Next Step: Cake • allosexism

allosexism

harmonioussanctity:

lunasspecto:

Allosexism, therefore, refers to an ideology privileging people who are sexually attracted to other people, and prejudices arising from that ideology.

So without touching the rest of this, I’m just going to come right out and ask, exactly how are homosexual people sexually privileged? Before you can even begin to bandy about allosexism, you must first demonstrate how having sexual attraction is something which privileges ALL people of ALL non asexual orientations. And, if this IS something you can demonstrate then you have to explain how it does NOT apply to gray and demi people, as they DO feel sexual attraction.

I just.

This is why ~sexual supremacy~ is a dumb as fuck concept, and I just wish people in the asexual community would stop trying to make it a thing over and over again. There is no privilege for experiencing sexual attraction. There is only one sexual attraction that is privileged in this society, and it’s the hetero kind. This is an immutable fact about society that you cannot deny, and it’s really infuriating that so many people seem to be intent on the casual dismissal of how homophobia affects homosexual people in order to bandy about concepts to apply to homosexual people that don’t actually apply at all.

If I tell my coworkers I’m gay the will not treat me less awfully if I assure them that my gayness is totally sexual. If anything I will get MORE shit for it. Because homosex is especially disgusting and awful. Homosexual sexual attraction is not privileged. Allosexism is YET ANOTHER version of the homophobic tripe that is ~sexual supremacy~. Just. Please. Stop.

I don’t think anyone is claiming that all allosexuals are privileged over all asexuals in all situations, or even that asexuals are more discriminated against than homosexuals, over all.

I’d say discrimination exists against both homosexuals and asexuals (and any other sexual minority), and that the form and level of discrimination in both cases can vary depending on the specific situation, the people involved, etc.

Here are just a few examples of times I, personally, have experienced allosexism:

When I first came out as asexual to my mother (who is not at all homophobic, and had been aware of and completely accepting of the fact that some of my friends were gay for a few years before that) at the age of 17, she said something to the effect that she would be more inclined to believe someone my age saying they were, since that would be based on things they had actually felt, than me saying I was asexual. She seemed to be assuming I was actually straight and just not interested in sex yet.

Surveys and the like that ask if I’m gay, straight, or bisexual.

I used to be in a group of friends where being gay/bi was about as common as being straight and totally accepted by everyone, but when I told them I was asexual, someone tried to tell me I was “broken.” They also tended to get annoyed at me if I brought up my asexuality nearly as much as many of them brought up their various forms of allosexuality.

Yes, there are definitely some communities and situations in which there is more discrimination against homosexuals than asexuals, but there are also definitely cases where the opposite is true. The existence of homophobia and the existence of allosexism are not mutually exclusive.

Unfortunately, I’m about to run, but regarding the allosexism and homophobia, can I jsut say:

It’s called intersectionality.

intersectionality intersectionality intersectionality intersectionality intersectionality intersectionality intersectionality intersectionality intersectionality intersectionality intersectionality intersectionality intersectionality intersectionality intersectionality intersectionality intersectionality intersectionality

got it?

Privilege is not a binary; it’s not as simple as being privileged or being not privileged. For example, I can be at the same time privileged for appearing white, yet oppressed for being a woman - these two identites will affect me differently, but they do not cancel each other out, nor does one trump the other - instead, they intersect.

And the same goes for someone who is sexual, but not heterosexual: They can simultanously be privileged by allosexism, but oppressed by heterosexism. And again, one does not erase the other or cancel it out - instead, they intersect.

(via poufsoufflegirl)

Source: lunasspecto