Asexual exclusionism



Asexual exclusionism (often shortened to ace exclusionism) is a trendy new form of bullying dedicated to pretending to care about the LGBT cause by kicking out those horrible cringey aceys (asexuals) from those spaces. It began to be popular around 2013, the same time as the rise of TERFs and people who insist "queer is a slur!" Ace exclusionism is a manifestation of acephobia (discrimination and negative attitudes toward asexuals).

The bullying from asexual exclusionists have harmed aces on Tumblr and pushed people back into the closet.

While ace exclusionists often focus their hatred on asexuals, aromantic people are often targeted too (who may also be asexual).

Bullying and threats
hey ace kids! stop scrolling! you deserve to get hit by a bus

Asexual exclusionists aren't above vicious bullying. A few tools in their box include suicide baiting, voicing violent fantasies, rape wishes, posting graphic content in positivity tags (never mind the existence of minors), and more. They've also discussed ensuring that aces stay in the closet and in the dark.

One such person has apparently made threats to the point of the FBI getting involved.

Denial and bargaining
They'll also deny the fact that asexuals are actually oppressed. Asexual people face dehumanization, sexual harassment, and discrimination if they dare to come out. They're at risk for conversion therapy and even "corrective rape". Asexual respondents to the British government's 2017 LGBT survey were significantly less likely to be employed.

Many ace exclusionism tactics are taken straight from the TERF and biphobe playbooks.

History denialism
Asexual people have a rich history. Yet according to ace exclusionists, they are only closeted cishet incels who want a piece of the victimhood pie and steal attention from those who are oppressed enough like the rest of the community.

Common arguments
Here are a few common anti-ace arguments.

Racism
Exclusionists love to paint asexual people as white teenagers who want to pretend to be oppressed. They ignore and speak over asexual people of color.

TERF connections
Many people have pointed out that ace exclusionism is a lot like TERF rhetoric, and that many people who start as ace exclusionists become TERFs as well. Ace exclusionism normalizes TERF ideas and brings them into the popular lexicon.

Anti-autistic ableism
you guys get REAL fuckin nervous when i highlight that the majority of your jeering about aces' perceived awkwardness, missed social cues, infantilization/dehumanization, or "unfuckability"/"cringey-ness" are repackaged ableism, especially considering that a good percentage of the ace community is also autistic

Many of the bullying tactics used against asexuals are the same things used against autistic people.

Of course, ace exclusionists flip it around and claim that asexuals, actually, are the ones hurting autistics (Which again, speak over Autistic Asexuals). Ace exclusionists have tried to say that asexuals are somehow harming autistic people. When asexuals use "a-spec" to describe the asexual and aromantic spectrum, exclusionists claim that "a-spec" is a word for the autism spectrum. (It isn't. Autistic people have said that it isn't. But exclusionists are too busy "defending" autistics from the evil aceys to pay attention or care.)