I would like to use this blog to write (occasionally) about topics and issues regarding asexuality. However, since there may be people reading this blog, now or in the future, who are unfamiliar with this subject, I have decided that it is probably prudent for me to include a little explanation.
The generally accepted definition of an asexual is someone who does not experience sexual attraction. This does not equate with celibacy, which is the practice of suppressing and not acting on one’s sexual attraction, for whatever reason. Celibacy is a choice. Asexuality is an orientation.
The people who make up the asexual communities are just as diverse as people who make up the sexual communities. Every person, sexual or asexual, is different. Some asexuals experience romantic attraction, and thus may identify themselves as heteroromantic, homoromantic, biromantic, or panromantic. Some asexuals identify as aromantic, meaning that they do not experience romantic attraction to anyone.
Asexuals may feel sex-positive (i.e. sex is a good thing for consenting adults) or sex-negative (i.e. sex is bad no matter what). Some asexuals may be repulsed by sex, and other may be indifferent to it. It is important to point out that orientation is not the same thing as behavior: an asexual person might still have sex. For example, despite not being sexually attracted to anyone, an asexual may compromise and agree to have sex with their romantic partner. Some asexuals, though not sexually attracted to anyone, still have sex because they like how it feels. Some asexuals masturbate. Some don’t engage in any of the above.
The word “ace” is often used to refer to someone who is asexual or to something that is related to asexuality. The word “asexy” may also be used by some people.
For more information, I would highly recommend checking out AVEN, the Asexual Visibility and Education Network, at this website:
http://www.asexuality.org/home/
I have found their Overview, FAQ sections, and Asexual Perspectives to be very useful and educational. For a nice compilation of definitions, I would suggest this page from the Asexual Advice Tumblr:
http://asexualadvice.tumblr.com/glossary
Another extremely useful definition page comes from outlawroad on Tumblr:
http://outlawroad.tumblr.com/post/6334762387/basic-terms-for-understanding-relationships
As a disclaimer: What I say on this blog about asexuality comes from my own person experience as an asexual, and should not be taken as an absolute truth describing all asexuals. If I say I'm sex-repulsed, for example, that does not mean that all asexuals are also sex-repulsed. Like I said earlier, everyone is different. Everyone has different experiences.
