If you have not already done so, please stop off at the main questionnaire page for important information about the intent of these questionnaires.
[wpsqt name=”Questions Part 1″ type=”survey”]
Tag Archives: questionnaire
Asexuality Questionnaire #8b.1: Masturbation
IMPORTANT: If you are under 18, skip this questionnaire. Return to the main questionnaire page and answer some others instead.
If you have not already done so, please stop off at the main questionnaire page for important information about the intent of these questionnaires.
This questionnaire is for asexuals who do not masturbate. If you are asexual and masturbate, please head to the other questionnaire.
Thank you for your interest, but this survey is now closed! We are no longer accepting responses at this time. If you’re curious, here’s what the questions were:
- What are your thoughts about masturbation?
- Why don’t you masturbate?
- Have you masturbated or tried to masturbate in the past and stopped for some reason? Why?
- If you never have, would you be willing to do so at some point in the future?
- Have you ever looked for information about masturbation, such as how-to guides?
[wpsqt name=”Masturbation Part B1″ type=”survey”]
Asexuality Questionnaire #8a.2: Masturbation
IMPORTANT: If you are under 18, skip this questionnaire. Return to the main questionnaire page and answer some others instead.
If you have not already done so, please stop off at the main questionnaire page for important information about the intent of these questionnaires.
This questionnaire is for asexuals who masturbate. If you are asexual and do not masturbate, please head to the other questionnaire.
Thank you for your interest, but this survey is now closed! We are no longer accepting responses at this time. If you’re curious, here’s what the questions were:
- How often do you do masturbate?
- Do you use sex toys?
- Have you ever looked for information about masturbation, such as how-to guides or ideas of other techniques?
- Do you feel that someone who masturbates is less asexual than someone who does not? Why or why not?
- How do you respond to the claim that someone who masturbates can’t be asexual?
[wpsqt name=”Masturbation Part A2″ type=”survey”]
Asexuality Questionnaire #8a.1: Masturbation
IMPORTANT: If you are under 18, skip this questionnaire. Return to the main questionnaire page and answer some others instead.
If you have not already done so, please stop off at the main questionnaire page for important information about the intent of these questionnaires.
This questionnaire is for asexuals who masturbate. If you are asexual and do not masturbate, please head to the other questionnaire.
Thank you for your interest, but this survey is now closed! We are no longer accepting responses at this time. If you’re curious, here’s what the questions were:
- What are your thoughts about masturbation?
- Why do you masturbate?
- Do you enjoy it?
- What do you think of while doing masturbating? Do you fantasize about anything?
- When did you start? Why did you first masturbate?
[wpsqt name=”Masturbation Part A1″ type=”survey”]
Asexuality Questionnaire #7.3: Words
If you have not already done so, please stop off at the main questionnaire page for important information about the intent of these questionnaires.
Thank you for your interest, but this survey is now closed! We are no longer accepting responses at this time. If you’re curious, here’s what the questions were:
- If you have never had sex or have not had sex for a considerable amount of time, do you feel that the word “celibate” describes you? If so, why? If not, why not?
- If you have never had sex or have not had sex for a considerable amount of time, do you feel that the word “abstinent” describes you? If so, why? If not, why not?
- If you have never had sex or have not had sex for a considerable amount of time, do you feel that the word “chastity” describes you? If so, why? If not, why not?
- If you have never had sex or have not had sex for a considerable amount of time, do you feel that the word “sexfree” describes you? If so, why? If not, why not?
[wpsqt name=”Words Part 3″ type=”survey”]
Asexuality Questionnaire #7.2: Words
If you have not already done so, please stop off at the main questionnaire page for important information about the intent of these questionnaires.
Thank you for your interest, but this survey is now closed! We are no longer accepting responses at this time. If you’re curious, here’s what the questions were:
- What do you think about words used to describe people who are not asexual, like “sexual”, “allosexual”, “consexual”, “verisexual”, “zedsexual”, etc.? Do you use them? Do you avoid them? If you use one, which one do you use and why? If you do not use one, why not?
- What do you think about words like “hot” or “sexy”, etc.? Do you use them? Do you avoid them? Do you feel that you understand or experience them the same way or differently than others?
- What do you think about words like “horny” or “turned on”, etc.? Do you use them? Do you avoid them? Do you feel that you understand or experience them the same way or differently than others?
- What do you think about words like “prude” or “frigid”, etc.? Do you use them? Do you avoid them? Do you feel that you understand or experience them the same way or differently than others?
- What do you think about words like “squish” or “crush”, etc.? Do you use them? Do you avoid them? Do you feel that you understand or experience them the same way or differently than others?
- What do you think about words like “virgin”, etc.? Do you use it? Do you avoid it? Do you feel that you understand or experience it the same way or differently than others?
- What do you think about words like “ace” or “asexy”, etc.? Do you use them? Do you avoid them? Do you feel that you understand or experience them the same way or differently than others?
[wpsqt name=”Words Part 2″ type=”survey”]
Asexuality Questionnaire #7.1: Words
If you have not already done so, please stop off at the main questionnaire page for important information about the intent of these questionnaires.
Thank you for your interest, but this survey is now closed! We are no longer accepting responses at this time. If you’re curious, here’s what the questions were:
- Are there words you feel a connection with due to some aspect of asexuality or how you experience it?
- Are there words you feel a disconnection from due to some aspect of asexuality or how you experience it?
- Are there concepts that you feel are missing words to describe them, that would better explain some aspect of asexuality or how you experience it?
[wpsqt name=”Words Part 1″ type=”survey”]
Asexuality Questionnaire #6: Dealing With Ignorant Comments
If you have not already done so, please stop off at the main questionnaire page for important information about the intent of these questionnaires.
This questionnaire contains a list of ignorant (and potentially hurtful) remarks that have been used against asexual people. For each comment, if you’ve ever encountered someone who has used it, please talk about who they were, the situation in which it was used, and how you reacted (or wish you’d reacted), and how it made you feel. Also, even if you haven’t encountered it, please give what you feel would be an effective rebuttal to someone who does use it.
I’ve seen people talk about offensive remarks and filling out bingo cards and all that, but outside of a couple of SwankIvy’s videos, I’ve never really seen anyone talk about what to do when you’re on the receiving end of them. My goal for this particular questionnaire is to be able to build up a set of responses that other asexuals can use, so they’ll be prepared when someone throws one of these their way.
Thank you for your interest, but this survey is now closed! We are no longer accepting responses at this time. If you’re curious, here’s what the questions were:
- “You just haven’t met the right person.”
-
“How can you be sure if you haven’t tried?”
- “You’re just a late bloomer.”
- “That’s not what the word means.”
- “It’s not real.”
- “Were you abused or assaulted?”
- “It’s just a phase.”
- “It’s slut-shaming.”
- “It’s so noble that you’re saving yourself.”
- “Maybe you’re really gay and afraid to admit it.”
- “You’re just afraid of sex.”
- “You’re missing out.”
- “If you’re not having sex, you’re just friends.”
- “You’re so lucky. You don’t have to deal with relationship troubles.”
- “You should get your hormones checked.”
- “Are you religious?”
- “I was like that at your age.”
- “There’s a pill for that.”
- “One night with me will fix that.”
- “You can’t be asexual because you’ve [insert activity here].”
- Are there any other ignorant comments that you’ve heard which were not included here?
[wpsqt name=”Dealing With Ignorant Comments” type=”survey”]
Asexuals on Coming Out: Advice
4
[This post is the result of the Asexuality Questionnaire project. The quotations used within are gathered from anonymous responses to questions asked as part of that project.]
One of the questions on the Coming Out questionnaire was “What advice would you have for someone choosing to come out?” I had so many excellent responses to that question, that I had to split my post about coming out into two parts so I could fit all of them.
Should you choose to come out, hopefully you will find this useful.
The following is advice on coming out from other asexuals.
“If you don’t feel safe or comfortable coming out and you can avoid doing so, then that may be the best until things changes. Realize that it isn’t a simple binary between being out and being closeted. You can be honest about something, or give a true indication by your behavior, without advertising it. Not everybody wants to or has the right personality to be really open or to advertise their sexual orientation a lot, even in ideal circumstances. Each person should decide based on their situation and their personality what the best place on this spectrum is for them.”
“If you want to come out as asexual, make sure that’s what you want, and that you’re ready. Consider, if possible, taking a friend who already knows with you. If that’s not possible, I strongly recommend having some sort of support system where you can access it quickly if necessary. If things go badly, I always want a hug and a willing ear to hear me rant and cry. Personally, I tend to emotionally distance myself from the conversation, because I’ve learned that the people who are closest to me are the most likely to blurt out something accidentally hurtful, and that pretty much anyone will ask you anything. Try to equip yourself with as much patience and words as you can; you’ll possibly need plenty of both. Good luck.”
“Have tough skin. Especially if the person you’re telling isn’t very well versed in issues such as these. If you’re generally young, like me (18) you’ll probably find telling your friends a smoother process than telling your older family members, therefore tell your friends first.”
“Be prepared to get a negative reaction, because there’s a good chance you’ll be met with doubt, incredulity, or (depending on how old you are) condescension.”
“If someone gives you flack or sees you as a freak, don’t ever believe that. You are who you are and, no matter what happens, you are the pilot of your life. Don’t let words discourage you in any way.”
“Generally, if you don’t make a big fuss about it, other people won’t either.”
“It’s not as bad as it might seem. People will say what they say. The ones that truly love you won’t give a damn, they’ll love you no matter what.”
“Start with the easy ones and work up to the difficult or important people.”
“Never come out as an expression of guilt. Many people are in circumstances where coming out isn’t necessary and would only add undue confusion/strain on their relationships. Really think about it and weigh things out before doing it. If you’re in a religious community that is disapproving (like I am), make sure you have a support system in place should shit hit the fan, because it’s likely that it will.”
“Everyone’s experience is different and everyone’s situation is different. No one should take one person’s experience as evidence of what it will be like for them. But I would say that you want to tailor your approach to the person you’re talking to. If it’s someone who loves you but who might not respond well to the idea of asexuality, it might be a good idea to try coming out to them *first* and *then* educating them. If you do it the other way around and they react badly to the education, you might end up feeling really hurt and not telling them — but if it’s someone who loves you, they might have been much more open and accepting if they had known from the start that you were telling them about *yourself*.”
“I would probably recommend sending letters or emails if a face-to-face talk seems too daunting. This will give you an opportunity to explain everything without interruption, and give links to resources where questions can be answered correctly.”
“Only do it when you want to. But when it’s forced, bite that bullet and get it out. There will be people who slander and completely disbelieve you, and they may dismiss you, but you won’t be lying to yourself. I tried to kid myself for years that I was just denying that I was gay, but it just wasn’t working. Actually telling somebody helped cement it in my own mind that this is me.”
“I think it’s best to only come out to people you trust, initially. Especially when you’re “new” to identifying as on the ace spectrum. Talk to them in a calm and collected manner and try not to yell – make them see you are serious about what you are saying and that they will not change your mind. You are telling this so they know who you are. I found it’s helpful to read other aces’ coming-out stories and read up on witty responses and explanations so you don’t go into a possible battle unarmed. And it’s probably best not to choose a moment when they’re stressed, angry or otherwise in a mad mood.”
“You should be proud of who you are and know that there are people who will support you, especially if you have lgbt-friendly people in your life. There may be people who call you names, pressure you to have sex, or pretend to be supportive while actually being ignorant bigoted assholes. Some people may get irritated or angry when you come out, because they think you’re just trying to be different. Some lgbt people and their allies may even be bigoted towards you. Defend yourself and draw positivity from your support system. If you don’t have a support system, then it may be time to get new friends.”
“Know your feelings inside out and be able to articulate them easily. It’s hard to convince someone that your orientation is legit if you can’t explain yourself properly. If you have access and time, reading some of the scientific articles or one of the academic books (like Understanding Asexuality, which is a great read) is also a great help. That way if anyone says that asexuality doesn’t exist, or you’re broken/have a hormone imbalance/inhuman/repressed/traumatised from sexual assault, you can throw the science at them. Most people change their minds pretty quickly once there’s proof that their ideas are incorrect. The people who are stubborn and still don’t believe or accept you, they’re not worth your time. Browse the AVEN forums or the tumblr asexual tags too, there’s always some good coming out stories on there.”
“First, it’s never as bad as you think it will be, your mind exaggerates to incredible degrees. Second, test the waters first, see how that person reacts to statements typical of the group you find yourself a part of (ex: oh, hey, those homo-/bi-/asexuals, those transgenders, those transsexuals, etc.) Really, it’s not so bad as you think it will be. If people you like react poorly to it, those are not people you want to be around and it’s better to find out sooner rather than later.”
“Coming out is personal, moreso as an asexual in how it is regarded by the public at large. Whether the outcome is a positive or negative experience, always stay true to yourself and your feelings. If your friends discuss engaging in sexual behaviors with people and characters, but you’d rather not, don’t try to pretend that you would to fit in. If you test out sexual acts with other partners and you do not enjoy them, that is entirely okay. If your family or friends make fun of asexuality in ways that make you uncomfortable, attempt to use neutral “I feel” statements to broach the subject. Most of all never project negative labels onto yourself such as “frigid” or “broken” and more. There is absolutely nothing wrong with how you feel.”
“Relax. People will probably be understanding. If they know you well, they’re probably at least somewhat aware of the fact that you’re asexual; they just may or may not have a name for that. And if you’re unsure about how people will react, start by talking about the asexuality of other people. When I came out to my friends, it started with a conversation about the sexuality of Abed in the show Community, and that helped me figure out how much explaining I’d have to do and how understanding they’d be. I also like gauging reactions by telling people about Tim Gunn being asexual.”
“Tell those that you trust first. They can be there for support while you come out to people who you are not as comfortable with.”
“Take it slow. And only tell one person at a time. People listen better one on one, and if it’s a group one person who doesn’t believe you, or who has negative views or bad information on asexuality might sway others who individually may have been more receptive.”
“Have resources on hand, bear up for rejection but always hope for the best.”
“Choose who you come out to, make sure your comfortable with them knowing, be ready to explain, explain, explain, and have some facts and links as well. Also, be prepared for some rather intrusive questions and possibly revealing more about your intimate life than most people would ever feel comfortable with doing. Also be prepared for some insensitive comments as well.”
“Be prepared to answer questions. There might be misinformation to correct. For the most part, people tend to be accepting, if not somewhat confused. Don’t feel pressured to come out if you don’t want to. Don’t feel pressured to “fit” the label. The only person who can decide your sexuality is you; it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.”
“Bring along lots of sources to back you up. Also, patience is key. Asexuality is a strange concept to sexuals.”
“Time and place is key. Think of the questions they might ask and be prepared with the answers. Trust that your judgement of the person is sound and that they’ll at least listen to you. Put your courage to the sticking place and just do it.”
“The best advice I was ever given came from the asexual vlogger Swankivy, who pointed out that coming out doesn’t have to be one conversation: numerous hints over time can culminate in an eventual coming out.”
“Be confident. Don’t let anyone tell you who you are, or tell you it’s just a phase. Most people are just unaware of what asexuality really is.”
“Choose who you come out. You can do it little by little. You don´t need to go on national television or anything.”
“Don’t submit your orientation for approval. Bring up asexuality in advance, just to see how people react to it. If they react badly, perhaps rethink your plan to come out. Don’t come out unless you feel comfortable coming out. Being out is not worth compromising your safety or well-being. Don’t do Asexuality 101 unless you want to. It’s not your job to educate everyone in the world; people can respect your privacy and use basic search engines. That said, be polite about turning down questions, and direct people to other (good) resources. Expect people to bring the topic up again. Some people won’t ask questions when you first come out, but will instead do some basic research before asking you questions. You’re still not obligated to answer anything you don’t want to. Be aware that if you come out, people may assume that you are out to everyone, and may out you without your permission. If this is a problem, pull them aside and politely ask them not to do so. Most people are pretty good about respecting your privacy.”
“You don’t have to come out to everyone at once – it’s a process. Pick a time and place where you feel comfortable to have the conversation. If there’s a chance the other person will actually be violent, pick a public place, maybe a coffee shop. Otherwise, maybe somewhere more private, with a hot drink, and lots of comfort food available? Be prepared for lots of awkward questions.”
“The most important thing is to not come out to someone that you think will respond in a negative way that could hurt you. Probably the second thing to watch out for is people who might put you in a dangerous situation by outing you. If you’re nervous, email, instant messaging and texting work great to give you time to think about the conversation and your responses, as well as giving you the opportunity to easily walk away if you need to get out. It might also help to have a friend with you who can provide support. mediate, or step in and help explain if you’re having trouble.”
“Make sure you can explain the terms you choose to use.”
“Tell them as simply as you can. Address confusion or objections as they’re made clear. Pre-emptive defence is likely to make things messy. People have the right to be unhappy about your sexuality, but not to blame you for it. Don’t take objections to the concept of asexuality personally. If people have made assumptions about your sexuality, then any false conclusions they may have come to are not your fault. If you have unintentionally misled people about your sexuality, then that’s also not your fault. If you’ve intentionally misled people about your sexuality, then before you talk to them, think about that, about your reasoning for doing so and about the degree (if any) to which you owed them honesty in this area.”
“Do your research before you come out. When your friends/family come to you with questions you should know the answers and be ready to defend them. You should already know the things that people might say so they are prepared.”
“Being out is better.”
“Come prepared with background knowledge, know the bingo and don’t try to do too much at once. That means, leaving stuff like non-binary trans* people to another conversation, if you’re not trans*.”
“Prepare. Get a definition and some links, be ready to educate people, even though ideally you shouldn’t have to. I realize a lot of people have had worse experiences than I have, so maybe you should be emotionally prepared for some real issues; definitely be prepared for people not to know what you’re talking about and possibly not even to believe you.”
“Stay strong. Hold on, and find a good metaphor. A good metaphor/analogy goes a very, very long way. People will tell you it’s not a real sexuality, that’s you’re just pretending, but hold strong. People are there for you, and they love you for you. Find your LGBT community, they are usually great people who will embrace you for who you are. ”
“You need to decide how much of your life, sexual or otherwise, is anyone else’s business. Let that guide you in how much, or not, you want to come out.”
“Think about why you want to come out, and if the reasons are good, for you, then do it!”
“Be prepared for questions you don’t want to hear. You will hear them.”
“Ideally to have scouted the waters first to see what they said when asexuality came up as a topic or possibility. Other than that, just go for it and be firm that no, you really know yourself best and whatever they think is not relevant. At all. Once you’re out it’s really nice not to feel you have to hide to fit in.”
“Explain as well as you can and answer sensible questions or comments. If they start asking silly questions or making offensive comments, just walk away – they’re not worth your time.”
“Don’t let anyone tell you that what your feeling is wrong or that you are too young to know how you feel! Only you can decide how you feel, not anyone else. Also be prepared to answer questions that people might have or if you don’t want to do that, direct them to some helpful resources!”
“Before you do it, think about how much information you’re willing to share with this person, what questions you’re comfortable answering and what you want to be off-limits. You’re going to end up answering questions, and you don’t want to go into it unprepared. Have an idea of how you’re going to explain asexuality if they just don’t get it. You don’t want to feel like you’re scrambling for an explanation, or like you’re on the defensive. And be proud of yourself, because it’s not an easy thing to do.”
“I think the most important thing is to live honestly with yourself and to be honest to others. Sometimes being honest to others may require explicitly “coming out” to them. Sometimes you can just live your life how you choose and they can think of that what they want to. Don’t feel that you need to come out or to do so in a specific way if that isn’t the right thing for you and your circumstances.”
“From my experience, you don’t necessarily need to come out as asexual in order to be accepted as one.”
And I think this one says it best:
“Don’t be afraid.”
(Also take a look at the companion post about the experience of coming out as asexual.)
Asexuals on Coming Out: Experiences
[This post is the result of the Asexuality Questionnaire project. The quotations used within are gathered from anonymous responses to questions asked as part of that project.]
Coming out is an important part of the asexual experience. Most asexuals consider coming out at some point. Often, they’ll confide in a close friends, other times, they’ll dive in with a running leap and announce their orientation to the entire world. Some decide to remain in the closet until another time.
Many people are only out to a few of their friends or only part of their family. The phrase “I’m out to the people who matter” came up repeatedly in the responses. It seems to be uncommon for an asexual to be out to everyone they know. The two most common reasons for not coming out to a particular person are fear of how they’ll react and not considering it important that they know. Quite a few people just viewed their asexuality as a component of who they are, and held a “Yeah? So what?” view of it, that is, they don’t hide it, but they don’t feel a need to broadcast it to the world, and they’ll talk about it if it ever comes up.
When it comes to family, more people said that they were out to a sibling than to a parent, and more were out to parents than grandparents. Sometimes they would be out to only one parent, but not want to tell the other. Often, different members of the family would react differently. A brother might be wholly accepting, while the mother could be dismissive. Awkwardness discussing sexual matters (or lack thereof) with family and fear of rejection were some of the primary reasons for not coming out to family.
Most people who came out reported at least one positive experience. Positive or neutral experiences seemed to outnumber negative experiences. In fact, many of the people who responded did not report any reactions that they classified as negative.
Quite a few people stressed that coming out was a personal decision to make. No one should feel as though they have to come out. In the end, it’s nobody’s business but your own, so if you don’t want to tell anyone else, that’s perfectly fine.
The responses:
Many reactions are positive.
“The first time I came out, it was to a bunch of my long-time online friends, and I had a very positive response. After that, it was my parents, who were mostly okay with it, and then my more liberal friends, and now it’s pretty much any time it comes up. Most of the responses have been indifferent or positive.”
“They were both incredibly accepting and awesome.”
“Yes, my parents especially were accepting of me. They had never put any pressure on me before, so their reaction was mostly, “So that’s why. That’s cool.” ”
“People have repeatedly supported me by reiterating the fact that I am who I am and it’s okay.”
“Most people accepted the information like they’d have accepted information about my favourite food: mostly they just said something like ‘Ah, okay’ or just continued the conversation like it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.”
“I got high-fived once! That was pretty great.”
“I’ve been lucky. Everyone has been really great about it, once they knew what it was.”
“Almost everyone single person I have told has been very supportive and respectful, and the ones who weren’t didn’t care enough to stop talking to me.”
Some are not.
“My mother was furious. I explained what asexuality was, but she was adamant it didn’t exist. “There’s only heterosexuality and homosexuality!” she shouted. I didn’t make matters better when I confessed to being bi-romantic. After threatening to hit me, she stormed out of my room. (I should not that she did not hit me, only threatened to.) Later when my dad came upstairs to wish me goodnight I came out to him too. He didn’t care so much about the bi-romantic part. But when I told him I was asexual- I’ve never seen him look so disappointed. He wasn’t angry, just sad almost. Like I’d failed him. He told me that I was still young, and not to make such a big decision just yet. Both my parents act like that night never happened.”
“Denial was sharp and one of the worst pains.”
“I have only come out to my husband, who immediately regarded it as a failure of his sexual skills.”
“My one friend made bacteria jokes and told me I was broken.”
“I’ve been prayed over. I’ve had a therapist fixate on my asexuality to the point of ignoring everything else, claiming to accept me but going on about it in session after session. I’ve lost someone who was, at that time, my best friend; he just drifted away from me, and that was the start. I’ve been told, repeatedly, that I was broken, damaged, ugly. My mom once, after accepting me for a long time, suggested that I should get my hormones checked. I’ve had doctors treat it as a symptom, or with suspicion. I have one friend who, no matter how many times I tell, never seems to absorb the information.”
“My cousin said some very hurtful things to me and I was very depressed, even suicidal for a while. I had to cut him out of my life. If people can’t accept you for who you are, then they don’t deserve your time of day.”
“I lost one friend when I discovered he harasses asexuals on Tumblr for “appropriating queerness.” We were friends before I realised I was asexual and he realised there was such a thing. We both discovered the community separately, and apparently both had very different reactions to it.”
“First boyfriend tried to fix me with his magical penis. I’m not sure how much worse than that you can get.”
Several people “tested the waters” beforehand, talking about asexuality with people before coming out to them.
“I have not come out to my parents. I’ve told them both *about* asexuality and their reactions were not promising. I think my dad would make a lot of well-meaning but annoying conjectures about where it came from, and my mom would flip out and tell me I had an illness and if I didn’t get treated I would be “missing a crucial part of life”.”
Some people are out because they didn’t feel right concealing it.
“I came out because I didn’t want to keep such an important secret from my friends, especially when it’s directly relevant to my identity and relationships.”
“I do like telling people the truth and not having their expectations shattered after a long time of knowing me.”
“I came out to my brother first because he is my best friend and not telling him was eating away at me. I felt like a liar every time I looked him in the eye.”
“I came out because it was something I wanted out in the open and I wanted to have friends I could talk to about it.”
“I came out to a small group of people (a mix of close family and friends) because I didn’t want to keep a part of myself I considered important completely to myself, and I think it’s important to be honest with those closest to you.”
“I told other people because I couldn’t keep it to myself any longer. I felt like the longer I kept it a secret, the more ashamed of it I would become, and I didn’t want to be ashamed of my sexuality.”
Some people are out because they’ve just discovered something about themselves and want to share it.
“When I found out that Asexuality was a thing, I first read everything on AVEN, then raced downstairs to my mom and showed her the site, all ‘mom, mom, I found my people! :D’”
“I’ve come out to a few friends, though not all of them. I did it because I was discovering this new thing in my life and I wanted to share it with someone.”
“I came out because I was excited to find out something new about myself that I’d never realized before, and I wanted to share it with everyone.”
“I was out within hours of discovering asexuality, simply because the closet is not a happy place.”
Others don’t tell people because they don’t feel other people need to know.
“If someone asks, I tell them. Otherwise I see no reason to tell them (unless they wish to engage in a sexual relationship with me).”
“I only come out if it is necessary and would not voluntarily do so to anyone I didn’t know well, as I don’t see how my orientation is most people’s business.”
“Also, it doesn’t really seem necessary for me to bring it up with most people. It wouldn’t really change anything, so why bother?”
“My asexuality is not something I make a big deal out of, and I don’t really feel the need to tell people unless they specifically ask whether I’m ace.”
Quite a few people remarked that others had already guessed that they were asexual.
“The best reactions came from my friends and ranged from “That explains a lot” to “I knew there was something different about you. Nice to know there’s a word for it.” ”
“The times that I’ve talked about it, it was to explain why I’ve been single all my life and plan to remain that way for the foreseeable future. That is, to explain what they’ve already noticed about me and found out of the ordinary.”
“One is my best friend, who is also asexual. That was easy… since she already suspected I was.”
“And my mom’s like “I guessed.””
“Almost all the conversations I’ve had about my asexuality with friends have been supportive. Notably, last year some article online spurred me to tell my housemates, “I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned it, but I am asexual.” They replied, “Yes, we figured.” That was lovely and reassuring.”
“When I came out to one of my best friends, her initial reaction was “Wait, is this something you just figured out?” Apparently she’s known since 8th grade and I figured it out summer before sophomore year of college. We spent several minutes then with her just saying “How did you not know?!” and me replying “How was I supposed to know?””
“People were probably pegging me as asexual before I even knew the term, or even if they didn’t have a term for it themselves.”
“My best friend simply said “I’m not surprised” and accepted me wholeheartedly.”
Sometimes the person they’re coming out to is asexual as well.
“I told my best friend about it, but that was easy because he is asexual too!”
“As it turns out, she is also asexual, and she came out to me at the same time I came out to her.”
“One of my friends that I came out to actually told me that she is asexual too and now we both have someone that understands us and we can be completely open with.”
“The second person I ever came out to was my partner, and I was so upset by the thought of him dumping me and hating me just because I didn’t want into his pants that I started crying all over his shirt, which is hilarious in hindsight, especially since 15 seconds later he came out as asexual to me (serendipity!).”
And sometimes the other person knows someone who might be asexual.
“During the talk with both my parents we discussed a number of older relatives on both sides of the family who never married. My dad’s brother has never married and in all the time I’ve known him (going on 40 years) I’ve never seen him to have any romantic or sexual relationships. I don’t know if he is asexual or not, it’s not the kind of thing he would ever talk about. But my parents could understand me in the context of other people they knew who were similar.”
Some people expressed fears or doubts about coming out.
“I don’t know if I will ever tell my family as I’m pretty sure they won’t understand and will only hurt me by trying to be understanding.”
“I haven’t really thought about why I’m not out to most people, for the most part I think it’s none of their business, but there might be a slight fear in that as well, fear of not being accepted or that they don’t believe me or think I’m a freak.”
“I worry about what some people think, as I know they will tell me that it’s just a phase I’m going through.”
“I get more disbelief and confusion. I worry about being seen as attention seeking, especially with my own regular confusion about my own sexuality.”
“I’m not out to family yet though. I just don’t know how they will react, and I want to wait untill I have somewhere else I can go if they react poorly.”
Sometimes people are skeptical.
“One friend tried to convince me that I was simply straight and haven’t found the right guy.”
“Most people disbelived me and even asked numerous questions to try and find the reason behing my unwillingness to fuck. A lot of them sugested therapy and treated me as a labrat that is now open to scrutiny and can be used to prove or refute their own personal theories.”
“He preached to me for a good five minutes about how I couldn’t be sure I was asexual because I hadn’t had sex. And, he explained, he hadn’t enjoyed sex the first time either, so if I didn’t then I should try it again just in case. He’s flat out told me that I will have sex eventually, and that I was never a teenager because being a teenager is defined by having sex.”
“When I first came out to my mother, she dismissed it as me choosing to be celibate for we are Catholic.”
“My parents didn’t really understand what I was saying at all, and probably still don’t. My dad still thinks I’m gay but repressed, whereas my mum still wants grandchildren that I have no intention of giving.”
“I have come out to two people: my mom and my therapist. Both times were less than ideal. They didn’t really get it/ don’t seem to fully believe it. I haven’t come out to others because I am afraid they will not believe me.”
“One of my friends told me that I can’t be asexual because all adults want to have sex and I was just being immature and trying to sound like a special snow flake. I also tried to tell my parents but they told me I was too young to know what I am.”
Being out makes a difference in how other people feel about asexuality.
“But the more time passes and the more quietly and resolutely I stick to what I have said all along, the more acceptance I gain. My family are usually the first to fall in line.”
“The second person I told said that if I had just told him *about* asexuality without saying *I* was asexual, he would have been skeptical about its existence.”
“She insisted at first that I was just making stuff up to avoid social contact, but she’s come around since then and is now a great ally.”
“I got a lot of the “we’re worried you’ll be lonely” and “maybe you should try it” stuff from my parents, but once I’d explained that it was an orientation, they completely took me seriously and accepted me.”
“My parents’ response also wasn’t too bad, but it was still a long, five year process to get them to the point where we’re all really comfortable with their knowledge level. Now they’re proud, running around their rural community educating people on asexuality and all sorts of stuff.”
One person cited the “Just One Person” theory, where it only takes one out and visible person to make a difference in someone’s life.
“But more important than that, I want young aces to know they’re not alone. I felt so isolated through much of my adolescence, and I think that if I had known of one other ace, I wouldn’t have felt as confused and alone as I did. So I want to be that one other ace for young people.”
Occasionally, coming out can be very cathartic.
“It was extremely liberating. I felt ecstatic for days.”
“All around it was a really great experience. I cried from happiness because it felt like a weight had lifted off my chest.”
One person says they came out because their friends were playing matchmaker.
“I came out to my friends because they kept trying to set me up on dates with people and it was getting annoying.”
Sometimes aces come out non-chalantly.
“I have come out to a few people I only know online. But not in any grand statement, just a passing comment that fit the topic.”
“It has always been incidental to a conversation, rather than something I set out to do.”
“I’m out to my mother and all my close friends. Some various people from my high school knew, and so do some various people at Uni. I never had a huge “coming out” so to speak.”
Others will write a letter.
“I sent her an email with a link to AVEN and she overall took it really well.”
“I did it through letters, so I didn’t have to say anything.”
Or a text message.
“On the day I had decided was my coming out day I texted my mother from the light rail station with, “So I’m a homoromatic asexual. I’ll still prolly identify as a lesbian in most situations however, because my sex life is not that many people’s business.” She responded with, “Okay. You know I love and support you. :)” ”
Sometimes they’ll use various forms of social media to broadcast it.
“Yes, I’ve come out individually and en-masse via youtube.”
“I came out on my Tumblr blog first, because I have very good and open-minded friends there. I then came out on Facebook to all of my friends and family and got mostly positive responses.”
“I made a limited visibility post about it on Facebook. The response was underwhelming, but at least there was nothing negative. I got one supportive comment from my mom and one like from a friend.”
“I made a post about asexuality, in which I mentioned at the end that I was aro/ace, and I linked to it on Facebook, and so it’s entirely possible that many people I haven’t come out to know. That was kind of scary, and I’m not sure I would have done it again, but there were a lot of useless news stories about asexuality coming out, and one of my college friends came out to our group as aromantic and clearly had only just heard of it, and I wanted to do my part to increase awareness.”
And a couple of people were drunk when it happened.
“I told some others when we were discussing relationships, boys, who was attractive at the party, etc. while drunk.”
“I came out once – to three of my closest friends. We were at a party and VERY drunk. My three friends were talking about sex, my drunk mind decided now was a good time to tell them that I was asexual, so I did. They slurred “we love ya”, hugged me and continued talking about sex.”
One person came out in two languages while having ice cream in a foreign country.
“I think my ultimate positive coming out experience was when I was in Japan, and I went to lunch with an American friend, a couple of Dutch friends, and their Japanese friends (who spoke limited English), and, due to a series of slightly hilarious circumstances involving Sherlock, I wound up outing myself first in English and then in Japanese (because the Japanese girls wanted to know why the conversation on our end of the table had suddenly gotten so intense). Not only was it an incredibly validating experience for me in terms of language proficiency (I think that once you are able to explain human sexuality in a foreign language, you are probably getting close to fluency), everyone was very supportive and took it well. And that was how I wound up explaining human sexuality in two languages over parfaits.”
And finally, one person even used my book to come out. (Available on Amazon and Kindle!)
“My parents know. I sent them an email with a link to your book one night. The next morning, when I woke up, my mom took me out to breakfast and talked about it with me. Both of my parents were very supportive.”
(Also take a look at the companion post about advice for coming out.)