More than a quarter of asexual young adults feel excluded from LGBTQ+ community
More than 25% of asexual young adults said they felt left out of the LGBTQ+ community.
According to the charity Just Like Us around 27% of people said they either rarely or never feel included.
The research, carried out by questioning 3,695 people between the ages of 18 and 25, was published today – on International Asexuality Day.
The findings mean that a part from people who are still questioning their sexual or gender identity, asexual people are the most likely to feel left out.
Almost one in five (18%) said they rarely feel a part of the LGBTQ+ community, while almost one in 10 (9%) said that they never feel this way.
Just Like Us ambassador Sarah Sharp wrote in The Gay Times that they are often asked whether they only identify with the term ‘queer to feel like they are allowed access to LGBTQ+ spaces and circles’.
They went on: ‘I still find myself questioning whether being asexual on its own is enough.
‘It can feel as if we are tolerated rather than welcomed, and sometimes even like we’re outright rejected.
‘Having our validity disputed by LGBTQ+ peers is the most hurtful form of exclusion I have experienced.
‘I’ve had a bisexual friend tell me I can’t be asexual because “everyone experiences some sexual attraction”.’
Asexual young adults of colour were even more likely to feel overlooked with 39% of them answering that they rarely or never feel involved – compared with 24% of white people.
Just Like Us’ interim CEO Amy Ashenden said: ‘Sadly, we can see that asexual young adults are feeling excluded from the wider LGBT+ community.
‘I hope that this research makes clear the need for greater awareness of the lived experiences and realities of asexual people, especially as we can see a wider pattern here of LGBT+ people of colour feeling excluded from our community.’
Conversely, non-binary young adults were most likely of all identities to say that they felt included in the community (56%).
The new data forms part of a report by Just Like Us called Positive Futures – set to be published on Jun 1.
The report will look at the experiences of young LGBT+ adults in the UK, covering a range of topics from their wellbeing, home life and time in school to their experiences in the world of work, as well as taking into account intersections like faith, race and disability.
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