in the essay. (On the other hand, apparently an asexual documentary was made recently that did not include it). I think there is a good case to include romanticism/aromanticism. Romantic attraction is usually thought about inseparably from sexual attraction, so it's noteworthy that a lack of sexual attraction does not preclude romantic attraction, but it could be confusing to make that distinction. Otherwise, romantic orientation really has nothing to do with asexuality. I think you could acceptably cover that area with some blanket statements such as these (but don't plagiarize--write something better!): "Some asexuals are interested in forming close, committed/pair-bonded relationships. Some asexuals are interested in physical intimacy such as cuddling, holding hands, kissing." You wouldn't have to mention romanticism or aromanticism at all. Likewise, I would advise ignoring libido because that could be really confusing as people can't seem to distinguish between attraction and arousal, and it also really has nothing to do with asexuality except that asexuality is defined by attraction, not arousal.

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As far as I know, the types of Asexuality, or the ''subcategories'', are nothing official.

(Important note: Asexuality is the lack of sexual attraction. It is not celibacy, it is not Antisexualism, just the lack of sexual attraction.)

There are quite a few different subcategories, one of them being, the 'romantic attraction' subcategories. (Asexuality is really the only orientation that puts so much emphasis on romantic attraction and the distinction between romantic and sexual attraction, enough to give them their own individual names)

  • Aromantic - An aromantic is a person who experiences little or no romantic attraction to others.
  • Biromantic - A person who is romantically attracted to members of two different sexes or genders.
  • Gray-romantic - A gray-romantic (grey-romantic) is a person with a romantic orientation that is somewhere between aromantic and romantic.
  • Heteroromantic - A person who is romantically attracted to a member of the opposite sex or gender.
  • Hoomoromantic - A person who is romantically attracted to a member of the same sex or gender.
  • Panromantic - A person who is romantically attracted to others but is not limited by the other's sex or gender

There are also other orientations, and forms of attraction, that fall into the category of Asexuality.

  • Demisexuality - A demisexual is a person who does not experience sexual attraction until they form a strong emotional connection with someone, often (but not always) in a romantic relationship.
  • Gray-Asexuality - Do not normally experience sexual attraction, but do experience it sometimes/experience sexual attraction, but a low sex drive/experience/sexual attraction and drive, but not strongly enough to want to act on them/people who can enjoy and desire sex, but only under very limited and specific circumstances/people who experience some parts of sexuality but not others
    (And some other orientations and labels that, by their own definition, are not Asexuality by themselves, but can often be experienced by an Asexual person, and vice versa)
  • Antisexual - Antisexualism is a belief that sexuality is wrong or should be avoided.
  • Repulsed - Repulsed by sex]
  • Celibacy - Celibacy or chastity is conscious abstinence from sexual activity.

Another important note: All of these terms are just labels, most often a form of self-identification/self-diagnosis. The definition of Asexuality is just '' not experiencing sexual attraction'' (not 'abstinence from sex', not 'repulsion to sex', not 'avoidance of sex' and not celibacy'), any of the labels listed above in this post and others, can follow Asexuality, but a/sexuality isn't always easy to put a label on.

You may also want to check out the Lexicon

Also, as I have said already, these are pretty much unofficial terms that are thrown around in the community as a means of better understanding ourselves.

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...because now we get into this other *opinion* that I have that many people are not completely 100% their orientation. Basically, approximate it with the AVEN triangle up there.

That's all I meant. Any orientation label is going to be more simplistic than a real person. And I think an essay should reflect that.

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Consider the idea that there are asexuals who are mistaken as sexuals due to their behavior.

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