{{Short description|A-Spec sexuality with low levels of sexual attraction that fluctuates over time}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox sexuality | name = | pronunciation = | image = | caption = | etymology = | definition = | classification = Sexual identity | parent = | synonyms = | associated_terms = Demisexuality | culture = | flag = Grey asexuality flag.svg | flag_alt = A flag with five equally-spaced stripes. From top to down, it is purple, grey, white, grey, and purple. | flag_name = Graysexual pride flag | flag_meaning = }} {{Sexual orientation}} {{LGBTQ sidebar}} {{Asexuality topics sidebar}}
'''Graysexuality''', '''gray asexuality''', or '''gray-sexuality''' (also spelled '''grey''') is a sexuality within the asexual spectrum. It is often defined as limited amounts of sexual attraction that can vary in intensity.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3P2pVq9XlGsC |title=Understanding Asexuality|last=Bogaert |first=Anthony F.|date=January 4, 2015|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|page=85|isbn=978-1-4422-0100-2|language=en}}</ref><ref name="Decker">{{cite book|author=Decker JS|title=The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction to Asexuality|isbn=978-1-5107-0064-2|publisher=Simon & Schuster|year=2015|chapter=Grayromanticism|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vTSCDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT55|access-date=April 24, 2020|archive-date=October 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022143214/https://books.google.com/books?id=vTSCDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT55|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|author=Julie Sondra Decker|title=The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction to Asexuality * Next Generation Indie Book Awards Winner in LGBT *|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vTSCDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT55|access-date=March 6, 2021|date=October 13, 2015|publisher=Simon and Schuster |editor=Simon & Schuster|language=en|isbn=978-1-5107-0064-2}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The 'Q' in LGBTQ: Queer/Questioning |url=https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/apa-blogs/the-q-in-lgbtq-queer-questioning#:~:text=The%20acronym%20increasingly%20includes%20the,same%2Dsex%20attraction%20and%20behaviors. |access-date=February 16, 2024 |website=American Psychiatric Association}}</ref> Individuals who identify with gray asexuality are referred to as being '''gray-A''' or '''gray ace''', and are within what is referred to as the "asexual umbrella".<ref name="McGowan2015">{{cite magazine|last=McGowan|first=Kat|url=https://www.wired.com/2015/02/demisexuality/|title=Young, Attractive, and Totally Not Into Having Sex|magazine=Wired|date=February 18, 2015|access-date=March 4, 2015|archive-date=March 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150306030540/http://www.wired.com/2015/02/demisexuality|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Bauer, C., Miller, T., Ginoza, M., Guo, Y., Youngblom, K., Baba, A., Adroit, M. (2018). ''2016 Asexual Community Survey Summary Report''.</ref> Within the asexual spectrum are terms such as demisexual, graysexual, asexual, and many other types of non-allosexual identities.<ref name="Mosbergen2013">{{cite web|last=Mosbergen|first=Dominique|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/19/asexual-spectrum_n_3428710.html|title=The Asexual Spectrum: Identities In The Ace Community (INFOGRAPHIC)|work=Huffington Post|date=June 19, 2013|access-date=March 5, 2015|archive-date=June 23, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130623041531/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/19/asexual-spectrum_n_3428710.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
The emergence of online communities, such as the Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN), has given graysexual people locations to discuss their orientation.<ref name="Buyantueva">{{cite book|vauthors=Buyantueva R, Shevtsova M|title=LGBTQ+ Activism in Central and Eastern Europe: Resistance, Representation and Identity|isbn=978-3-030-20401-3|publisher=Springer Nature|year=2019|page=297|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vw-yDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA297|access-date=April 24, 2020|archive-date=October 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028181909/https://books.google.com/books?id=vw-yDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA297|url-status=live}}</ref>
== Definitions == === General === Gray asexuality is considered the gray area between asexuality and allosexuality, in which a person may experience sexual attraction in a variety of "unconventional" ways.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Decker"/>
The term ''gray-A'' covers a range of identities under the asexuality umbrella, or on the asexual spectrum, including demisexuality.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8UwXBAAAQBAJ|title=Selves, Symbols, and Sexualities: An Interactionist Anthology|last1=Weinberg|first1=Thomas S.|last2=Newmahr|first2=Staci|date=2014-03-06|publisher=SAGE Publications|isbn=978-1-4833-2389-3|language=en|access-date=March 4, 2015|archive-date=October 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201016072939/https://books.google.com/books?id=8UwXBAAAQBAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> Other terms within this spectrum include ''semisexual'', ''asexual-ish'' and ''sexual-ish''.<ref name=Mosbergen2013 /> The gray-A spectrum includes individuals who very rarely experience sexual attraction, experience it at a low intensity, or feel it only under specific circumstances. The definition of gray-asexuality is intentionally vague, allowing for a variety of experiences that do not fit completely under the allosexual or asexual identities.<ref name="Decker"/><ref name=Shoemaker2015>{{cite web|last=Shoemaker|first=Dale|url=http://www.pittnews.com/news/article_bf116f32-b344-11e4-8e5c-0f66dffdd8f3.html|title=No Sex, No Love: Exploring asexuality, aromanticism at Pitt|publisher=The Pitt News|date=February 13, 2015|access-date=March 4, 2015|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150217215611/http://www.pittnews.com/news/article_bf116f32-b344-11e4-8e5c-0f66dffdd8f3.html|archive-date=February 17, 2015}}</ref> Sari Locker, a sexuality educator at Teachers College of Columbia University, argued during a Mic interview that gray-asexuals "feel they are within the gray area between asexuality and more typical sexual interest".<ref>{{cite web|last=Zeilinger|first=Julie|url=http://mic.com/articles/116636/6-actual-facts-about-what-it-means-to-be-asexual|title=6 Actual Facts About What It Really Means to Be Asexual|publisher=Mic|date=May 1, 2015|access-date=December 31, 2015|archive-date=January 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125132649/https://www.mic.com/articles/116636/6-actual-facts-about-what-it-means-to-be-asexual|url-status=live}}</ref> A gray-A-identifying individual may have any romantic orientation, because sexual and romantic identities are not necessarily linked.<ref name=McGowan2015 /><ref name=Mosbergen2013 />
A gray-asexual may engage in sex with someone they have a strong connection to, but their relationship is not based on sex, nor do they crave sex.<ref name="McGowan2015" /><ref name=":1" /> This can also be known as gray areas, which can be combined with different orientations, such as:<ref>{{Cite book |last=Decker |first=Julie Sondra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vTSCDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT55 |title=The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction to Asexuality * Next Generation Indie Book Awards Winner in LGBT * |date=2015-10-13 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |isbn=978-1-5107-0064-2 |language=en}}</ref> | thumb|upright|Simplified A-spec diagram
* A '''graysexual alloromantic person''': rarely sexually attracted to others. * An '''asexual grayromantic person''': not sexually attracted to anyone, but does experience being romantically attracted to others on rare occasions. * A '''gray-pansexual aromantic person''': rarely attracted to people sexually of all genders, but never romantically attracted to anyone. * A '''gynesexual gray-biromantic person''': usually sexually attracted to women or feminine-presenting people; rarely experiences romantic attraction towards more than one gender.
''Aspec'' is a term which can be used to mean that one is on the asexual spectrum or aromantic spectrum.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-06-25 |title=Explore the spectrum: Guide to finding your ace community |url=https://www.glaad.org/amp/ace-guide-finding-your-community |access-date=2022-04-20 |website=GLAAD |language=en |archive-date=August 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801045947/https://www.glaad.org/amp/ace-guide-finding-your-community }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Understanding Asexuality |url=https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/understanding-asexuality/ |access-date=2022-04-20 |website=The Trevor Project |date=August 20, 2021 |language=en-US}}</ref>
=== Demisexuality === {{Main|Demisexuality}}
The term ''demisexuality'' was coined in 2006 by Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN).<ref name="McGowan2015" /> The prefix ''demi-'' derives from the Vulgar Latin {{Lang|la|*dimedius}}, which comes from Latin {{Lang|la|dimidius}}, meaning "divided into two equal parts, halved."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Definition of DEMISEXUAL |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demisexual |access-date=2022-10-14 |website=www.merriam-webster.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Definition of DEMI- |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demi- |access-date=2022-10-14 |website=www.merriam-webster.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary, dī-mĭdĭus |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0059:entry=dimidius |access-date=2022-10-14 |website=www.perseus.tufts.edu}}</ref>
A demisexual person does not experience sexual attraction until they have formed a strong emotional connection with a prospective partner.<ref name="Decker" /><ref name="Buyantueva" /> The definition of "emotional bond" varies from person to person in as much as the elements of the split attraction model can vary.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gsrc.princeton.edu/split-attraction|title=Split Attraction Model|website=Princeton Gender + Sexuality Resource Center|access-date=November 3, 2021|archive-date=November 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211103095834/https://www.gsrc.princeton.edu/split-attraction|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bustle.com/articles/155277-what-does-demisexual-mean-here-are-6-signs-that-you-may-identify-as-demisexual|title=Bustle|website=www.bustle.com|access-date=2016-12-16|archive-date=April 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421101929/https://www.bustle.com/articles/155277-what-does-demisexual-mean-here-are-6-signs-that-you-may-identify-as-demisexual|url-status=live}}</ref> Demisexuals can have any romantic orientation.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://helloflo.com/mean-demisexual-demiromantic/|title=What Does It Mean To Be Demisexual And Demiromantic? - HelloFlo|date=2016-06-02|newspaper=HelloFlo|language=en-US|access-date=2016-12-16|archive-date=December 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220183142/http://helloflo.com/mean-demisexual-demiromantic/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="UNC">{{Cite web|url=https://lgbtq.unc.edu/resources/exploring-identities/asexuality-attraction-and-romantic-orientation|title=Asexuality, Attraction, and Romantic Orientation|access-date=July 23, 2020|work=The LGBTQ Center at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill|archive-date=November 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191119213638/https://lgbtq.unc.edu/resources/exploring-identities/asexuality-attraction-and-romantic-orientation|url-status=live}}</ref> People in the asexual spectrum communities often switch labels throughout their lives, and fluidity in orientation and identity is a common attitude.<ref name="McGowan2015" />
Demisexuality, as a component of the asexuality spectrum, is included in queer activist communities such as GLAAD and The Trevor Project, and itself has finer divisions.<ref name="Explore the spectrum: Guide to finding your ace community">{{Cite web |last=Pasquier |first=Morgan |date=2018-10-18 |title=Explore the spectrum: Guide to finding your ace community |url=https://www.glaad.org/amp/ace-guide-finding-your-community |archive-date=August 1, 2020 |website=glaad.org |access-date=July 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801045947/https://www.glaad.org/amp/ace-guide-finding-your-community |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thetrevorproject.org/trvr_support_center/asexual/|title=Asexual|access-date=July 22, 2020|archive-date=April 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406125426/https://www.thetrevorproject.org/trvr_support_center/asexual/|url-status=live}}</ref>
Demisexuality is a common theme (or trope) in romantic novels that has been termed 'compulsory demisexuality'.<ref>McAlister, Jodi. "First Love, Last Love, True Love: Heroines, Heroes, and the Gendered Representation of Love in the Category Romance Novel." Gender & Love, 3rd Global Conference. Mansfield College, Oxford, UK. Vol. 15. 2013</ref> Within fictional prose, the paradigm of sex being only truly pleasurable when the partners are in love is a trait stereotypically more commonly associated with female characters. The intimacy of the connection also allows for an exclusivity to take place.<ref name="UNC"/><ref>{{cite journal|title='That complete fusion of spirit as well as body': Heroines, heroes, desire and compulsory demisexuality in the Harlequin Mills & Boon romance novel|first=Jodi|last=McAlister|date=1 September 2014|journal=Australasian Journal of Popular Culture|volume=3|issue=3|pages=299–310|doi=10.1386/ajpc.3.3.299_1}}</ref>
Post-doctorate research on the subject has been done since at least 2013, and podcasts and social media have also raised public awareness of the sexual orientation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20211101-why-demisexuality-is-as-real-as-any-sexual-orientation|title=Why demisexuality is as real as any sexual orientation|first=Jessica|last=Klein|publisher=BBC|date=November 5, 2021|access-date=November 6, 2021|archive-date=November 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106150758/https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20211101-why-demisexuality-is-as-real-as-any-sexual-orientation|url-status=live}}</ref> Some public figures, such as Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo, who have come out as demisexual have also raised awareness, though they typically face some degree of ridicule for their sexuality.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.insider.com/andrew-cuomo-daughter-says-she-is-demisexual-what-that-means-2021-7|title=Andrew Cuomo's daughter says she's demisexual. Here's what that means.|first=Canela|last=López|website=Insider|access-date=November 6, 2021|archive-date=March 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220309223420/https://www.insider.com/andrew-cuomo-daughter-says-she-is-demisexual-what-that-means-2021-7|url-status=live}}</ref> The word gained entry to the Oxford English Dictionary in March 2022, with its earliest usage (as a noun) dating to 2006.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://public.oed.com/blog/the-oed-march-2022-update/ | title=Content warning: May contain notes on the OED March 2022 update | work=Oxford English Dictionary | date=March 15, 2022 }}</ref>
=== Fictosexuality === {{Main|Fictosexuality}}
Fictosexuality refers to the sexual attraction towards fictional characters, encompassing those who lack attraction to real individuals and fall within the spectrum of gray asexuality.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last1=Yule |first1=Morag A. |last2=Brotto |first2=Lori A. |last3=Gorzalka |first3=Boris B. |year=2017 |title=Sexual Fantasy and Masturbation Among Asexual Individuals: An In-Depth Exploration |url=https://med-fom-brotto.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2014/11/Yule-Gorzalka-Brotto-2017-Sexual-fantasy-masturbation-among-asexual-individuals-An-in-depth-exploration-4754.pdf |journal=Archives of Sexual Behavior |volume=47 |issue=1 |pages=311–328 |doi=10.1007/s10508-016-0870-8|pmid=27882477 |s2cid=254264133 }}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last1=Karhulahti |first1=Veli-Matti |last2=Välisalo |first2=Tanja |year=2021 |title=Fictosexuality, Fictoromance, and Fictophilia: A Qualitative Study of Love and Desire for Fictional Characters |journal=Frontiers in Psychology |volume=11 |article-number=575427 |doi=10.3389/fpsyg.2020.575427 |pmid=33510665 |pmc=7835123 |doi-access=free }}</ref> These individuals can be found within online asexual communities.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> In recent times, certain fictosexuals have actively participated in queer activism.{{cn|date=March 2025}}
=== Fraysexuality === Fraysexuality (also less commonly known as ignotasexual)<ref>{{Cite web |title=What is fraysexuality? |url=https://www.pride.com/identities/what-is-fraysexuality-and-how-do-i-know-if-i-identify-that-way |access-date=2024-10-21 |website=www.pride.com |language=en}}</ref> is the type of gray asexuality<ref>{{Cite web |title=Asexual: What Does It Mean? |url=https://www.webmd.com/sex/what-is-asexual}}</ref> where people almost only are sexually attracted to people they don't know<ref>{{Cite web |title=5 Signs You Might Be Autosexual (AKA Sexually Attracted to Yourself) — And Why It's Not Weird At All |url=https://www.instyle.com/lifestyle/autosexual-signs |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=InStyle |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Decker |first=Julie Sondra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vTSCDwAAQBAJ&dq=grace+gray+asexual&pg=PT11 |title=The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction to Asexuality * Next Generation Indie Book Awards Winner in LGBT * |date=2015-10-13 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-5107-0064-2 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-27 |title=Qué es la fraisexualidad y cuáles son las características que definen a esta preferencia |url=https://www.elpais.com.uy/eme/intimidad/que-es-la-fraisexualidad-y-cuales-son-las-caracteristicas-que-definen-a-esta-preferencia |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=EL PAIS |language=en}}</ref> or people who they are not attached to.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Szél |first1=Zsuzsanna |last2=Török |first2=Zsófia |date=January 2022 |title=Open up the doors! An LGBTI handbook for healthcare professionals |url=https://opendoorshealth.eu/sites/default/files/attachments/opendoors_handbook_EN.pdf |journal=Open Doors}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-11-18 |title=Fraisexualidad: sentirte atraído por alguien por quien pierdes interés tras conocerle |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/cribeo/cultura/20181118/47430477271/fraisexualidad-sentirte-atraido-por-alguien-por-quien-pierdes-interes-tras-conocerle.html |access-date=2024-11-16 |website=La Vanguardia |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-11-20 |title=Sentirse atraído solo por los desconocidos se llama fraisexualidad |url=https://es-us.vida-estilo.yahoo.com/sentirse-atraido-por-alguien-hasta-que-le-conoces-se-llama-fraisexualidad-171955264.html |access-date=2024-11-16 |website=es-us.vida-estilo.yahoo.com |language=es-US}}</ref> Attraction can disappear if an emotional connection develops.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Joshi |first=Ritika |title=What Are Fraysexuality And Frayromanticism? |url=https://www.shethepeople.tv/top-stories/issues/what-are-fraysexuality-and-frayromanticism/ |access-date=2024-10-20 |website=www.shethepeople.tv |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite news |last=Iwalaiye |first=Temi |date=2022-10-04 |title=Learn about fraysexuality: A sexual orientation where a person enjoys s*x with people with whom they have no feelings |url=https://www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/relationships-weddings/fraysexuality-is-enjoying-sx-with-people-for-whom-there-are-no-feelings/sk4nf2t |access-date=2024-10-21 |newspaper=Pulse Nigeria|language=en}}</ref> In a way, fraysexuality is conditioned almost exclusively to unknown people, even feeling immediate attraction to them.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mandigo |first=Donna Marie |date=2021-06-04 |title=Yes, I'm asexual. No, I'm not broken. |url=https://donnamariephotoco.com/2021/06/04/yes-im-asexual-this-is-my-story/ |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=donnamariephotoco.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gilman |first=Lisa |date=2023 |title=Cake is Better than Sex: Pride and Prejudice in the Folklore of and about Asexuality |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/3/article/912094/summary |journal=Journal of Folklore Research |volume=60 |issue=2 |pages=196–228 |doi=10.2979/jfolkrese.60.2_3.09 |issn=1543-0413|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-06 |title=Fraysexuality Can Be Misunderstood. Here's What You Need to Know. |url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/sexopedia/a39927546/what-is-fraysexuality/ |access-date=2024-11-16 |website=Cosmopolitan |language=en-US}}</ref> It is often described as the polar opposite of demisexuality.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Page |date=2019-03-29 |title=What Is Fraysexuality? |url=https://poly.land/2019/03/29/what-is-fraysexuality/ |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=poly.land |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Barron |first=Victoria |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XQqjEAAAQBAJ&dq=fraysexual&pg=PT12 |title=Amazing Ace, Awesome Aro: An Illustrated Exploration |date=2023-06-21 |publisher=Jessica Kingsley Publishers |isbn=978-1-83997-715-2 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":02">{{Cite web |author1=Seventhqueen |title=Asexual spectrum |url=https://www.asexuals.net/asexual-spectrum/ |website=asexuals.net |date=December 2, 2021 }}</ref>
The attribution of the term fray as sexuality is credited to Tumblr user ''edensmachine'', an account that has been deactivated, and has existed since at least 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |title=» Fray |url=https://orientando.org/listas/lista-de-orientacoes/fray/ |access-date=2024-10-17 |language=pt-BR}}</ref>
=== Aegosexuality === [[File:Aegosexual flag.svg|alt=A black, grey, white, and purple horizontally-striped pride flag with a large inverted triangle whose top side fits the whole top of the flag and whose point is at the very bottom center of the flag. The triangle is split into four stripes of even width -- the same color stripes as the background of the flag but in reverse order. 3:5 ratio is derived from other Wikimedia files and flag.library.lgbt. Colors are derived from the asexual flag.|left|thumb|The aegosexual pride flag]]{{clear}} Aegosexuality is a term used to describe individuals who may experience sexual arousal, enjoy sexual content, masturbation, or sexual fantasies, but do not desire sexual activity with another person or wish to form sexual relationships with others.<ref name=":Aegosexuality3">{{Cite book |last=Young |first=Eris |title=Ace voices: what it means to be asexual, aromantic, demi or grey-ace |date=2023 |publisher=Jessica Kingsley Publishers |isbn=978-1-78775-698-4 |location=London Philadelphia}}</ref><ref name=":Aegosexuality0">{{Cite book |last=Barron |first=Victoria |title=Amazing ace, awesome aro: an illustrated exploration |date=2023 |publisher=Jessica Kingsley Publishers |isbn=978-1-83997-714-5 |location=London; Philadelphia}}</ref> Aegosexuality is categorized within the asexual spectrum.<ref name=":Aegosexuality4">{{Cite book |last=Daigle-Orians |first=Cody |title=I Am Ace: Advice on Living Your Best Asexual Life |date=2023 |publisher=Jessica Kingsley Publishers |isbn=978-1-83997-262-1 |location=London}}</ref> To describe this form of sexuality, sexologist Anthony Bogaert coined the term autochorissexualism, defined as "sex without (choris) one's self/identity (auto)" or "identity-less sexuality."<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bogaert |first=Anthony F. |year=2012 |title=Asexuality and Autochorissexualism (Identity-Less Sexuality) |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10508-012-9963-1 |journal=Archives of Sexual Behavior |language=en |volume=41 |issue=6 |pages=1513–1514 |doi=10.1007/s10508-012-9963-1 |pmid=22576251 |issn=0004-0002|url-access=subscription }}</ref> However, while autochorissexualism is classified within the context of paraphilia, individuals who identify with this experience typically prefer the label aegosexual,<ref name=":Aegosexuality3" /><ref name=":Aegosexuality0" /><ref name=":Aegosexuality4" /> which was coined in 2014.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Midlej |first=Heloisa |date=2025-02-26 |title=Como falar sobre a assexualidade na vida real estimula registros da assexualidade virtualmente e vice-versa: Uma análise sobre como o envio de histórias pessoais agiu como continuidade da memória da identidade assexual e apoiou a exibição "A é para... (Museu da Assexualidade e Arromanticidade)" |url=https://www.revista.memoriaslgbt.com/index.php/ojs/article/view/110/67 |journal=Revista Memória LGBT |language=pt |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=95–129 |issn=2318-6275}}</ref>
Research on aegosexuality highlights the diversity within the asexual spectrum and the varied relationships between sexual fantasy and self-identity.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Yule |first1=Morag A. |last2=Brotto |first2=Lori A. |last3=Gorzalka |first3=Boris B. |year=2017 |title=Sexual Fantasy and Masturbation Among Asexual Individuals: An In-Depth Exploration |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10508-016-0870-8 |journal=Archives of Sexual Behavior |language=en |volume=46 |issue=1 |pages=311–328 |doi=10.1007/s10508-016-0870-8 |pmid=27882477 |issn=0004-0002|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":Aegosexuality1">{{Cite journal |last1=Winter-Gray |first1=Thom |last2=Hayfield |first2=Nikki |year=2021 |title='Can I be a kinky ace?': How asexual people negotiate their experiences of kinks and fetishes |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19419899.2019.1679866 |journal=Psychology & Sexuality |language=en |volume=12 |issue=3 |pages=163–179 |doi=10.1080/19419899.2019.1679866 |issn=1941-9899|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Aegosexual individuals may experience marginalization under frameworks such as amatonormativity and human-oriented sexualism.<ref name=":Aegosexuality2">{{Cite journal |last=Matsuura |first=Yuu |date=2021 |title="Foreclosure/Erasure" of Claims-Making by the Everyday Life as Taken for Granted: Discourse Analysis about "Fictosexual" as Sexuality that does not Conform to "Sexual Orientation" |url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/shabyo/36/0/36_67/_article/-char/en |journal=Journal of Social Problems |language=ja |volume=36 |pages=67–83 |doi=10.50885/shabyo.36.0_67}}</ref>
According to research by Thom Winter-Gray and Nikki Hayfield, some aegosexual individuals feel that their engagement in sexual fantasies makes them "not asexual enough," while others experience sexual fantasies as disconnected from their self-identity, resulting in little to no conflict with their asexual identity.<ref name=":Aegosexuality1" />
Some aegosexual individuals identify as fictosexual to emphasize their preference for fictional objects of attraction. According to a study by Yuu Matsuura, which analyzed fictosexual discourse in Japan, critiques have been raised by aego-fictosexual individuals against the human-oriented sexualism that regards fictional sexual content as secondary compared to human-to-human sexual relationships.<ref name=":Aegosexuality2" />
== Community == {{Gallery |title=Pride flags associated with gray asexuality |width=140 | height=120 |align=center |mode = packed |footer= |File:Grey asexuality flag.svg |alt1= |The graysexual pride flag, in which the gradations of gray represent intermediate sexuality<ref>{{Cite web|last=emarcyk|date=March 29, 2017|title=Word of the Week: Gray-A|url=https://www.glbtrt.ala.org/news/archives/2848|access-date=July 16, 2021|website=Rainbow Round Table News|language=en-US|archive-date=July 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716204009/https://www.glbtrt.ala.org/news/archives/2848|url-status=live}}</ref> |File:Demisexual Pride Flag.svg |alt2= |The demisexual flag, in which the black chevron represents asexuality, gray represents gray asexuality and demisexuality, white represents sexuality, and purple represents community.<ref name="Symbolism of Demisexual Flag">{{Cite web |url=https://www.entitymag.com/demisexual-flag-meaning/ |title=What the Demisexual Flag Really Represents A more specific, symbolic and subtle flag to wave at your pride events. |last=Ender |first=Elena |date=2017-06-21 |website=Entity |access-date=2019-12-22 |archive-date=December 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171203141319/https://www.entitymag.com/demisexual-flag-meaning/ |url-status=live }}</ref> }}
Online communities, such as the Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN), as well as blogging websites such as Tumblr, have provided ways for gray-As to find acceptance in their communities.<ref name="Buyantueva" /><ref name="Shoemaker2015" /> While gray-As are noted to have variety in the experiences of sexual attraction, individuals in the community share their identification within the spectrum.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XbgTAwAAQBAJ|title=Asexualities: Feminist and Queer Perspectives|last1=Cerankowski|first1=Karli June|last2=Milks|first2=Megan|date=2014-03-14|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-69253-8|language=en|access-date=July 20, 2021|archive-date=July 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726101807/https://books.google.com/books?id=XbgTAwAAQBAJ|url-status=live}}</ref>
In society, there is a lack of understanding of who asexuals are. They often limit their interactions to an online platform. Asexuals have also found it safer to communicate through the use of symbols and slang. Asexuals are often referred to as aces. People are often under the misconception that asexuals hate sex or never have sex. For them, sex is not a focal point. This is where the term ''gray-asexual'' comes in.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="McGowan2015" />
A black, gray, white, and purple flag is commonly used to display pride in the asexual community. The gray bar represents the area of gray sexuality within the community,<ref name=":1">{{cite news|last=Williams|first=Isabel|url=http://www.campuspride.org/resources/introduction-to-asexual-identities-resource-guide/|title=Introduction to Asexual Identities & Resource Guide|newspaper=Campus Pride|access-date=March 5, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150826084407/http://www.campuspride.org/resources/introduction-to-asexual-identities-resource-guide/|archive-date=August 26, 2015}}</ref> and the flag is also used by those who identify as gray-asexual:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pride Flags |url=https://www.unco.edu/gender-sexuality-resource-center/resources/pride-flags.aspx |access-date=2022-03-31 |website=The Gender and Sexuality Resource Center |language=en}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=April 2022}}
* The black stripe represents asexuality as a whole. * The gray stripe is for asexuals who fall anywhere within the asexual spectrum, including gray-asexual and demi-sexual identities. * The white stripe represents allies of asexuality, including the non-asexual partners of some asexual people. * The purple represents the asexual community.
== Research == A 2019 survey by The Ace Community Survey reported that 10.9% asexuals identified as gray-sexual and 9% identified as demisexual,<ref>{{Cite web|date=24 Oct 2021|title=2019 Asexual Community Survey Summary Report|url=https://asexualcensus.files.wordpress.com/2021/10/2019-asexual-community-survey-summary-report.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=22 Feb 2022|website=The Ace Community Survey|archive-date=January 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120131212/https://asexualcensus.files.wordpress.com/2021/10/2019-asexual-community-survey-summary-report.pdf}}</ref> though asexuality in general is relatively new to academic research and public discourse.<ref name="Buyantueva" />
== References == {{Reflist}}
=== Bibliography === * {{Cite book |last1=Bogaert |first1=Anthony F. |year=2012 |title=Understanding Asexuality |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O3v27O00GEY |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield PublishersC |isbn=978-1-4422-0099-9 |access-date=March 4, 2015}} * {{Cite book |last1=Cerankowski |first1=Karli June |last2=Milks |first2=Megan |year=2014 |title=Asexualities: Feminist and Queer Perspectives |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zLgTAwAAQBAJ |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-71442-6 |access-date=March 4, 2015}} * {{Cite book |last1=Weinberg |first1=Thomas S. |last2=Newmahr |first2=Staci D. |year=2015 |title=Selves, Symbols, and Sexualities: An Interactionist Anthology |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8UwXBAAAQBAJ |publisher=SAGE Publications |isbn=978-1-4522-7665-6 |access-date=March 4, 2015}}
== External links == * [http://www.asexuality.org/ The Asexual Visibility & Education Network] * [http://www.demisexuality.org/ Demisexuality Resource Center]
{{Asexuality topics}} {{Gender and sexual identities}} {{Human sexuality and sexology}} {{Human sexuality}} {{LGBTQ}}
Category:Asexuality Category:Sexual attraction Category:Asexual spectrum sexual orientations