In line with what happened after the de-pathologization of homosexuality, topics that could be addressed in asexuality research include: the processes of acceptance and self-identification, the gradual process of coming out, the development of an asexual identity, relational experiences, experiences of prejudice, stigmatization, and minority stress, and how asexuality challenges sexual normativity. In this regard, it is important to keep in mind that asexual individuals may experience, understand, and interpret concepts such as sexual desire, sexual arousal, masturbation, love, and relationships differently when compared with sexual people (e.g., Przybylo, 2014; Van Houdenhove et al., 2015b).
For example, from a sexual point of view, sex is often thought to be an essential and defining part of being human and being in a romantic relationship. These premises are called into question by asexual individuals and their romantic experiences. Indeed, some asexual people manage to engage in a romantic relationship without a sexual component, as they distinguish sexual attraction from romantic attraction; that is, asexual people can feel romantically attracted toward someone in the absence of sexually attraction. This kind of observation challenges some fundamental ideas about the assumed sexual nature of humankind, including ideas that all people should experience sexual attraction and behave sexually as a consequence of a biological sex drive.
Houdenhove, E. V., Enzlin, P., & Gijs, L. (2017). A Positive Approach Toward Asexuality: Some First Steps, But Still a Long Way to Go. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 46(3), 647–651. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-016-0921-1
Ftr, I do not approve of the use of “sexual” in reference to allosexuals (and there are some other things I’m not sure about in this article). However, these faults do not seem to negate the fact that this quotation (w/ the rest of the article) makes good arguments about;
the need for more research on asexuality,
the fact that asexuality is its own unique sexual orientation, just like any other,
that there is in fact an “assumed sexual nature of humankind” (e.g., allosexism/ace-phobia),
the need for and value of the SAM (at least for ace-specs),
that much like homophobia, allosexism/ace-phobia harms all ppl (but especially those of marginalized orientations) and as such needs to be challenged, and finally
that ace-specs and asexuality as an orientation can and do challenge allosexism/ace-phobia.
(via feministingforchange)
