Ace Week: 20-26 October 2024

Ever wondered what the ‘A’ in LGBTQIA+ stands for? A is Asexuality (or Aromanticism); an asexual person experiences little, fluctuating to no sexual attraction so can be not drawn to people sexually. ‘Ace’ is a shorthand informal term for 'asexual' used widely by the LGBTQIA+ community. 'Aromantic' is another term within the asexuality umbrella for people who experience little, fluctuating or no romantic attraction. 'Aro' is the equivalent widely-used informal shorthand. Although someone can be both asexual and aromantic (or 'acearo'), they are two distinctly separate aspects of attraction and depend entirely on the individual. Asexuality and aromanticism differ from celibacy in that they are an intrinsic part of who someone is, rather than a choice. 

Although asexuality is recognised and discussed more widely than it used to be, it is still acknowledged very rarely despite a significant proportion of people – perhaps as many as 1% - identifying as asexual. Asexual people are rarely discussed or represented in the media, and there is a great deal of stigma and many misconceptions about asexuality. Ace people generally report lower life satisfaction than other LGBTQIA+ groups, and said that they felt less comfortable, and less inclined to come out or disclose their sexuality, either at home or at work – in large part due to societal misunderstandings and misconceptions (source: Stonewall Ace in the UK report, 2023). 

In this spotlight feature in UCL's Portico magazine, Ace activist and model (and UCL alumna) Yasmin Benoit points out “As with many other sexualities and gender identities, asexuality has long been considered unnatural – as something wrong with you that needs to be fixed. It’s often treated as a side effect of a medical condition, or as a negative choice a person makes. And it’s not covered by the UK Equality Act 2010.” 

Ace week is about addressing and correcting those misconceptions, and raising awareness of ace people’s experiences. Happy Ace week! 

More information and resources 

• Find a roundup of events taking place worldwide on the Ace Week website 
• UCL Portico Magazine: Inspired by Yasmin Benoit 
• The Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN) and Stonewall x Yasmin Benoit Ace Project website both have a wealth of information, FAQs and resources for those wanting to find out more 
• This 2021 Ace Week blog from UCL’s EDI team goes further into some of the misconceptions surrounding asexual people and offers some great tips for allyship 
• A conversation between two UCL alumni: asexual activist and model Yasmin Benoit talks to Steph McGovern about what being ace is like
• Student Liz Palumbo (UCL History) discusses the role of punk legend Viv Albertine in challenging the stigmatisation of asexuality