This weekend an army of LGBT-ers and LGBT supporters have been at London for Pride. A weekend dedicated to being proud and being proud to support people who aren't heterosexual. And thus I decided that this weekend was the perfect weekend to share my story with you. Because, I am not a heterosexual. Instead, I belong to the A of LGBTQIA. Not Ally. But Asexual.
*takes deep breathe.*
That's one of the few times I've actually written that down. One of the few times I've also acknowledged my sexuality for what it is. And it is definitely the first time that I have been so open and public about it.
So I just want to say that again.
I am asexual.
You may or may not know what that means and that is totally okay. It's one of those quiet sexualities. One of the ones that hides into the background, just like I used to do. The wikipedia definition says:
"Asexuality is the lack of sexual attraction to anyone, or low or absent interest in or desire for sexual activity."
That seems pretty cut and dried, right? But actually, asexuality is a beast. It has many different forms, sub-forms, etc, etc. It would take more than just a blog post to explain all of that to you so instead, if you are interested in learning more about it, please take some time to look over this website:
www.asexuality.org.
But as I mentioned in my title, this is about my journey. Mostly this is going to be a pretty short history because I don't want this post to go on too long, but I feel I should share my experience so that I might be able to help someone in some way.
As A Teenager
I'm going to be honest with you here because I had no idea that asexuality existed when I was a teenager. But I knew that I was different. All of my friends talked constantly about sex. It was on the TV, in films, in books. It was everywhere, basically, and I just never felt interested. I'd watch it and wonder what the fuss was all about. I'd joke about it and join in conversations about it but I never really understood this "primal desire" that people got. I heard people say things like "he is so hot, I'd get him in bed so fast", etc. And I'd be confused. Because I did find people attractive. From celebrities to other people I met but that "feeling" and "need" to sleep with them was absent. I was just able to observe and appreciate their beauty but I never had any sexual attraction.
So being a teenager was hard. I ended up playing a role. Pretending I was interested. I said things I didn't feel. Joked around and tried to act "clued up" when really I was floundering. I just couldn't fathom any of it. Not really. Not on a primal, natural level anyway.
Then I got my first serious boyfriend. He was definitely more experienced than myself but he was also still a virgin. I was seventeen and obviously very inexperienced. I had, until that point, only kissed someone else. And it was awkward, and uncomfortable and I didn't really feel like doing it again. With my then boyfriend, I tried to feel things. I tried to force the butterflies into my stomach and the sexual urges to arrive but mostly, I didn't feel much. I got some natural pleasure when we did some sexual acts but a lot of the time I felt odd and indifferent to it all. I much preferred to make him feel pleasure than actually feel pleasure myself - which he obviously had no issues with.
That relationship only lasted five months and we didn't get much further than foreplay. Mostly because we were taking it at my pace and I, naturally I now realise, never felt ready.
The University Years
University was hard. No longer was there just talk about sex during breaktimes and lunchtimes. Now there was people actually having sex. Night outs where the guys were eyeing up all the girls. Friends that would abandon me halfway through the night to go home with a guy they'd met. Roommates having sex that I could hear through walls. It was everywhere. It was also getting harder and harder for me to deny that something definitely wasn't right with me.
Because the one very obvious thing happening was that I wasn't having sex. I chalked it down to wanting a relationship with someone first. I was obviously still a virgin and I wanted to break that cherry with someone I cared about. This is what I told all of my friends. I just wasn't the kind of person who wanted to have one night stands and I was struggling to find someone to settle down with. This is also what I, myself, believed. I still didn't know about asexuality. So I was certain that when I found the right person everything would just feel right. That was what everyone was telling me too.
The Blogging Years
In my last year of university I started my book blog. I started reading more, including lots of LGBT fiction. And then I met up with other book bloggers. Formed relationships and was suddenly learning that there was more than just Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans people. That there was a lot of other sexualities too. And then I heard about asexuality. And it was like a lightbulb went off in my brain.
But I didn't identify as asexual straight away because I still wasn’t
sure. I didn’t know enough about it and maybe I still just hadn’t found the
right person yet. Maybe I would feel something if I was with someone I felt
emotionally attracted too. So I pushed the thought away, kept living my life as
I was and left it as it was. There were still parts of me that made me wonder
if I was asexual at all – I did fantasize about other people and I did pleasure
myself so maybe I was just getting it all wrong.
And then I watched a youtube video of
someone talking about how they were asexual. A kind of asexual that fantasizes
about other people having sex (i.e. in fanfics) but never wanting sex
themselves. And that lightbulb in my head burnt a lot brighter so I started to
research asexuality more and realised that this was it. This explained me so
much. I do not want sex. Ever. And
that is totally okay. I have also learnt that I
am not the kind of person that could be in a poly relationship. If I am in a
relationship, I need to know I’m the only person with that person.
So there we have it. My journey from
teenager to now. Where I feel comfortable with my sexuality. Enough to share it
with you and explain what it is like for me. I am still struggling to date but
this is because I do not feel comfortable enough to explain that I do not want
sex. I am worried that every guy I meet will never understand my not wanting
sex and I’ll get attached and then they’ll leave me devastated and alone.
But I am certain that one day I will
find someone who will be my best friend and my boyfriend. Someone who will
understand my need to sleep in my own bed. Someone who will laugh with me and
cuddle with me and kiss me and understand that it may never go much further
than that. Because we live in a wonderful world and I have faith.
That or I’ll just have to become a
crazy cat lady, eh?
