🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQIA+

LGBTQIA+ is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (or questioning), intersex, and asexual, with the "+" representing additional sexual and gender identities not covered by the letters. The terminology is inclusive of a wide range of identities and is continually evolving as understanding of gender and sexuality expands.

What each letter stands for:

Lesbian: A woman who is romantically and/or sexually attracted to other women
Gay: A man who is romantically and/or sexually attracted to other men
Bisexual: A person who is romantically and/or sexually attracted to more than one gender
Transgender: An umbrella term for people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth
Queer or Questioning: "Queer" is an umbrella term for sexual and gender minorities, and "questioning" refers to people exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity
Intersex: A term for people born with variations in sex characteristics, such as chromosomes, gonads, or genitals, that don't fit typical definitions of male or female
Asexual: A person who experiences little to no romantic attraction. The "A" can also stand for Aromantic (lacks romantic attraction) or Agender (doesn't identify with a gender)
+ (Plus): Signifies that there are many other sexual orientations and gender identities not included in the acronym, such as pansexual, Two-Spirit, and others

Books

Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black Asexual Lens On Our Sex-obsessed Culture - Sherronda J. Brown
Ace: What Sexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, And The Meaning Of Sex - Angela Chen
Ace Voices: What it Means to Be Asexual, Aromantic, Demi, or Grey-Ace - Eris Young
I Am Ace: Advice on Living Your Best Asexual Life - Cody Daigle-Orians
The Ace and Aro Relationship Guide: Making it Work in Friendship, Love and Sex - Cody Daigle-Orians
How To Be Ace: A Memoir Of Growing Up Asexual - Rebecca Burgess
A Quick & Easy Guide to Asexuality - Molly Muldoon
Hopeless Aromantic - Samantha Rendel
Ending The Pursuit: Asexuality, Aromanticism and Agender Identity - Michael Paramo

Dear Wendy - Ann Zhao

Convenience Store Woman - Sayaka Murata

Resources

The Trevor Project

Asexuality.org

2SLGBTQ+ Representation in the media

International Asexuality Day

KindSpace.ca

Ottawa Centre For Pride

Probe Ottawa

Contact

victorialouisehanson@gmail.com or leave me a comment ⬇️💋

About ♠️🩶💜🤍

I'm Victoria and I identify as asexual. I never knew what asexuality was but on 4/29/24 I wrote in my diary, "I started reading a new book called Ace about asexuality because I think I just figured out that I'm asexual."

What is asexuality? Asexuality is a sexual orientation characterized by a lack of sexual attraction to others.

Why did you make this blog? Asexuality is underrepresented in the media. I made this blog to help shed light on the subject, to let others know they're not alone and to share resources I found.

I experimented because that's what you're supposed to do. Was I being intrinsically true to my own self the last 20 years? No. Ace people can be sex-repulsed, sex-indifferent, or sex-positive and may still engage in sexual activities for various reasons. I'm a sex-repulsed asexual which means the whole idea freaks me out. I'd rather never have sex again and never talk about it again. Present media shoves love, marriage and childbirth down your throat. It's about time we create media that represents something other than that.

It's not a choice. It's not a phase. It's who I am.