On "Gray-Asexuality," "Ambiversion," "Mild Depression," and Other "In-Betweens"
You've heard "gender is a spectrum." Well it seems just about everything is. And I know that some people, like Dan Savage from the Savage Lovecast, think that too many terminologies and classifications are cluttering and confusing (even though Savage is of the more liberal variety). Of the terms "gray-asexuality," "ambiversion," and "mild depression," I don't think they are too many to remember, but maybe that's because they are terms that are important to me and my identity.
Whenever I mention being gray-asexual, or just "graysexual" for short, people have told me, "then isn't that just all of us?" Being graysexual to me means that I can never use grindr, and that I think I can't enjoy sex with someone, except for those very rare occasions when I'm in the mood--unless I may be "demisexual," or someone that only enjoys sex with someone they have a deep emotional connection to.
The way someone may ask, "then isn't that just all of us?", may also apply to other ways I identify myself, like being on the social spectrum between extroversion and introversion and having mild depression. In reality, everyone feels sad sometimes and awkward, with some definitely more than others. And are these things something they were born with, or something that can be ameliorated, or even fixed, with a little bit of work, help, medication, therapy, love, or money? I at least don't think asexuality can be treated--but wait. What about the ramifications of environmental influence?
How much of this stuff is caused with the way you were raised, what kind country you were born to, how much money you had growing up, or the religion or philosophy you were taught? A short answer without any research is: The traits and genes and chemical balances you were born with still definitely play a big part if you take individual siblings to be the experimental group. This proves that these identifications are valid, and should be yours to claim and wish respected.
Whenever I mention being gray-asexual, or just "graysexual" for short, people have told me, "then isn't that just all of us?" Being graysexual to me means that I can never use grindr, and that I think I can't enjoy sex with someone, except for those very rare occasions when I'm in the mood--unless I may be "demisexual," or someone that only enjoys sex with someone they have a deep emotional connection to.
The way someone may ask, "then isn't that just all of us?", may also apply to other ways I identify myself, like being on the social spectrum between extroversion and introversion and having mild depression. In reality, everyone feels sad sometimes and awkward, with some definitely more than others. And are these things something they were born with, or something that can be ameliorated, or even fixed, with a little bit of work, help, medication, therapy, love, or money? I at least don't think asexuality can be treated--but wait. What about the ramifications of environmental influence?
How much of this stuff is caused with the way you were raised, what kind country you were born to, how much money you had growing up, or the religion or philosophy you were taught? A short answer without any research is: The traits and genes and chemical balances you were born with still definitely play a big part if you take individual siblings to be the experimental group. This proves that these identifications are valid, and should be yours to claim and wish respected.
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