Jamie Reidy sarcastically discusses new data revealing an increase in asexual self-identification.
NPR’s Patt Morrison reports on a new article from The Atlantic detailing that
approximately 1 percent of the population self-identifies as asexual – that is, feeling no sexual attraction to others.
According to the website of the Asexuality Visibility and Education Network (AVEN), there are many degrees and definitions of asexuality. Some feel they are “born this way,” while others experience intermittent periods of asexuality for various reasons.
Matthew Broderick, as the computer genius high schooler in WAR GAMES, has a great line regarding the latter. His pompous science teacher asks the class, “Who first suggested reproduction without sex?” Broderick smirks, “Your wife?” Bazinga!
Speaking of which, I’m pretty sure Sheldon (Jim Parsons) on THE BIG BANG THEORY is asexual, though he’ll hafta get naked with Amy Farrah Fowler (Dr. Mayim Bialik) sometime if the show is gonna continue. I really hope both things happen.
AVEN founder David Jay says asexuality is part of the sexual spectrum – a portion that’s been overlooked in our sex-obsessed culture.
I have to agree with Mr. Jay, here, as I am dying to know who Kim Kardashian is having sex with. Sadly, this obsession is cutting into my TV sitcom watching.
Do you know anyone who has decided he or she is asexual?
Photo by: Kopper
About Jamie Reidy
I did for a while when I was 13, but it was just a phase. Now I’m a happy and well adjusted bisexual
I’m involuntarily celibate… not quite the same thing.
I have one friend who was asexual in high school. I truly believe he was then, too. Eventually he came out as gay, but before that he just didn’t feel anything for anyone…
I think a lot of people are identifying “asexuality” as a sexual orientation, like being LGBTQ and while I agree that there shouldn’t be any shame in being asexual, my gut is that it’s more of a phase of life than an actual orientation… Though I guess orientations can be ever-changing, so perhaps not…
“My gut is that it’s more of a phase of life than an actual orientation.”
Tut, tut…that’s what people said about homosexuality too.
Seriously, though, I think it can be a phase…just like you get some people who experiment with other sexual orientations too. I’ll admit that I dated a couple guys in high school, and not as beards…I was just figuring out who I was. So yeah, asexuality can be a bit of that, I’m sure. I just think it’s also an orientation.
“My gut is that it’s more of a phase of life than an actual orientation.”
“Tut, tut…that’s what people said about homosexuality too.”
And bisexuality. Actually, they still do say that, if you’re a man.
Not to derail…but yeah, I find it interesting that bisexuality among men is still treated like a phase, and homosexuality among women is still treated like a phase. Yet bisexuality among women is totally acknowledged and homosexuality among men is totally acknowledged as an actual identity. And yes, bisexual men are treated more like a phase than lesbians…I remember that horrible “study” that “proved” bisexual men didn’t exist.
lately the past few I’ve been threw some hard stresses and have had some traumatic things happen to me that involve sex and relationships boyfriends or friends. I’ve been with my current My boyfriend for more than a year now, and all of the sudden….I’m not turned on by anything…or want to do anything sexual. In the past I always wanted sex or to mess around with whoever i was with( i rather mess around than go out to the movies or was late to work sometimes because of this )…and it was like this with my current boyfriend until one day…I’m just not interested or turned on. I can’t say i even want to masturbate….I have never in my life felt so strange with myself….I love my boyfriend so much and he has been nothing but understanding and trying his best to support me,…but i feel bad now He feels I’m not attracted to him anymore….and I always found him attractive..still do..I just can’t explain how weird this is to me…
Get your thyroid checked out. If it happened this suddenly, and you can’t figure out any other reason (stress?), you could have a hormonal imbalance.
I’m a little confused by this post. Asexuality IS a sexuality, it does exist, and calling it a ‘phase’ as one commenter did is just as offensive as calling homosexuality or bisexuality a phase. I’m sure that in some cases it is a phase, but why generalize across entire populations? Asexuals don’t necessarily have awful traumas in their pasts, they don’t necessarily just need to find the ‘right’ partner..
And it’s not a joke. :/
Thanks Tam!
A friend recently told me she doesn’t believe in asexuality. Mind you, she believes in and fully supports the rights of all other types of sexual preferences (bi, gay), just not asexuality. I found it to be incredibly offensive, especially because I told her I was struggling with whether or not I was. At this point, I think I’m an incel, but my sex drive is much, much lower than most other males my age, so I really don’t know. It’s part of growing up I guess. And don’t call it a phase; people can self-identify however they want, to deny that to them or dismiss it is wrong.
(im not asexual)
isnt it strange how people can accept that some have a rampant sex drive, but then struggle to accept that some have entirely no sex drive nor interest in sex whatsoever.
Emily Autumn is completely asexual, contrary to what she might do in her shows, and she’s either in her late twenties or early thirties. She’s been that way for a few years.
Yeah, Jamesq, it’s funny how many people completely accepting of all sexual orientations and lifestyles can’t wrap their heads around asexuality and laugh at it. People also tend to misuse or overuse it. Celibacy, not being able to get laid, being sexually naive, and a loss of or low sex drive are not the same thing. It’s worth it to take a look at AVEN, even if you’re not asexual.
Tam says:
April 11, 2012 at 12:59 am
“Get your thyroid checked out. If it happened this suddenly, and you can’t figure out any other reason (stress?), you could have a hormonal imbalance.”
i think stress is a big part of it. I’ve been more stressed before in the past but my sex drive wasn’t harmed in such a way. I’ll look into it
thank you
One doesn’t decide to become asexual, just as someone doesn’t decide to become gay or straight.
I’m 23, and asexual. I have always been asexual, I have never experienced sexual attraction to another person. Its not a phase, my hormones are normal, I don’t ‘just need to get laid’, I have no problem with other people having sex, I still enjoy erotica, I didn’t experience a trama in my life to ’cause’ my asexuality. I am perfectly happy, and well adjusted, and interested in a romantic relationship which my or may not still include sex depending upon how I feel at that time.
I know a lot of people are afraid to identify as asexual because they don’t want to discover its a ‘phase’ and then have to tell everyone around them “oh, just kidding”. People should be encouraged to identify as what feels right. If calling yourself asexual will help you understand what you’re feeling /now/ then thats fine. If it changes in the future, thats okay too. Asexuality is a spectrum! And you are no less asexual if you’re a Grey-Asexual (asexual most of the time, but still experiencing sexual attraction on rare occassion or under special circumstances), or what have you. =3