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Sex Disabil (2015) 33:123132
DOI 10.1007/s11195-014-9378-0
COMMENTARY
Emily M. Lund Bayley A. Johnson
Published online: 27 September 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014
Abstract While the disability sexuality movement has long tried to distance itself from the usually incorrect assumption that people with disabilities are asexual, the growing asexuality visibility and education movement argues for recognition of asexualitythe lifelong, non-distressing absence of sexual attraction to people of any sex or genderas a legitimate and non-pathological sexual orientation. Despite these seemly contradictory goals, however, both movements are representative of the movements of historically marginalized and medicalized groups towards greater acceptance and understanding. Accordingly, this article will begin with a brief discussion of theories and terminology related to asexuality in the general population. The remainder of the article will discuss (1) the history of asexuality as a forced assumption of people with disabilities; (2) intersectionality as it relates to asexuality and disability; and (3) the similarities between the asexuality and disability sexuality movements. Suggestions for future research are also provided.
Keywords Sexuality Asexuality Sexuality and disability Disability
Sexual orientation United States
Modern scholarship and grassroots organization have seen the growth of two separate social movements, the disability sexuality movement and the asexuality visibility and education movement. The former seeks to throw off the unwanted label of asexuality [15] while the latter seeks to promote the recognition of asexualitycommonly dened as the lack of sexual attraction to people of any gender [4] or the lifelong and non-distressing lack
E. M. Lund (&)
Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]
B. A. Johnson
Multnomah University, Portland, OR, USA
Asexuality and Disability: Strange but Compatible
Bedfellows
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124 Sex Disabil (2015) 33:123132
of sexual desire [6]as a legitimate sexuality orientation analogous to heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality. Although this conceptualization of asexuality has been met with some skepticism from the medical and psychological communities, a growing body of empirical literature on the topic supports the idea that asexuality can be a benign and immutable sexual orientation rather than a pathology. To this end, AVEN was founded in 2001 with the goals of creating public acceptance and discussion of asexuality and facilitating the growth of an asexual community [3] and hosts information...