A public university in Minnesota recognized “International Asexuality Day” over the weekend.
Minnesota State University, Mankato’s LGBT Center recently promoted the celebration during Sunday on Instagram to bring awareness to students who identify as “asexual” or one of its various “sub-identities.”
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“Asexuality, characterized by a lack of or minimal sexual attraction, is a relatively understudied and under-represented sexual orientation, but it is a worldwide phenomenon,” the post notes. “Medical News Today reports, approximately 1% of the world population identifies as asexual, though experts suggest the actual number could be higher.”
The post also points out that “asexual” is an umbrella term that includes other sub-identities.
“Within the asexual spectrum, various sub-identities exist,” the post says, including “Demisexuality,” which is defined as having a “strong emotional connection needed to be sexually attracted,” “Greysexual,” meaning “a person who experiences sexual attraction only rarely or under specific circumstances,” and “Aceflux,” or someone “whose level of sexual attraction fluctuates over time.”
These identities are only a handful of more specific asexual identities, according to the LGBT Center’s message.
“Individuals may find some of these labels resonate with their own experiences, while others may prefer to use more personalized terms or identify as simply ‘asexual,’” the post concludes.
According to its website, the LGBT Center seeks to reduce “heterosexism” and “homophobia,” while “celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer cultures.”
International Asexuality Day is not the only LGBT-based event that the center oversees; other recent events featured on its social media include the “Trans Day of Visibility” and an upcoming student drag show.
Similarly, Bryant University in Rhode Island organized workshops through its Pride Center for “asexual” and “aromantic” identities during February.
Likewise, Shenandoah University in Virginia sponsored an “Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Table” for those who maintain “little to no romantic attraction, due to feeling repulsed by romance, or due to being uninterested in romantic relationships.”
Campus Reform contacted Minnesota State University, Mankato and the LGBT Center for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
This article was originally published at campusreform.org
