Siggy Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/17/asexuality-the-x-in-a-sexual-world_n_3444417.html An asexual is someone "who does not experience sexual attraction," according to a definition found on the Asexual Visibility and Education Network, the world's preeminent asexual organization. But "unlike celibacy, asexuality is an intrinsic part of who we are," the definition continues. In this six-part series on asexuality, in which we talk to leading experts on asexuality, as well as activists and community members, we take a closer look at the lives of asexuals, exploring the history of the asexual movement, uncovering the current research on asexuality, debunking common misconceptions and discussing some of the challenges facing the asexual community. After I finish reading it, I may post my thoughts. ETA: Only the first part has been published. But I look forward to the rest! The first article is standard news-article stuff. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kellam Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Neat-o! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xserpx Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 That's awesome! Will definitely read more of that when it comes out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 I'm digging the Huffington Post. Really, I love it too much. ^_^ Fantastic article and fantastic video at the bottom! The person in it made me giggle. Looking forward to the next parts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janus the Fox Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Not if sure related, but a live version of thing. http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/what-is-asexuality-a-community-coming-of-age/51bf42acfe3444601300013c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhenSummersGone Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 I saw this on my Twitter feed! Can't wait to read more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
divided_sky Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 Nice. I love the comment in that imgur picture "That guy got friendzoned so hard he made it into the news" Haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 I saw it. The comments are mostly what is expected - get hormones checked. commitment issues, etc. Though, there are some positive comments as well. I bookmarked it the other day so I can read the other parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Second part is out. It features the Kinsey scale and a very interesting project led by Andrew H. and David Jay :) The part about redefining HSDD sounds really interesting, and IMHO very important in order to make asexuality an official sexual orientation - doubt it'll happen if some keep defining it as a disease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponz Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Hurray! I can link people to this article!!! *\(^o^)/* Man, I wish I could've been a part of it, though. That would've been cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreyaDV Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Hurray! I can link people to this article!!! *\(^o^)/* Man, I wish I could've been a part of it, though. That would've been cool. It was good to be a part of, actually, so next time something pops up, go for it! It was one of the things that helped me discover the identity of who I am now. I'm glad to have provided the time and information necessary for that. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phaetion Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Still, despite evidence that sexual desire and arousal are not usually absent in asexuals, current research indicates that aces do have significantly lower sexual desire and arousal than sexual individuals. Orgasmic function also tends to be lower. This is from the third article, which is now posted. I wonder: Yes, asexuals do experience arousal but what did the author mean by lower than sexuals? Does he/she mean by frequency or what exactly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janus the Fox Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/19/asexual-relationships_n_3362206.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices Link is to the third part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kellam Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 As I've been reading the different instalments I've begun to wonder why they couldn't have just made one big article? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 As I've been reading the different instalments I've begun to wonder why they couldn't have just made one big article? Might be my computer-oriented mind, but I'm definitely inclined to answer: modularisation. Which is, in my book, a VERY good thing :) This way, everyone can feel free to skip the parts that are irrelevant to their interest and just read the ones they're interested in, or want to know more about. We all know how walls of text discourage most people from reading. I find the third part really nice as well. I like how it went more in-depth about grey-As and demisexuals than most other articles do, and quoting people who actually identified as that. It makes the murky in-between area a lot more understandable, even to those who aren't familiar with asexuality and the AVEN lexicon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponz Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Aww! The end of the third part makes me happy. ^-^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 As I've been reading the different instalments I've begun to wonder why they couldn't have just made one big article? First thing you learn in journalism class: K.I.S.S - Keep It Simple Stupid (not my words, so no I am not calling anyone stupid... it literally is written on the board in some journalism classes). It goes against general journalism rules to make a very long, complicated article. The masses tend to not read those. But, if it is an installment article that turns out to be long over time, more people will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lamia Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 I am so glad that Huffpost has done such a good job with this series! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RD_the Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 As I've been reading the different instalments I've begun to wonder why they couldn't have just made one big article? There are a couple of reasons I can see. 1. Word count. Each part does have a unified, distinct theme. They want to cover the themes in depth, and would not be able to in the space provided or available for a single article. So they are covering each in more detail in separate articles. A lot of what goes into each of these articles is old hat for anyone who hangs around here for any length of time, but it is new hat for anyone else, and deserves the attention that is being given. 2. Increased length of awareness. This isn't coming at people in a single shot, it is being given in small doses over a longer period of time. This increases peoples' sensitivity and ability to empathize with a new idea. As people read this series they are being presented with a lot of new ideas that may challenge or overturn their world view. If it was presented in a single shot it could easily overwhelm their abilities for rational thought and cause them to react on stereotype and instinct. As the articles have been set up the reader has time between sections to pause and reflect on what they have read, and even to reconcile the new ideas with old ones that they have held. This need for "white space" or time to think has been well-documented in other contexts, and definitely applies here. Additionally, presenting someone with the same or similar information over a longer period of time improves memory. Having it as a series means that the people reading it for whom this is new hat are more likely to remember it in a few months, or even later. 3. Increased sense of importance of the topic. News services don't do series of articles on one-off things. A one-off article is its own kind of serious, but if writers and editors agree that a topic is important enough to dedicate more time over a long period to it, that is something that they really think their readers should sit up and take note of. It takes more time and resources to create a series. Time and resources that could be spent on something else. This is a series that the Huffington Post thinks is important enough to dedicate six days of resources to. This is more likely to get more people sitting up and taking note. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kellam Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Okay okay...I get it. I was wrong, y'all are right. Stupid question, thanks for your in depth answers. Its still a great series of articles. I guess I was just feeling impatient. I tend to prefer things all at once, I enjoy longform reading experiences. Still, like I said, looking forward to the other installments. I just read part four and it was realy touching and inspiring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Okay okay...I get it. I was wrong, y'all are right. Stupid question, thanks for your in depth answers. Its still a great series of articles. I guess I was just feeling impatient. I tend to prefer things all at once, I enjoy longform reading experiences. Still, like I said, looking forward to the other installments. I just read part four and it was realy touching and inspiring. Trust me, you're one of few who enjoy sitting there reading on a screen for any longer than 2 minutes. People are, sadly, very lazy with their reading habits :P Also, let me point you to the fourth part. Deals with a few sensitive topics, the main being "corrective rape". Funny how some asexuals are "accused" of being fake just because they've been raped and they're actually sexually repressed, not truly asexual, yet rape is considered a way to "correct" asexuality. Am I the only one detecting an oxymoron there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phaetion Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Okay okay...I get it. I was wrong, y'all are right. Stupid question, thanks for your in depth answers. Its still a great series of articles. I guess I was just feeling impatient. I tend to prefer things all at once, I enjoy longform reading experiences. Still, like I said, looking forward to the other installments. I just read part four and it was realy touching and inspiring. Trust me, you're one of few who enjoy sitting there reading on a screen for any longer than 2 minutes. People are, sadly, very lazy with their reading habits :P Also, let me point you to the fourth part. Deals with a few sensitive topics, the main being "corrective rape". Funny how some asexuals are "accused" of being fake just because they've been raped and they're actually sexually repressed, not truly asexual, yet rape is considered a way to "correct" asexuality. Am I the only one detecting an oxymoron there? That's what got me as I was reading. My sensitivity triggers went crazy as I was reading it. I even recall daydreaming about being a real terror to anyone narrow-minded enough to suggest such insults. However, at least Huffington post is doing a great job for what it's doing and I'm grateful for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xserpx Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 I think the author should have made one post referring to the different types of attraction (sexual, romantic, aesthetic) and how they're not connected, as well as properly explaining the fact that masturbation is not indicative of sexual orientation, even for people of other orientations. She made an effort to, but I think for sexuals to properly understand attraction from an asexual standpoint, the types of attraction needs a proper section to itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aditu Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 (edited) Just a quick bump as (as far as I can tell) all the articles are now up. I'm reading them now and will edit in a reply when done. Edited reply: I'm currently torn and don't know what to think. On the one hand (and probably most importantly) it is fantastic that HuffPost are giving such exposure to asexuality, not just in passing. On the other, much of it is deeply saddening, especially Julie Decker's experiences, and also the reactions to whether asexuality is worth including in the LGBT+ movement... (I can't get myself to write more right now. I have no idea why it upset me like this) Edited June 22, 2013 by Aditu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 Just finished reading the last part. Awesome confirmed. ^_^ Edited reply:I'm currently torn and don't know what to think. On the one hand (and probably most importantly) it is fantastic that HuffPost are giving such exposure to asexuality, not just in passing. On the other, much of it is deeply saddening, especially Julie Decker's experiences, and also the reactions to whether asexuality is worth including in the LGBT+ movement...(I can't get myself to write more right now. I have no idea why it upset me like this) Yes, I understand it's upsetting. However, as with every other ugly truth, the world needs to know that being asexual, and being openly asexual in particular, isn't always a cakewalk. I admire the courage people had in participating in this with their own, personal experiences, putting their names and pictures on the table. I'm thankful to them :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
byanyotherusername Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 Just a quick bump as (as far as I can tell) all the articles are now up. I'm reading them now and will edit in a reply when done. Edited reply: I'm currently torn and don't know what to think. On the one hand (and probably most importantly) it is fantastic that HuffPost are giving such exposure to asexuality, not just in passing. On the other, much of it is deeply saddening, especially Julie Decker's experiences, and also the reactions to whether asexuality is worth including in the LGBT+ movement... (I can't get myself to write more right now. I have no idea why it upset me like this) I can see why you find it depressing--I did a bit, too. The "corrective rape" thing really scares me, because people really do rationalize it as "not rape"...they think that you'll like sex acts if you just try them, and that it's somehow unhealthy not to, so they make you try "for your own good". Because, you know, sex is like vegetables, and you'll benefit from its essential goodness even if you hate every second of it...0.o But I think it was a very thorough, accurate portrayal. And it's good for people to understand that this is an issue, and that asexuals do face real danger and discrimination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OtherWise Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 I have no words for people who think it's clever to tell somebody they should get raped. Actually, I have a lot of words, some of them quite inventive, but there is no insult in the English language strong enough to apply to rape advocates or even people who troll/joke about 'corrective' rape. I wish I could say this is the first time I've heard of people being told they should get raped for being asexual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phaetion Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 I have no words for people who think it's clever to tell somebody they should get raped. Actually, I have a lot of words, some of them quite inventive, but there is no insult in the English language strong enough to apply to rape advocates or even people who troll/joke about 'corrective' rape. I wish I could say this is the first time I've heard of people being told they should get raped for being asexual. I just wanted to plant a fist in their faces and do all sorts of torture to them (I really need a punching bag...too much pent-up anger and frustration). Maybe if there was some way to drill 'corrective understanding/common sense' into their brains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhenSummersGone Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 I just hope that most people reading these articles aren't confusing Asexuality with celibacy or just waiting to have sex. What bothers me in places like Twitter are people saying "I give up on dating, I'll just be asexual" or those who want sex but don't want it right now so they are calling themselves asexual. It does make it harder for people to understand Asexuality when people are using the wrong term for themselves. Oh well. I guess putting Asexuality out there is better than not at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soloray Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 Oh well. I guess putting Asexuality out there is better than not at all. Depends. You would have a bunch of those "I don't want to be dating anymore i'll be asexual" who then go on to date and have sex again thus reducing the seriousness of asexuality as an orientation and may lead to groups of people who would "try to get rid of asexuality" since it was possible for so many. On the otherside of it, you would have people understanding and defending the orientation instead of treating it as Celibacy as some non-asexuals would put it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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