“asexuality isnt queer/lgbt/mogai on its own because heteromantic asexuals dont face homophobia”
it’s true that heteromantic aces dont face homophobia, and they certainly dont have room to reclaim certain slurs, but let’s not act like cishet ppl [and i mean heteromantic heterosxual cis ppl, not ‘cishet aces’] are all fine and dandy with asexuality as long as you’re still heteromantic.
Huffington post literally has a whole article on the topic of discrimination and violence aces face that isnt tied to their romantic orientation [tw for sexual assault/rape]
to list some of the things mentioned in the article
- invalidation/denial ( statements such as “asexuality doesnt exist”
- corrective rape
- sexual assault to ‘fix’ the asexual person
- dehumanization
the article even links to a 2012 study from Brock University which, shockingly, found the following:
“We provide the first empirical evidence of intergroup bias against asexuals (the so-called “Group X”), a social target evaluated more negatively, viewed as less human, and less valued as contact partners, relative to heterosexuals and other sexual minorities. Heterosexuals were also willing to discriminate against asexuals (matching discrimination against homosexuals).”and in a different article by one of the study’s researchers:
“Relative to heterosexuals, and even relative to homosexuals and bisexuals, heterosexuals: (a) expressed more negative attitudes toward asexuals (i.e., prejudice); (b) desired less contact with asexuals; and © were less willing to rent an apartment to (or hire) an asexual applicant (i.e., discrimination). Moreover, of all the sexual minority groups studied, asexuals were the most dehumanized (i.e., represented as “less human”).”“In our recent paper (MacInnis & Hodson, in press), we found that those who disliked homosexuals also disliked bisexuals and asexuals. In other words, these prejudices are correlated. Heterosexuals who dislike one sexual minority, therefore, also dislike other sexual minorities, even though some of these groups are characterized by their sexual interest and activity and others by their lack of sexual interest and activity.”Again, no mention of romantic orientation. the lack or sexual attraction itself was enough to warrant discrimination and dehumanization.
Heteronormativity values heteromantic heterosexuality first and foremost. Any deviation from that is met with disdain, discrimination, violence, and dehumanization. Any negative bias a person holds towards an asexual person isn’t going to magically disappear if the person says they’re heteroromantic.
tl;dr: asexual ppl are discriminated against and face violence for being ace, and there is date to support this, from studies and personal accounts. No ace has the same privileges and power a heteromantic heterosexual has, and lumping heteromantic aces with straight ppl is disingenuous at best and dangerous at worst
Don’t forget this same study showed that showed that people within the LBGT community are just as likely to dehumanize and hate asexuals. It’s not just heterosexuals. The LGBT community can have just as much ingroup bias. Biphobia, panphobia, and acephobia are the biggest ones, and according to this study done by Brock University, asexuals actually receive the most hatred from both heterosexuals and other sexual minorities.
True, heteroromantic asexuals don’t suffer homophobia and don’t know what that’s like. But they do know what it’s like to be told there’s something unnatural, inhuman, and wrong about you.