Asexual exclusionism

Asexual exclusionism (often shortened to ace exclusionism) is a trendy new form of bullying dedicated to pretending to care about the LGBT cause by kicking out those horrible cringey aceys (asexuals) from those spaces. It began to be popular around 2013, the same time as the rise of TERFs and people who insist "queer is a slur!"Tumblr user sabertoothwalrus found a correlation between TERFs, ace exclusionists, and hatred of queer peopleGoogle trends timeline of "is queer a slur", "are asexuals lgbt" and "trans exclusionary radical feminism" Ace exclusionism is a manifestation of acephobia (discrimination and negative attitudes toward asexuals).Parmenter, Joshua Glenn. The Culture of Sexuality: Identification, Conceptualization, and Acculturation Processes Within Sexual Minority and Heterosexual Cultures, p. 96. Utah State University, August 2018. 
The bullying from asexual exclusionists have harmed aces on Tumblr and pushed people back into the closet.Tumblr post on ace discourse destroying the community
While ace exclusionists often focus their hatred on asexuals, aromantic people are often targeted too (who may also be asexual).
==Tactics==
===Bullying and threats===
Asexual exclusionists aren't above vicious bullying. A few tools in their box include suicide baiting,Tumblr user fucking-deactivated encouraging asexual minors to kill themselves voicing violent fantasies,Tumblr user moe-amethyst talking about the desire to murder asexuals rape wishes,Tumblr post showing suicide baiting and rape wishes directed at asexuals posting graphic content in positivity tags (never mind the existence of minors), and more. They've also discussed ensuring that aces stay in the closet and in the dark.Screenshot of a Tumblr post about deleting asexuality from Wikipedia
One such person has apparently made threats to the point of the FBI getting involved.Tweet with screenshot alleging FBI contact. Apparently federal crimes count as "starting drama" for a fun hobby.
===Denial and bargaining===
They'll also deny the fact that asexuals are actually oppressed. Asexual people face dehumanization, sexual harassment, and discrimination if they dare to come out.Gordon Hodson Ph.D. Prejudice Against "Group X" (Asexuals), Psychology Today (September 1st, 2012).Elizabeth F. Emens. Compulsory Sexuality, Stanford Law Review (February 2014). Also available via The Free Library.Queer But Not Deemed Queer Enough – The Battle For Asexual Inclusion They're at risk for conversion therapy and even "corrective rape".Battling Asexual Discrimination, Sexual Violence And ‘Corrective’ Rape - Huffington Post Asexual respondents to the British government's 2017 LGBT survey were significantly less likely to be employed.Discrimination In Education And The Workplace: How The Marginalization Of Asexuality Occurs At School And Work, An Academic Look At Asexual Oppression, via Carrd.National LGBT Survey 2017 Data Viewer, Government Equalities Office.
Many ace exclusionism tactics are taken straight from the TERF and biphobe playbooks.Tumblr post discussing how aphobes and biphobes are similar
===History denialism===
Asexual people have a rich history.The Tumblr bloggers building a canon of asexual history Yet according to ace exclusionists, they are only closeted cishet incels who want a piece of the victimhood pie and steal attention from those who are oppressed enough like the rest of the community.
===Common arguments===
Here are a few common anti-ace arguments.
==A few of their many, many problems==
===Racism===
Exclusionists love to paint asexual people as white teenagers who want to pretend to be oppressed. They ignore and speak over asexual people of color.Tumblr post on the agency of asexual women of color
===TERF connections===
Many people have pointed out that ace exclusionism is a lot like TERF rhetoric,A Tumblr post on ace exclusionism being a gateway ideology for TERFs and that many people who start as ace exclusionists become TERFs as well.A Tumblr post showing ace exclusionists who became TERFs Ace exclusionism normalizes TERF ideas and brings them into the popular lexicon.
===Anti-autistic ableism===
Many of the bullying tactics used against asexuals are the same things used against autistic people.
Of course, ace exclusionists flip it around and claim that asexuals, actually, are the ones hurting autistics (Which again, speak over Autistic Asexuals). Ace exclusionists have tried to say that asexuals are somehow harming autistic people. When asexuals use "a-spec" to describe the asexual and aromantic spectrum, exclusionists claim that "a-spec" is a word for the autism spectrum. (It isn't. Autistic people have said that it isn't.Tumblr post on how a-spec is NOT about autism, and autistics would really appreciate it if exclusionists would stopTumblr post with many screenshots of autistics saying that a-spec is not a word about autism But exclusionists are too busy "defending" autistics from the evil aceys to pay attention or care.)
==See also==
*Asexuality
*Biphobia -- another phenomenon where sexual minorities exclude other sexual minorities for being too "normal".
*Trans-exclusionary radical feminism
==External links==
* A roundup of some horrifying anti-asexual posts
* Another roundup of horrifying anti-asexual posts
* Google image results for "cute dog photos" in case you made the unfortunate decision to read through those roundups
==References==
Category:Ableism
Category:Discrimination
Category:Identity politics
Category:Racism
Category:Side-by-side articles