Hi! So I have an male character who is ace, and I did a bit of research on what it is to be asexual, and the website I found said that some asexuals don't date or have sex, but is that too stereotypical to have my character be uninterested in dating and sex?
Alright, so my initial response to this got very long, and long story short you’ve inspired about five masterposts. Congratulations!
The short answer is: no, an ace character who doesn’t date or have sex isn’t inherently stereotypical. However, you should think about why this particular ace character doesn’t date or have sex; if you asked an asexual person why they didn’t date/have sex their answer would be more complex than just “well I’m asexual and we don’t do that.” His exact reasons will also impact his behavior: if he’s not dating because the entire idea gives him shuddery feelings like his life is being invaded, he’ll respond differently than if he’s not dating because he gave up on finding a compatible partner.
It’s also worth mentioning as a caution that in general, asexuality deals with sex and aromanticism deals with dating. Your ace character may not necessarily be aromantic (and aro characters may not be ace). “Asexuals are all aromantic” or “asexuality and aromanticism are the same thing” is a stereotype, so if you’re not familiar with aromanticism I’d suggest researching that as well, so if you do make your character aro as well as ace, you can do it on purpose. (Again, an ace character who’s also aro isn’t a problem! But it should be done intentionally, rather than because people think they’re the same thing.) If you are familiar with aromanticism, of course, you can skip this step (or rather, have already done it).
I hope this was helpful! if you have any more questions on asexuality or aromanticism feel free to submit them to us, and if you’d like some ideas on why an asexual character may or may not date or have sex, keep an eye out for those masterposts.
Good luck with your story!
-Admin Para
