LGBTQIA+ Community Needs: Aces’ Input

This submission was made to the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment by members of the Ace community in response to the Department’s request for inputs on queer rights issued in September 2024. It has been reproduced below with consent of the authors.

Introduction

Worldwide, the A in LGBTQIA+ stands for Asexual, Agender and/or Aromantic. This document has compiled the needs of intersectional asexual persons also called Aces, from India. Importantly, diverse Aces such as ourselves (i.e., the authors of this document) have been present since the time humans have existed in this universe. However, Aces have been largely invisible owing to the minimality or absence of: relevant references/resources, support systems, awareness, understanding, sensitivity and acceptance.

Further to the above, the majoritarian socio-cultural, sociobiological and psychosocial belief/notion that only the presence of sexual arousal, sexual desire and sexual attraction are normal and natural to all humans, exists. This continues to make many Aces live with shame, denial and various mental and physical health issues some of which can be caused by compelling themselves to have sexual encounters or seek “treatment” to induce sexual attraction, sexual desire and/or sexual arousal.

Asexuality is a spectrum (termed Aspec or Acespec) of sexuality and sexual orientation which denotes the extreme minimality, fluidity, varying levels or absence of sexual attraction towards another person or persons. It could also be the minimality, fluidity, varying degrees or absence of: sexual desire and/or sexual arousal. Asexual persons or Aces are considered to be on a range or spectrum of sexual desire, sexual arousal or sexual attraction varying from a complete absence to a variable degree of sexual attraction, sexual desire and/or sexual arousal towards only specific individuals. Here are policy recommendations from diverse Aces in India, based on our needs and experiences:

Healthcare

a. Sensitize healthcare professionals especially mental and sexual healthcare practitioners to understand and accept during practice, training and while studying, that asexuality or touch sensitivity are not hormonal, psychological or emotional or any other type of disorders, defects, diseases, abnormalities, anomalies or deficiencies

b. Any healthcare professional shaming, abnormalizing, ridiculing or stigmatising asexuality or prescribing or subjecting asexual persons to any involuntary or coercive oral, physical or psychological examination or any such oral, visual, hormonal, physical, psychological or other “therapies” or “treatments” to “cure” or “reduce” their asexuality must be warned or penalised for unethical, unlawful and unprofessional behaviour, practices and approaches.

c. Sensitised Healthcare professionals must counsel asexual persons approaching them for healthcare assistance/advice regarding their asexuality or their family or caregivers (if required and requested) that asexuality is natural and normal and that sexual desire, sexual arousal or sexual attraction cannot be compulsively induced and are not universal emotions, needs or traits or attributes of humans

d. An asexual person seeking or needing hysterectomy or surgical removal of any sexual or reproductive organs, must not be coerced or counselled to postpone or rethink or be denied hysterectomy or other surgical procedures, if they disclose their asexuality or the absence or minimality of sexual activity is inferred.

Education and Training (formal or informal)

Consenting intersectional Aces must be invited (with compensation and acknowledgment) to train students, scholars and practitioners in the fields of biological science, biomedical science, social science, mental and sexual health, media, arts, humanities, social work, human rights and law educators and trainers to teach that not all humans have sexual attraction, sexual arousal or sexual desire whatever their age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, sex characteristics (SOGIESC), occupation, language, region/geographical location, class, disabilities, race, caste, religion, ethnicity, beliefs, traditions, ideologies, practices, relationship status et al.

Educators and trainers must know that:
a. the Absence or varying levels of sexual desire, sexual arousal or sexual attraction is not and must not be conflated with voluntary or involuntary suppression of sexual arousal or sexual desire i.e., abstinence or desexualisation or celibacy or prudery.

b. Asexuality is not the same as or cannot be attributed to frigidity or reduced libido but these may be among the outcomes of asexuality.

c. asexuality or touch sensitivity are not hormonal, psychological or emotional or any other type of disorders, defects, diseases, abnormalities, anomalies or deficiencies

Media/Culture/Arts

Media (social, news, educational, entertainment, infotainment, television, print, digital, radio, community, advertising et al) persons, artists and relevant organizations must be sensitized by consenting Aces who must be compensated and acknowledged, to not misrepresent, shame, mock, stigmatize or abnormalise or negatively stereotype Aces and that allosexuality or Hypersexuality are not omnipresent or universal or alone natural or normal.

Spreading misinformation, stigmatizing, ridiculing, abnormalising and/or pathologizing asexuality via news, social, entertainment, infotainment and advertising media must be considered as hate speech and the persons/organizations involved must be warned and/or penalized under law.

The government must provide necessary resources and support for consenting Aces to create multilingual, annotated, subtitled/translated, ISL based, audio, audio-visual and textual resources on Asexuality.

Guidelines and best practices for advertising and all types of media persons and organizations on reporting about and representation of Aces, must be framed by consenting intersectional Aces with due compensation and acknowledgements to them.

Asexual persons who have marital, romantic, live-in, platonic or any other relationships with other Aces or allosexuals must not be ridiculed, scorned, shamed, stigmatized, abused or harassed for their relationship choices and decisions. Anyone attempting to or compelling Aces in such relationships must be counselled, warned, penalized or punished for sexual and emotional harassment.

Laws and Policies

Laws, policies and Legislations must recognise and declare that anyone in marital, emotional or physical relationship(s) with any adult asexual person(s) must not coerce the asexual person(s) into sexual experiences, episodes or encounters This can be grounds for easy dissolution of a marriage contract or any kind of separation the asexual person needs or requests. The asexual person must receive any necessary or requested support, rehabilitation and protection from the perpetrators including the former or estranged spouse and involved persons/families/kin. The perpetrators and others involved must be investigated, prosecuted, charged and punished for the crime or its abetment.

Coercion, “Corrective Rape” or attempt to sexually assault or rape must be recognized if an asexual person is forced to marry to “cure” or “reverse” their asexuality. This can be grounds for easy dissolution of a marriage contract or any kind of separation the asexual person needs or requests. The asexual person must receive any necessary or requested support, rehabilitation and protection from the perpetrators including the former or estranged spouse and involved persons/families/kin. The perpetrators and others involved must be investigated, prosecuted, charged and punished for the crime or its abetment.

Anyone trying to medically “induce” sexual attraction, sexual arousal or sexual desire in any asexual person(s) must be investigated for sexual abuse or sexual harassment or sexual assault or rape and suitably penalised or punished (if found guilty) provided the asexual person(s) in the relationship(s), lodge complaints of sexual abuse or sexual harassment or sexual assault or rape. Such complaints can also be lodged by individuals and/or groups on behalf of the affected asexual person(s) with their prior, informed and documented consent. The identity of the impacted asexual person(s) must be undisclosed if they wish.

Anyone coercing any asexual person(s) to have oral or peno-vaginal or other sexual experiences, episodes or encounters, must be investigated for sexual abuse or sexual harassment or sexual assault or rape and suitably penalised or punished (if found guilty) provided the asexual person(s) in the situation(s), lodge complaints of sexual abuse or sexual harassment or sexual assault or rape. Such complaints can also be lodged by individuals and/or groups on behalf of the affected asexual person(s) with their prior, informed and documented consent. The identity of the impacted asexual person(s) must be undisclosed if they wish.

Any policy or legislation or public body (such as a Commission, Council, Committee, Board, network et al) for Aces must be framed with the involvement and inputs from consenting intersectional Aces.

“Conversion therapy” is not therapeutic – it is harmful, traumatising, dehumanising, unlawful, unprofessional and unethical and its advocates must be counselled, warned, penalized and punished by law. ”Corrective rape” is rape and its perpetrators, advocates and abettors must be arrested, prosecuted, convicted and punished as rapists. “Coercive counselling” is not counselling – it is harmful, traumatising, dehumanising, unlawful, unprofessional and unethical and its advocates must be counselled, warned, penalized and punished by law

Recognition of Queer Platonic Relationships

A queer platonic relationship (QPR) is a committed, intimate (maybe asexual and/or aromantic) relationship between two or more individuals. QPRs shall be legally recognized as a distinct type of relationship, equivalent in status to live-in or marital relationships. Individuals in QPRs shall have the same rights and responsibilities as those in live-in or marital relationships, including but not limited to cohabitation rights, inheritance rights, healthcare benefits and decision-making authority in medical emergencies.

QPRs shall be protected from discrimination, stigma and harassment based on their relationship status and mechanisms shall be established for the resolution of disputes arising from QPRs, similar to those available for live-in or marital relationships. Any person in a QPR shall have the right to individually have children through biological means, medically possible and legally permitted assisted reproductive technologies or adoption and be a legal parent.

Support and care for Acespec Sexual Abuse and Sexual Assault Survivors

Acespec survivors of sexual assault and sexual abuse need sensitive support and care as below:

Sexual Abuse survivors are, by practice, counselled on the normalisation of sex and sexual activities. In such practices, most healthcare professionals often dismiss the presence of the Asexuality Spectrum and lack enough resources/research to rehabilitate the survivors suitably and affirmatively. This can lead to anything from added stress to “Corrective Rape” and Conversion Therapies” and Sexual Abuse, sexual harassment and sexual assault (Coercion).
The common practice in rehabilitation of Allosexual Sexual Abuse and Asexual Assault Survivors repulsed temporarily by sex, when used for Acespec Sexual Abuse Survivors, can lead to miscommunication and added stress/trauma to the Acespec Survivor. So, trained and experienced Asexual peer counsellors and/or Acespec affirmative support providers should lead any rehabilitation initiatives/programs for Acespec Sexual assault or sexual abuse survivors.
The lack of the legal recognition and medical inclusion of the Asexuality Spectrum leads to unreported/unrealized “Corrective Rape” and “Conversion Therapy” cases. Therefore, legal recognition, medical inclusion and social sensitization about Asexuality is crucial.

References

https://www.asexualize.com/
https://www.asexuality.org/
https://www.thip.media/author/ritash/ https://anoaqa.org/

QPR Case in Sweden:
● (Swedish)
https://www.domstol.se/en/nyheter/2022/07/relationen-mellan-tva-kvinnor-var-sadan-att- ett-parforhallande-enligt-sambolagen-forelag/?ref=wearequeeraf.com
● (English)
https://www.wearequeeraf.com/this-landmark-swedish-court-case-is-a-huge-win-for-asexual-rights

The case below notes that Section 9 of the Hindu Marriage Act does not enforce sexual intercourse, which is only one of the elements of marriage
Harvinder Kaur vs. Harminder Singh Chaudhary https://indiankanoon.org/doc/191703/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/294259467_Perceived_health_concerns_among_sexu al_minority_women_in_Mumbai_India_an_exploratory_qualitative_study

Document Authors

Ritash: Writer, LGBTQIAP+ peer counsellor and co-founder, RANG Foundation Sweta D: Research scholar and LGBTQIAP+ peer counsellor
Lakshmi V: Researcher, Writer and MA Sociology Student
SAN: Entrepreneur
Akil Sujenth: Founder, AceAro Forum of India