Senate Passage of ENDA Serves as a Political Ploy
The Senate passed a version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Although the law faces challenges in the house, it is the first time it passed in the senate. LGBT activists celebrate the victory, socially conservative sites have mocked the bill, and asexual activists have remained silent on the issue. Some may be holding off because it is too soon to celebrate a victory, but others of a more cynical bent may realize that Senators and congressman are using the legislation to gain political capital in the 2014 mid-term elections.
Read more: Senate Passage of ENDA Serves as a Political Ploy
Unity is Needed, Espeically After Socially Conservative Groups Change Targets
Socially conservative religious groups have picked a new demon. Transgender people and transgender youth have taken the spot once occupied by gay activists working for marriage equality. The first warning about the religious right's new target came from a Huffington Post Gay Voices blogger. The Huffington Post story appeared about a week before the CBN website ran a bathroom harassment story fabricated by the Pacific Justice Institute.
Neither the Pacific Justice Institute nor CBN have
Read more: Unity is Needed, Espeically After Socially Conservative Groups Change Targets
Author Publishes Asexual Erotic Fiction Anthology
Frank Anders recently contracted with four asexual people to write a work of asexual erotic fiction. Some eaders may have done a double take, but asexuals with fetishes do exist, as many asexuality 101 bloggers have pointed out.
Anders contracted with four other writers to produce the book, which can be bought directly from Amazon.com. Lara has not had a chance to read the book, and a request for more information has not been returned.
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Asexual Awareness Week Began Sunday
Asexual Awareness Week began yesterday. Several universities are engaged in week-long events that include the screening of Angela Tucker's documentary, (A)sexual.
Harvard Medical School, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Emery University are among the universities that are hosting events for this year. AAW began as an effort to educate people about asexuality, a little-known asexual orientation.
An Update from Lara
As many people who read this site know, I am transgender. I have been open with this on this site, although it has something I felt the need to keep quiet about in my own life until fairly recently. I have been on hormone replacement therapy for several months, and find that there have been many chances.
One change I did not anticipate, even though I knew it was possible, is that I now find myself questioning my sexuality. I have been reluctant to share this information, in part because it is one of the many reasons people point to for asexuality not being a valid orientation.
New Sitcom Aces Seeks to Increase Visibility
The pilot episode of Aces appeared on YouTube last week. The show's creators intend it to be a web sitcom in the vein of Friends. Asexual News's Lara Landis talked to the creator, director, the associate producer and the lead actress of the show over Skype on September 21.
Brad Garrison. Leigh Clemons, Valerie Mikles and Alissa Juvan joined ion the conference call. Garrison performed the camera work, Valerie Mikles created the series, Leigh Clemons worked directed the episode and helped with the he writing, and Alissa Robinson starred as the lead actress in the first 15-minute episode of the show.
Mikles conceived the idea of the sitcom because she wanted other people to know that there were others like her out there. She worked on the script for several months before showing it to Leigh Clemons. Mikles asked Clemons for her opinion of the script, and the two shaped it into its current form.
Aces Pilot Episode
The pilot for the first episode of Aces, a comedy and web series that is currently in development. Asexual News is working on a story about the show which should appear tomorrow.
Will You Boycott the 2014 Winter Olympics?
Asexual News asked its readers if they planned on boycotting the Sochi Winter Olympics. Athletes and LGBT activists all over the world have criticized the nation's new law prohibiting people from passing out propaganda promoting non-traditional lifestyles to minors. Such laws have led to increased harassment of Russians who are members of Gender, Sexual and Romantic Minorities.
LGBTQNation, the Bilerico project, and many other sites have taken up the charge against Russia's current policies, and athletes have engaged in their own form of protests. Asexual News owners and staff have watched the news unfold in horror, but felt that there are others who could address the issue more effectively.
The results of the poll were as follows:
- Yes – It is Still the Olympics 50%
- No, I plan on boycotting them 33%
- No I never watch them anyway 17%
Ask Amy Columnist Continues Pathologization of Asexuality
Advice Columnist Ask Amy answered a letter from someone who said that his asexuality makes him feel flawed. Like many other columnists who found themselves in this situation, the columnist floundered and advised the letter writer to seek out medical help. She did not start out this way, however.
To be fair, even asexuals will advise people who are not sure about their asexuality to have their hormones checked. Earlier articles on Asexual news make the same point. While it is good for a person to make sure that he explores all possibilitiesin order to allay the concerns of friends and family, pathologization of asexuality should not be the first option.
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October 20-26 Serves as the 2013 Asexual Awareness Week
The Asexual Awareness Week organization announced the date for the 2013 event earlier this year. People who to spread Asexual awareness at their high Schools, college campuses or in their communities can do it on a specific week this year. Sara Beth Brooks, founder of the organization, chose the week of October 20 through October 26.
Read more: October 20-26 Serves as the 2013 Asexual Awareness Week