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In recent years, still another group has been trying to organize as a sexual minority - the “asexuals”.
In biology, the word “asexual” means “sexless”, i.e. it refers to the absence of sex organs or sexual activity. A typical traditional use, for example, is the expression “asexual reproduction” (it is common in micro-organisms, but occurs also in some plants and even in a few animals).
However, the individuals active in this new movement are physically healthy human beings who apply a new definition to themselves: Asexuals are individuals who have no interest in sexual intercourse of any kind and do not feel sexually attracted to others. Rejecting the label of a sexual disorder, certain activists claim that asexuality is a distinct sexual orientation or a separate gender identity, but this is disputed by others. In any case, many asexuals feel ignored, misunderstood, and, to a certain degree, even opressed, since the world around them does not take them seriously. By trying to find strength in numbers, they hope to escape the pressure to conform. How large such a potential minority might turn out to be is anybody’s guess. One study has estimated ca. 1% of the population, but it will take much more research before such a figure can be confirmed (1).
In any case, asexuality is, like much else in human sexuality, a matter of degree. Some self-described asexuals may have some limited sexual interests after all. As it is now, the term covers very different things, from sexual aversion and absent or low sexual desire to inhibition and partial or complete repression. Some individuals may simply be delayed in their physical development. Indeed, age may be an important factor. For this reason alone it is difficult to arrive at precise figures. By the same token, one may doubt that the organization of asexuals as a minority will be successful in the long run.
Typical web site of an asexual organization
The above is a blend of two different asexual home pages.
(In order to avoid easy identification, the name, the overall design and various details have been changed or omitted, but the content as such is authentic.)
(1) Bogaert, Anthony F. (August 2004). "Asexuality: prevalence and associated factors in a national probability sample". Journal of Sex Research 41 (3): 279-81.
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