COURTESY OF SARA BETH BROOKS
FIGHTING THE ‘CURE’
Yet few outsiders appear to
know much, if anything, about
the community.
In the beginning of filmmaker
Angela Tucker’s 2011 documentary (A)sexual, members of the
general public try — and fail — to
grasp or explain asexuality. While
many quickly connect asexuals
with organisms like mosses and
amoebas, one man asserts with
conviction that there’s “no such
thing” as asexual human beings.
Last year, the apparent bias
against aces was corroborated by
a landmark study conducted by
Brock University researchers Gordon Hodson and Cara McInnis.
The study found that people of all
sexual stripes are more likely to
discriminate against asexuals, compared to other sexual minorities.
“Most disturbingly, asexuals
are viewed as less human, especially lacking in terms of human
nature,” the study authors wrote.
“This confirms that sexual desire
is considered a key component of
human nature and those lacking it
are viewed as relatively deficient,
less human and disliked.”
The study’s results raised alarm
bells for many asexual activists.
“It was really scary for us to
read about,” said David Jay, found-
HUFFINGTON
08.25.13
er of the Asexual Visibility and
Education Network (AVEN), who
has himself be