International Asexuality Day was founded in 2010 and takes place on 6 April annually, to raise awareness of asexuality including demisexual, grey-asexual and other ace identities.
‘‘Ace’ is an umbrella term used specifically to describe a lack of, varying, or occasional experiences of sexual attraction. This encompasses asexual people as well as those who identify as demisexual, grey ace, and other ace-spec identities. Asexual people who experience romantic attraction might also use terms such as gay, bi, lesbian, straight and queer in conjunction with asexual to describe the direction of their romantic attraction.
Ace people have always been part of the LGBTQ+ community, but are often erased and ignored.’
- Stonewall, Ace Hub | Stonewall
Some organisations also mark Ace Week which takes place in October.
Additional reading from a range of organisations advocating for asexuality awareness:
Overview | The Asexual Visibility and Education Network | asexuality.org
Asexual activist and model Yasmin Benoit talks to Steph McGovern about what being ace is like
Support for staff and students:
For staff
- The LGBTQ+ Staff Network is open to all LGBTQIA+ staff at Sussex. To join the network, contact: lgbt-staff@sussex.ac.uk.
- Staff can contact a Dignity and Respect Champion, who are there to support staff who want to raise concerns about Dignity and Respect at Sussex.
- More information can be found on the EDI Unit’s LGBTQ+ Equality web pages.
For students
- Students who identify as LGBTQIA+ can join the Students’ Union’s LGBTQ+ Society and contact the Students’ Union officers for support or information.
- Students can also find a number of resources and support at the Student Centre and on the Sexuality and Gender Support and Information web pages.
Do you have any resources on asexuality you would like to share with us for future awareness posts? Get in touch by email at: EDI.Unit@sussex.ac.uk.