Posted on 10/15/2004 7:31:39 AM PDT by No Surrender Monkey
Around one percent of adults have absolutely no interest in sex, a surprisingly high figure that is not far from the estimated three percent of the population who are gay, according to a study reported in next Saturday's New Scientist.
The analysis looked at responses made among 18,000 people in Britain who were interviewed about their sexual practices.
One percent said they agreed with the statement: "I have never felt sexually attracted to anyone at all."
That study, conducted by Anthony Bogaert, a psychologist and human sexuality expert at Brock University in St. Catherines, Canada, is published in the latest issue of The Journal of Sex Research. The British survey was carried out in 1994 as part of a study into sexual practices.
"If asexuality is indeed a form of sexual orientation, perhaps it will not be long before the issue of 'A' pride starts attracting more attention," New Scientist says.
Plucky activists have already started campaigning to promote awareness and acceptance of asexuality, it reports.
One such group, the Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN) (http://www.asexuality.org/discussion/) has an online store selling T-shirts bearing such slogans as "Asexuality: it's not just for amoebas anymore."
It also sells a thong that reads: "It's only underwear. Get over it."
This is ridiculous.
Seeing Janet Reno naked at a young age will do that to a person.
Darwinian evolution at work.
Great. Now they are going to demand the right to marry themselves.
Some are already married, it seems...to their professions....
My life as an amoeba
By Zoe O'Reilly
StarNet Dispatches
Fri May 30 02:34:53 MST 1997 [!]
With Ellen's coming out and the new trend towards "outing" and the overall hipness involved, there's been a lot of press dedicated to gays, bisexuals and most other sexually-oriented groups. But there is one group continuously overlooked:
The asexual.
I'm out and proud to be asexual. My people are a definite minority group who wish to be recognized like all the others. We want a colored ribbon, a national holiday, coupons for fast food. We want the world to know that we are out there.
School science books make the barest mention of our kind and even then stick to the single-celled variety. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, asexual organisms with more than one cell don't exist. That makes it quite difficult to come to terms with your lack of sexuality. I'm not one of those people who makes a big deal about abstaining from sex. I don't have the self-righteous air that's required and my spare time isn't spent thinking about how I don't have sex. I just don't bother about the subject at all.
I find that being devoid of sexuality makes my life a lot easier. By not having a significant other I am following Thoreau's philosophy of "simplify, simplify, simplify." One less birthday to remember, less food to buy and no one forcing me to place someone besides myself first on my list. And a perfect reason for it all. Like the scorpion told the fox in the old fable, "It is my nature."
By not participating in that aspect of life, my time is freed for other activities: Building shrines, memorizing Cure lyrics, studying forensic psychology ... whatever I want to do. My conversations with friends are about really important subjects like their latest arrest or financial aid woe. No long, convoluted love tales.
Some might say that we aren't really asexual, we just want to think we are. Remember this quote, "I think, therefore I am." Add a couple words, "I think I'm asexual, therefore I am." ...
This is mindboggling. I feel the same way about rollercoasters...How could somebody NOT have fun doing it?
"Asexuals" are probably gays who can't get a grip.
Well, in the Bible (1 Cor 7) the apostle Paul implies a gift of celibacy, which in the context of his teaching can only mean someone who has no real desire for sex. Maybe He gave it to these people for His reasons, none of which may make any sense to us at all.
I can certainly understand why someone would prefer memorizing Cure lyrics to making mad, passionate love to a significant other.
These Canadian researchers need to talk to each other to get their facts straight (no pun intended).
In June of just this year, the Canadian Community Health Survey reported "1.3 percent of men considered themselves homosexual compared to 0.7 percent of women."
C'mon guys.
I have a good male friend that is 49 years old and is asexual. I've known him for 40 years and I know for fact he is not gay.
He came right out more than once and told my wife and I he has no interest in women even for sex. His thing is hunting and woodworking. That is all he cares about in life.
I know he is happy in life and feels he is not missing out on anything in life.
Yes, just so. After the thread yesterday on this topic and the responses so far on this one, I am still amazed at the "passion" people feel about this topic. As far as I can see, these people cause no harm to themselves or to society.
Creating another sexual (or nonsexual) special interest group is lame, of course, but otherwise there's no controversy here.
Coming next: Asexual rights movement?
Hey, we all get there sooner or later. It's kind of a relief, actually.
Personally, I don't think this is a bad thing at all. It'd be kinda neat if this became a "trend" like the homosexual thing did. The homosexual trend oversexualized society... imagine a trend where sexualization became seen as "unhip".
Sounds like just about the thing we need, to be honest.
Oh no! How could the dems overlook this important bloc of voters? Maybe we need a government program that provides money for unused condoms.
Asexual's right to marry their work?
I think you may be quite right. Asexuals,living in a society that demands one identify their sexuality may have felt compelled to "declare" themselves. Certain that they are not sexually attracted to the opposite sex and subjected to a barrage of information from gay recruiters that homosexuals "knew" they were different from little on,it could be expected that they might think,"I guess I must be homosexual".
I tried to explain this yesterday on another thread and got too convoluted and kind of stopped the thread. I think it is important to pursue.
My own opinion is that if this theory was confirmed and taught,50% of those engaged in homosex or bisex relationships would be able to be themselves and opt out of the "sex charged society" we have created.
Good points in your post #20,thanks.
Well, these are the British...
Exactly - I've known more than one of these people - both male and female. We all have - they used to be called spinsters or confirmed bachelors - but that indicates their marital state and these people don't date either.
Why are so many concerned, critical, exercised about them? They cause NO trouble in society - no barroom brawls over a woman, shuffling children through a series of marriages, or asking for special treatment. They just want to be left alone.
I've known one well enough to ask if they've ever had a crush on someone of either sex and the answer was no.
I posted the original article from the Scotsman on this:
Therein, it states:
Brian, an asexual navy veteran from Virginia, USA, said: "The place where we draw the line is the desire to interact sexually with other people."
Just us? Not quite.
Regards, Ivan
I'd say a taste for French women might be veering very close to asexuality.
My taste for women is generally not particular about nationality. ;)
Regards, Ivan
I would bet the farm that won't happen.Most of these asexuals are very smart or very holy,and some are both. The only ones that might have a legitimate case are ones that may have fallen into the homosex culture because they were told you HAD to have a sexual identity and act on it. Maybe they could look at the "deep pockets" of psychiatrists and others in the mental health professionals,who were pretty instrumental in cutting off good scientific studies on sexuality while insisting that active sex lives made the world turn and homosexuality was normal.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.