Always on the Outside: An Asexual Perspective

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Being asexual is hard sometimes. I know that this blog is a place where many young QUILTBAG people look for inspiration, for solidarity, and for hope, and so I want to apologize ahead of time for the more negative nature of this post. But I do feel it’s important for everyone to realize that no matter what your sexual orientation may be, it’s not always sunshine and rainbows (no pun intended!). We all struggle with various aspects of our identities at times, and I hope that by sharing my experience of that, I can at least reach someone out there who’s going through the same thing, and they will know that they are not alone. This is my hope, because I’ve never had anyone to do that for me, and so I often feel very, very alone.

Sexual (dis)Orientation

Ladies, gentlemen, variations thereof, and none of the above, much has changed since the last time you tuned in to the adventures of your favorite intrepid transient Sapphist. I want to tell you about a phenomenon I like to call "sexual disorientation": a sad byproduct of living in a het's world.

They Found Out

Yeah, so I made these. Glad I can wear these all the time now.

Ladies, gentlemen, variations thereof and none of the above, you are probably wondering where I've been these past few weeks. You must have been frustrated, enraged, cursing my pretty face as you mash the refresh button, praying for a new post from me. I can hardly forgive myself for keeping you in such a state, dear readers. So let me tell you why I've been so long away.

They found out.

Why Being an Out Ace is Important

Artwork by C. Kellam Scott

Asexuals have never existed before in human history, at least not out in the open. We didn't even know each other existed, we have wandered alone. Until the sharing of personal experiences that blossomed on the newly born internet that is. Before that I suppose we've had to live out our lives as weird loners that everyone suspects of perversion, or prudishness. When I first found Aven (Asexual Visibility and Education Network) I discovered that the other way of life I had seen laid out for me was one that many asexuals have fantasized about. That of Nuns and Monks, I even had a teenage fascination with the Shakers. They were a 19th century Christian doomsday sect with exquisite taste and beautiful morals. They were also celibate. Amongst the celibate is the easiest place for an asexual to hide. We may even be applauded for our quote un-quote virtue and character, all the while secretly knowing that we've given up no desire whatsoever. But none of that was for me, I would never be a monk, not Christian or Buddhist. I don't do well with authority figures and have never believed in god.

At the Intersection of Race and Orientation

Disillusioned Face? I need you again!

Ladies, gentlemen, variations thereof and none of the above, the honeymoon period is over. I say this with a heavy heart, but the inevitable has happened. My bleeding leftist heart is quick to attach itself to various causes and is just as easily disillusioned with every transgression my new comrades commit. I thought I'd learned after Julian Assange was accused of rape that no movement is perfect. Evidently I have not learned well enough. Ladies, gentlemen, variations thereof and none of the above, the LGBT movement has a race problem. It's here. It's queer. And we are not going to get used to it.

Bully For You

Because it's never like this in real life

Ladies, gentlemen, variations thereof, and none of the above, today the student body at my Texas high school shared a common experience, the trauma of which bonded us more closely. Class relationships were strengthened through the laughter, anger, shame, and confusion that this experience evoked in us. Together we suffered, and together we prevailed. Yes, my friends, today the administrators of my high school showed the school their anti-bullying presentation through the morning announcements. Of course, this being Texas and they being school administrators, I have my critiques about this undertaking. You already know the big one. There was absolutely no mention of LGBT bullying.

No Time to Back Down

Time to (wo)man the barricades. (Artist: Kathe Kollwitz)

Ladies, gentlemen, variations thereof, and none of the above, it doesn't take me a lot to make me actively angry. I threw the remote at my TV and started screaming during a 40 minute anime that failed to live up to my exacting artistic standards. The rendering was awful, the voice acting was stale, and the inconsistencies in the incredibly simplistic plot almost made me flip a table. Here's the thing, though: It only lasted 40 minutes. Those feelings of rage, helplessness, and injustice were only valid for less than an hour. If worst comes to worst tomorrow, I could be feeling like that for the next four years. Ladies, gentlemen, variations thereof, and none of the above, welcome to The Day Before the End. Welcome to the Day Before Election Day.

Queer U: Gettin' Some Schoolin'

Ah, the rigorous intellectual life that college fosters.

Ladies, gentlemen, variations thereof, and none of the above, it's that time of year again. Parents are looking worriedly at their bank accounts, students everywhere sport the thousand-league stare of a soul that has endured too much, and high school  teachers across the nation avoid with the gaze of the hunted any slacker who so much as breathes the words "letter of recommendation". Yes everyone, it is time for high school seniors to apply to college. Of course, the process comes with its own little problems to those in the queer community, but the rewards (bi-curious coeds,   more alcohol than can be fully comprehended, no parents) are sweet indeed, and I shall be your intrepid guide through the trials that await.

"His Very Act of Protest Confers Dignity on Him"

Ladies, gentlemen, variations thereof, and none of the above, I'd like to start us out with some Ancient Gay History before delving into into the Introduction to Paleolithic Gay History that will be the subject of this article. Because I am a member of Generation Z, by "Ancient" I mean "one year ago" and by "Paleolithic" I mean "like, fifty or sixty years ago, like, you know?". Anyway, about a year ago in the San Antonio area, Democratic Party county chairman Dan Ramos stirred up some trouble by comparing gays to termites, the Tea Party (okay, that one hurt), and the Nazi Party. Yes. The ones that slaughtered gays, lesbians, and other gender nonconformists. Those Nazis. Well, I'd like to spend this article making good ol' Dan look like more of an idiot than he already does, a herculean task no doubt, but we'll give it the old college try, shall we?

Hucksters to Watch Out For

Abandon all disgust ye who enter here!

Ladies, gentlemen, variations thereof and none of the above, I have a gift of being ahead of the curve. In middle school, I was the lame kid who listened to the Beatles instead of new bands. Later that year, the movie Across the Universe and the video game Rock Band came out, and suddenly the very people who had turned up their noses at my favorite songs earlier were gushing over the White Album and Abbey Road. During my freshman year of high school, I had a morbid fascination with the batshit crazy that is the Church of Scientology. To aid my intrepid forays into the wonderful world of Scientology, someone in a public forum recommended an obscure little website that published repressed documents. I checked the site out for a bit and promptly forgot the whole thing until a few months later, when my arcane little corner of the web, WikiLeaks, published thousands of documents about the US military. You could say I have a gift. Now I have a possible new lead that I, out of the goodness of my heart, would like to share with you. I give you the next big thing in conservative insanity: the new face of bigotry.

Thank You AGayADay, and Farewell

AGayADay. If you don't know who they are, either you're not very active on the YouTube LGBT scene, or you've been living under a rock and missing out on the greatest, gayest awesomeness that's been out there for the last three years.

AGayADay, or AGAD (pronounced a-gad), is the biggest active gay collab channel on YouTube. But sadly, Roman (voodoovlong) who posts on Tuesdays announced that the collab channel will be permanently ending this Friday.

But don't worry! There's still this week left. In the meantime, let's take a look back at some of the golden AGAD moments...

Discovering and Utilizing Your LGBT Community

http://www.nycgo.com/

As a 19 year old gay male, I have been fortunate in that of the 3 cities I've lived in or near to, all of them have been generally pro-LGBT rights, with active LGBT communities that I have had the opportunity to interact with in different ways. Through the course of this article I would like to discuss how we might be able to better discover the LGBT communities in our respective areas and, upon discovering them, to utilize and enjoy them. 

Of course, many readers may already have succeeded in both these areas, but I hope that those who have not will find this useful, and maybe even those that have can learn a bit. Many people might find themselves surprised at the variety of LGBT communities that pop up here and there. Alas, I work no magic to make those places that simply don't have active LGBT communities to come to life with rainbows. But hey, at the very least maybe this article will help you better scout out or dream of a future place to live!