(A)sexual

When my editor first handed me this screener, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew the definition of “asexual” before seeing the film, but I had no idea that such a large amount of the population claims it as a sexual orientation. (A)sexual is a riveting documentary that explores asexuality from an unbiased standpoint and educates viewers in a helpful and touching way.

David Jay, an asexual from San Francisco, CA, is the founder of AVEN, an organization that provides information about asexuality, and is a safe place for asexuals to meet and talk freely about themselves. Asexuality differs among some people. The majority of asexuals does not feel the need for sex or simply do not get aroused sexually at all by males or females. There are some that still feel sexual pleasure or enjoy sex with themselves before sex with partners. The consensus among asexuals is that they don’t feel the need to enter into a relationship with another person that focuses or even includes sex. *Note: asexuality is not celibacy.

Not many people know about asexuality, and even fewer people are willing to accept it as truth. The part of the documentary that broke my heart is when David and his fellow AVEN members marched in a Pride parade in San Francisco. They showed up with a need to be heard, just like the millions of people who were fighting for a voice in society years earlier, and were treated very poorly by many. There were people who were interested in what asexuality is and listened to David politely, but phrases like “it’s a phase” and “don’t you think you just haven’t found the right person?” abounded, which is sad. Intolerance is disgusting anywhere, but it absolutely has no place at Pride.

(A)sexual is currently available via iTunes.