You only have to be associated with what you want to be. Let's just try not to damage each other and get on with our lives. For example, ace exclusionists object to the word “allosexual,” which is a term used by asexual people to describe non-asexual people, since it lumps LGBT+ in with straight people.This is synonymous to putting the same label to the oppressed and their oppressors and by no means acceptable to those who have struggled so much just to have their love recognized by law. I'm a straight asexual, but I like being part of the AVEN community and I have no problem with it being associated to the LGBTQ one.
Yet while most aces appear to agree that inclusion in the LGBT acronym (in some way or another) is preferable, some point out that the ace community should also find its independence.
Sex positive asexuals have positive feelings toward sex; however, it must be clearly stated these people still experience no sexual attraction.Asexuals may also have a sex life due to having a high libidos, and it should be notedthat those who have low libidos do have to identify with asexuality.Even though the understanding of general community of asexuality is very limited, it is still a miracle compared to that of ace spectrum. So where's the issue?The issue pointed out in another thread IIRC is that as pro-LGBT as we may be, it's a lot of aces' experience that people who are L, G, B, or T are often just as unsupportive and dismissive of the notion of asexuality as heteronormatives.Uhh, that would be why many people want the name to be extended to something like LGBTQ or LGBTA, and there are groups that have done that.Besides, being atheist doesn't mean you MUST be nonreligious; it usually does, but not always. Internet debates have their place, but for asexuals and ace spectrums, they have found their much desired acknowledgement.So while yes, some LGBT+ disagree with the categorization of asexual and ace spectrum, the community at large overwhelmingly welcomes them with supporting hands. That's no fun.I mean, we don't fit in with the straight folks and we don't fit in with the "everything else" category - what are we supposed to do, forge our own path?
This is not for asexual issues alone; the LGBT term fail to represent many intersex, pansexual and other queer identifying people.While these debates still rage on with no clear end in sight, it’s important to remember that many LGBT+ organizations openly agree that asexuals and ace spectrums are apart of the LGBT+ community. I believe I am trying to say that asexuality being counted among the LGBT community is like calling atheism a religion. When you go your entire life questioning your own sexuality and not finding correct terms for it, a label that rings true to you and actually makes sense can be extremely empowering.A scroll through the Ace Discourse Tumblr tag will reveal to you the vast range of ages, orientations and genders of those debating this subject. People are gay, straight, cis, queer, ace, and everywhere in between. Related, perhaps, but not a subset.I might just be irritated that so many people have automatically assumed that I'm a lesbian because I say "No, I don't want one." Point is, there's exceptions out there.We're talking about two political movements whose goals are united: visibility and education for minority and different types of subjectivity.
Of course I'm quite biased as I am a member of my campus's LGBTQA group. According to their criticism, exclusionist are attempting to either turn asexuality into a modifier or add on to a sexuality rather than accept as a sexuality of its own.The exclusion point of view argues that aces who identify as heteromantic asexuals are straight by default and as such have no place within the LGBT+ community. To many LGBT+ people MOGAI has become a short-hand to LGBTQIAP+ and is more inclusive since it represents people beyond LGBT.That being said, many ace exclusionists fear this term erases the LGBT part of the community and will end up allowing more of whom they consider “straight” or “cishet” into the community.
I understand that many asexuals are homoromantic and many, many other variations of other things that could be classified as "gay" in some form or another. That's no fun.It could be 8) But at any rate, I don't really care whether asexuality is included in the LGBT or not.