Q&A: “I have repeatedly told my dad that I am asexual and he still thinks that i’m not…”

anonymous said:

I have repeatedly told my dad that I am asexual and he still thinks that i’m not. He says that I need to try being in a relationship before I can call myself asexual. I’m getting really tired of this and I just want him to understand. Do you have any information I can use to educate him on it?

By the way I really want to thank you for making all of your videos about asexuality! Theyve really helped me! Thanks! 🙂

 

thank you! but it’s rather ironic that you’d ask me this while i myself am struggling with a parent who just doesn’t get it. that said, i’m sure there’s more hope for your dad than my #$faS@a mom. 😀

the thing is, understanding something like this is a two-way street. for your dad to truly understand who you are, he has to be willing and open to understanding you– even if only a little bit. try as you might to get him to understand, if he isn’t open to the information that you’re trying to give him, it will fall on deaf ears and blind eyes, imho…

if he can find it in himself to actually listen to you and try to understand, perhaps these links might help? wishing you all the best!

“Asexuality: The ‘X’ In A Sexual World” by The Huffington Post
— a six-part series of articles about asexuality with interviews of ace spectrum people from a notable news outlet.

Asexuals Project by Laia Abril
— interviews and photos of ace spectrum people so that your dad can see that yes, asexuality is an “actual thing”. it’s not just you.

“What Is Asexuality?” from WhatIsAsexuality.com
— a primer about asexuality written by someone who is asexual.

“The Invisible Orientation” by Julie Sondra Decker
—- in the event that your dad is academically inclined or has an interest in books, this is a physical (or Kindle) book that is a great read and would be a great resource for both you and your dad, imho.