Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex

by Angela Chen

That’s the strange thing about this orientation and all the misconceptions it carries. It is possible to be ace and not realize it, to see the word and still shrug and move on. Definitions are not enough; one must plumb deeper.

Aces who don’t want romantic relationships wonder if there’s room for them in a world hyper-focused on a particular type of partnership.

I don’t feel like I’m missing out on something enjoyable when you’re watching your friends crying over a boy or crying over not having a boy. I don’t feel like I need to be focusing on this on top of everything else in my life. That just sounds like extra effort in terms of existence.”