L.J. Writes

I know the subject of asexuality and sex acceptance can be a fraught subject because aces are already stereotyped as inherently slut-shaming and homophobic for their orientation. This is, of course, textbook aphobia: Being slut-shaming or homophobic is a matter of choices and beliefs, not a sexual orientation.

With that in mind I think it's still important to discuss that some people on the asexual spectrum do go through or went through a slut-shaming phase, myself included. Some determined jerks never leave that phase, but again, I'll let you use the fact against all aces if you can show me ONE marginalized group that does not have its share of jerks. Just one. I'll wait.

Here's another reason slut-shaming is no ace in the hole (hah) for aphobes: Far from being slut-shaming being inherent to asexuality, slut-shaming for aces is often a reaction to aphobia, not to mention an example of the utterly messed up way a lot of us are taught to engage with sex.

( Discussions of aphobia, sex, slut-shaming, exclusionism )