Historically, asexuality is a sexual orientation (of about 750 million people at last check) mired in myth and misunderstanding. What many have assumed is a disorder others say is just how some people are wired.
David Jay, who identifies as asexual, wanted to start a conversation to drop some knowledge into the mix. In 2001, he launched Asexual Visibility & Education Network (AVEN) to do just that.
AVEN is an online platform for asexuals and the sexually driven alike to find information and start a dialogue. Here, one can learn the distinct difference between celibacy and asexuality, or dive deeper into the subcategories of asexuality itself (i.e. ‘gray aces’ are people who find themselves on the blurry line between sexual and asexual).
Check out AVENues’ latest issue on aromanticism! https://t.co/K5qIcEYksR pic.twitter.com/yUjMiUIpOW
— AVEN (@asexuality) March 18, 2017
AVEN also gives support to asexuals who feel isolated by their orientation – The site hosts a forum and also offers Spanish translation. It wasn’t until the 21st Century that asexuality began to be more widely accepted, but now we are seeing the first asexual politician and even an asexual sex toy reviewer.
In 2008, AVEN lobbied to have asexuality removed from the disorders list of American Psychiatric Association, and in 2013 they won.
Jay also touches on how asexuals still seek romantic and intimate relationships. “Love and sex are different things,” says David. “You can form an intimate relationship where sex isn’t at the center of it.”
Thanks to work like Jay, finding and talking about our identities is finally getting easier.
[Fun fact: their symbol is a slice of cake with whipped cream and a strawberry.]
Ready for more? We think you may also enjoy our piece on gender-fluid model Rain Dove or stereotype-battling storytelling project, New Americans Project.
