You may have heard that the 8th May is Asexual Visibility Day, but did you know that this date was changed due to numerous reasons including backlash from several communities?
This blog covers the history of Asexual Visibility Day alongside information to why it changed and how and when to celebrate the day… although there’s never really a wrong day to highlight your pride!
History of Asexual Visibility Day
On the 8th May 2015. The Asexuality Blog and the Ace Community began a movement where they posted a series of photos and graphics of Ace cards to correspond with their orientations. The event was wildly successful across social media and even extended to a few physical displays globally.
The following delegations from the original post were highlighted as:
- Ace of Hearts: Alloromantic Asexual – experiences romantic attraction regularly toward one or more genders. This includes orientations such as heteroromantic, homoromantic, biromantic, polyromantic, and panromantic.
- Ace of Spades: Aromantic Asexual – does not experience romantic attraction toward any gender.
- Ace of Diamonds: Demiromantic/Demisexual & Grey-aromantic/Grey-Asexual- Experiences romantic and/or sexual attraction only if a strong emotional bond is established. OR Experiences romantic/sexual attraction rarely, not strongly enough to act on, only under specific circumstances, or fluctuates between periods of experiencing attraction and not experiencing it. Orientations such as Demiromantic, Demisexual, Grey-Aromantic, Grey-Asexual, Cupioromantic, Cupiosexual, Lithromantic, Lithsexual, Aroflux, Aceflux, Quoiromantic.
- Ace of Clubs: Questioning/Unsure of Orientation/No Orientation – Aware they fall on the aromantic and/or asexual spectrum, but not sure where or do not identify with any romantic orientation.
Change to Asexual Visibility Day
Due to a backlash from several communities regarding this proposed Asexual Visibility Day a statement was released on the 14th June 2014 addressing the concerns and apologising for any harm caused.
The statement highlighted that the biggest complaints about this Asexuality Visibility Day were with the timing and the format of utilising playing cards to successfully take part.
There were many who felt that the date was too close to both Transgender Day of Visibility and Blackout and seemed that the date sought to capitalise on the success of those movements.
Regarding the playing cards, it was highlighted that the concept limited and possibly alienated those who do not identify with a romantic orientation or who had an orientation with more complexity than the choices made available with use of playing cards.
The statement shares true and sincere apology throughout and highlights the idea was in good thought and was not meant to harm or alienate any members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Ace Day Community Input
A feedback from was later released on the 15th September 2015 to allow community members to anonymously provide their view points on Ace Day. The information collected with this form was taken into account to allow further preparations for a revised event which had already spent two months in the planning stages.
On the 14th September 2015, the new event was announced via The Asexuality Blog’s Tumblr, highlighting the new date as the 26th November which would coincide with International Cake day and would therefore remove any problematic features of the original date.
Since this date, we now also observe and celebrate International Asexuality Day on the 6th April each year.
Guidelines for Revised Asexual Visibility Day:
- The original method of classification via the 4 ace cards was removed. Instead, participants are encouraged to pick any ace card they wish, whether it be traditional suits, tarot, or otherwise and include a short statement explaining the significance of their choice
- In addition to the ace card, participants are asked to include a personal message, story, artwork, etc to express their orientation(s). Emphasis on intersectionality is highly encouraged. This is an opportunity to highlight gender, race, religion, disabilities, and other communities that intersect with asexuality!
- For those who will be offline due to Thanksgiving in the US that day, the option to queue posts on their own blog was suggested, as well as submitting to The Asexuality Blog for posting, or submitting to theacedayposts blog.
- The acedayposts blog will also be reblogging various posts on the day of the event.
- Various social media platforms will be included moreso this time around. Further attempts to get trending on Twitter will be made and more focus on Facebook and Instagram is also planned.
- The official tag/hashtag across all platforms will be #AceDay
- A series of Google Hangouts (some on-air) will be available to connect with each other on the day of the event as well.
Asexuality Visibility Day Now
As highlighted, we now observe and celebrate International Asexuality Day on the 6th April each year alongside Ace week which takes part at the end of October each year.
Asexuality at Joshua Lloyd
Did you know at Joshua Lloyd we provide a wide range of Asexual clothing and accessories? You can check out our latest Asexual products here.