This LGBTQA+ History Month, Queen Mary's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion team are raising awareness about different sexual identities. This week, learn more about asexual/ace identities, acephobia and how you can be an ace ally.
Asexuality/ace is an umbrella term and exists on a spectrum. At Queen Mary, we use ‘ace’ as an umbrella term for anyone identifying under the asexual or aromantic umbrellas. Different asexual people experience their ace identities differently.
People experience lots of different kinds of attraction. When it comes to relationships, the main kinds of attraction we tend to notice and talk about are sexual and romantic attraction. Most people experience both at the same time towards the same people – feeling romantically attracted to someone usually means also being sexually attracted to that person.
For those who identify as ace, and for some people who identify as heterosexual, bi, gay and lesbian, sexual and romantic attachment is not always matched.
Asexual people may not experience sexual attraction but may still experience romantic attraction. Likewise, aromantic people may not experience romantic attraction but may experience sexual attraction. It’s also possible to be both asexual and aromantic.
There are many other identities that fall under the ace umbrella. For many, being able to label their identities is extremely important as it allows them to raise awareness of and highlight experiences that would otherwise be ignored or scorned. This may also help individuals to find communities that they can identify with. If someone finds a label that fits their experiences, which they may not have previously been able to express, it can alleviate feelings of otherness and isolation. Please note that the following list is by no means exhaustive:
Asexuality is a legitimate, lived identity, but is commonly misunderstood. The lack of understanding about asexual identities does, unfortunately, have negative effects on ace people and often results in experiences of ace-erasure and acephobia.
Acephobia is a term used to describe the fear or dislike or someone, based on prejudice or negative attitudes, beliefs or views about people who are or are perceived to be ace.
Ace-erasure is the denial that asexuality and/or aromanticism is real, and the invisibility and lack of representation of asexuality and aromanticism. Examples include dismissing, ignoring, or trying to explain away asexuality/aromanticism.
We want Queen Mary to be the most inclusive university of its kind. If you or someone else have experienced harassment, hate incidents, bullying or gender-based violence, you can report it via our secure Report + Support platform. Report + Support provides information about specialist external services and offers the option to make a report to the University to discuss options for support and possible action.