What is Asexuality?

Happy International Asexuality Day! Asexuals (or “Aces” for short!) are a valid, important part of the queer community, and make the world a more interesting place. Understanding what asexuality is can be difficult, so let’s break it down by first defining a few key terms:

Asexual: An adjective used to describe a person who does not experience sexual attraction (e.g., asexual person). Sometimes shortened to "ace." Asexual is an umbrella term that can also include people who are demisexual, meaning a person who does experience some sexual attraction, but only in certain situations, for example, after they have formed a strong emotional or romantic connection with a partner

Demisexual: People who only experience sexual attraction once they form a strong emotional connection with another person.

Grey-A: People who identify somewhere between sexual and asexual.

Queerplatonic: People who experience a type of non-romantic relationship where there is an intense emotional connection that goes beyond a traditional friendship.

Exploring whether or not your are asexual can be part of a larger journey in defining yourself. If you have further questions, check out asexuality.org for FAQs.

Resources from the The Trevor Project and GLAAD