Why Schools and Society Don’t Talk About the Aspec

Purposely ignoring the aspec is intentional and when it isn’t spurned or sidestepped, aromantics are frequently left out while negative assumptions are made about asexuals.

Rachel Presser

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Vector illustration of lined notebook paper with hearts alternating the asexual and aromantic flag colors
Licensed via Adobe Stock

With Pride Month here, and my first one since coming out in December 2022, something keeps popping up in my brain that I think is finally cohesive enough to fling onto the Internet like wet socks into the dryer.

Young people are intentionally kept in the dark about asexuality and aromanticism (the aspec). It ties into the overall anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiment we’re seeing nationwide in the US and UK. Even as adults, there’s a very limited understanding of the aspec that leads to unfair judgment over how we live our lives.

But it starts with sex education and “the talk” purposely sidestepping the aspec when we’re young. I have to speak strictly from an American viewpoint here since I only attended American schools, but it feels like we’re falling into something of an awareness vacuum.

It’s no secret that American schools have woefully inadequate sex education.

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Rachel Presser
Rachel Presser

Written by Rachel Presser

Game dev, writer, small biz & tax consultant to indie devs. That loud socialist Frog Slut from The Bronx, now in Angel City. https://linktr.ee/sonictoad

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