Black Stripe Asexual is an umbrella term for individuals on the Asexual Spectrum who experience a complete lack of sexual attraction. This is a subset of asexuality, which is the general lack of sexual attraction. The term was inspired by the black stripe on the asexual flag, which represents asexuality; Black Stripe Asexuals identify with the black of the flag as the point of 'absolute zero' in terms of sexual attraction.
Black Stripe Asexuality does not include those who experience fleeting, negligible or slight sexual attraction, but does include those who have experienced sexual attraction in the distant past (praetersexual). Generally, this term would not include those who are sexually fluid (abrosexual, ace-flux or ace-spike), as the spirit of the term requires a complete lack of sexual attraction.
The Black Stripe Asexual umbrella term has the secondary intention to validate the asexuals who do experience a degree of sexual attraction. Although they may experience ambiguous, weak, or infrequent sexual attraction, these asexuals do not identify as greysexual. Black Stripe Asexuality specifies that there are varying levels of asexuality and each is just as asexual as the other.
The aro-spec equivalent of the Black Stripe Asexual is Green Stripe Aromantic.
Identities[]
Identities under the Black Stripe Asexual umbrella include:
- Nemosexual - someone who has never experienced sexual attraction.
- Nopesexual - someone who identifies as lacking a sexual orientation/sexuality because they experience a lack of sexual attraction.
- Praetersexual - someone who has experienced sexual attraction in the distant past but now identifies as completely asexual.
- Vultusexual - someone who experiences a "merging" or sense of blended attractions, e.g. interchangeable aesthetic and sensual attractions.
- Miransexual - someone who experiences visual sexual attraction but does not experience sexual desire.
- Ansexual - someone who who completely lacks sexual attraction, pleasure, and interaction, from engaging in it themselves to hearing about others engaging in it.
- Omniasexual - someone who completely lacks sexual attraction and does not have any interest in sexual activities or sex-related conversations.
- Suptiliasexual - someone who has never and will never experience sexual attraction.
- Anattractional - someone who experiences no attraction whatsoever (no physical, emotional or tertiary attraction of any type).
History[]
This term originated on AVEN (The Asexual Visibility and Education Network) on user fishcrow's brainstorming thread by user AceMissBehaving on July 12th 2021. After a series of site-wide polls, on 19th of July 2021 the term was voted in to officially represent asexuals who lack sexual attraction completely. This was largely in response to an announcement from the AVEN Board of Directors on July 7th 2021 to change the definition of asexuality to mean "(...)someone who experiences little to no sexual attraction."
Flag[]
The black stripes are representative of asexuality, the two parallel white stripes are representative of aro-spec identities and Black Stripe Asexuals in romantic relationships, and the purple central stripe is representative of community. The coinage of the flag and flag meanings occurred on the Black Stripe Asexual hangout thread on AVEN.
References[]
- https://web.archive.org/web/20210723174020/https://www.asexuality.org/en/topic/216375-time-for-a-new-asexual-identity-lets-brainstorm-ideas/
- https://www.asexuality.org/en/profile/142199-acemissbehaving/
- https://web.archive.org/web/20210723190833/https://www.asexuality.org/en/topic/216514-name-for-new-asexual-identity-poll/
- https://web.archive.org/web/20210723190939/https://www.asexuality.org/en/topic/216554-new-asexuality-name-round-2/
- https://web.archive.org/web/20210723192037/https://www.asexuality.org/en/topic/216576-new-asexual-identity-name-finale/
- https://www.asexuality.org/en/topic/216180-bod-decision-to-update-the-definition-on-the-aven-homepage/
- https://www.asexuality.org/en/topic/216614-black-stripe-asexuals-hangout-thread/?tab=comments#comment-1064325119