[A]sexuality,  Q&A,  Queer[ness]

Q&A: “[my friend] told me that Ace/Aro ppl are not inherently part of the LGBT+ community unless if they identify as LGBT…”

anonymous said:

Hi Vesper. I’m still learning about all the different genders and sexualities and spectrums and I was talking to my friend the other day who’s more knowledgable than I am, and she told me that Ace/Aro ppl are not inherently part of the LGBT+ community unless if they identify as LGBT. I’m a little confused by this. Are asexuality and aromanticism not a part of LGBT+? She basically implied that bc Ace/Aro ppl are not part of LGBT+ they do not face oppression. I’m sorry if this is confusing.

hello, anon.

what your friend told you is nothing but her opinion and it’s an opinion that many, myself included, disagree with. you may feel like your friend is more knowledgeable than you are about gender and sexuality, but she is by no means an expert on the oppression that others do or do not face and it’s rather offensive (and telling) that she even feels entitled to comment on what ace and / or aro people face in terms of oppression. on top of that, it’s clear that she considers oppression to be a requirement for being part of the LGBTQIA community, which is quite frankly utter bullshit.

honestly, everything that your friend said (and more) are things that some people on Tumblr have been asserting for some time now and there is no shortage of posts refuting such assertions. see this masterpost on it, for example.

your friend is entitled to her opinion, just like everyone else, but i do encourage you to form your own opinion on the matter. if upon doing so you find that you disagree with your friend, do use your best judgement to decide whether or not it’s worth confronting her about it. please don’t put yourself in a bad position, especially if you friend has no actual power over others to harm them with her opinion.

at the end of the day, your friend and those like her can voice their ignorant opinions all they like, but they do not actually have the power to decide who is or who isn’t a part of “the” LGBTQIA community and i honestly find it rather obnoxious that anyone feels like they do have any such power, let alone knowledge of others’ experiences with oppression.

YouTuber and Blogger, Vesper is an American expat currently living in Japan.

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