Asexual

What does Asexual mean?

Everything you ever needed to know about asexuality and what it means to identify as asexual. Asexual refers to a sexual orientation where an individual experiences little to no sexual attraction to others. People who identify as asexual, often called aces, may not feel the desire to engage in sexual activity, or they may not experience the typical sexual attraction that others do. However, asexuality is a spectrum, and it can mean different things for different people.

For example:

• Some asexual people might still engage in sexual activities for reasons like personal preference, relationship dynamics, or a desire to please a partner, but they do not feel sexual attraction themselves.
• Other asexual people may not want or engage in sexual activities at all, and may not experience sexual attraction in any form.

Asexuality is distinct from celibacy or abstinence, which are conscious choices to avoid sex. Asexuality, on the other hand, is a sexual orientation where someone naturally does not feel sexual attraction.

It’s also worth noting that asexuality is often described on a spectrum, meaning some asexual people might experience sexual attraction under specific circumstances (e.g., demisexuality, where attraction occurs only after forming a deep emotional connection), or they may experience it very rarely or in varying degrees.

Being asexual doesn’t necessarily mean someone doesn’t want close, romantic, or emotional relationships. Asexual individuals can still experience strong romantic feelings (which is known as being romantic), but their feelings might not involve sexual attraction.

What is the Asexual flag?

The asexual flag is a symbol used to represent the asexual community. It consists of four horizontal stripes with the following colours and meanings:

1. Black (top stripe) – Represents asexuality itself, symbolizing the lack of sexual attraction.
2. Gray – Represents the gray area between asexuality and sexual attraction, as well as graysexuality, a term used for people who experience sexual attraction very infrequently or under specific circumstances.
3. White – Represents the potential for romantic attraction and the presence of relationships, highlighting the idea that asexual people can still form emotional and romantic connections.
4. Purple (bottom stripe) – Represents the asexual community as a whole, as purple is a color that combines both black (asexuality) and white (romantic relationships).

The flag was created in 2010 by Avrielle (Avery) St. Amour as a way to create a visible symbol for the asexual community, and it has since been widely adopted in pride events and by people identifying as asexual.