Hearst Pride UK Celebrates Ace Week

WHAT IS ACE WEEK?

Observed from the 25th October until 31st October, ‘Ace Week’ celebrates those within the Ace community and aims to spread wider awareness and acceptance of asexuality.

"Love does not always equal sex"

WHAT IS ASEXUALITY?

Asexuality is when a person does not experience sexual attraction, which means they are not drawn to people sexually, and do not desire to act upon attraction to others in a sexual way.

Unlike celibacy, which is a choice to abstain from sexual activity, asexuality is an intrinsic part of who they are, just like other sexual orientations, hence asexuality’s inclusion in LGBTQIA+ acronym and Queer community.

REMINDER - ASEXUALITY EXISTS ON A SPECTRUM

Asexuality is an umbrella term. Within the ace community there are many ways for people to identify. Some asexuals neither experience sexual attraction nor have a sex drive. Some have romantic or emotional attraction, but not a sex drive. Some have a sex drive, but they do not experience an attraction. Finally, some experience both attraction and drive, but do not find that those two things are linked. And they are all valid!

Fact: Being asexual is as statistically common as being a redhead

"Being asexual is like being born without a sense of smell but everywhere you go people are spraying perfume in your face and when you ask them to stop and tell them it's irritating and you can't smell the perfume anyway they get huffy and respond with 'Don't lie to me, I can clearly see you have a nose. Everybody has a nose therefore everybody smells things and besides maybe you just haven't found the right scent yet' And then you want to scream."

- thestarlesswanderer