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ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
ANOAQA: The world's first initiative dedicated to publishing Asexual and Aromantic literature, challenging the hypersexual lens of socio-cultural norms.
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ANOAQA Board

Founder & Executive Director

Dipa Mahbuba Yasmin,
She-Her

Dipa Mahbuba Yasmin is a human rights defender, queer activist, and the founder of the Asian Network of A-Spec Queer Activists (ANOAQA) based in Bangladesh. She holds the historic distinction of being the first Bangladeshi to speak at World Pride as well as the first to curate an asexual booth with her solo art project, Asexuality Is Not a Myth.

Through ANOAQA, Yasmin works to build a pan-Asian network to document and report crimes against asexual and aromantic individuals. As a queer artist, activist, and researcher, she is dedicated to addressing discrimination, violence, and hate crimes against LGBTQIA+ communities. Her advocacy stems from deeply personal experiences; she is widely recognized for her pioneering research and awareness project on ace-phobic “conversion therapy.” Her investigation revealed that these harmful practices were part of a broader, systemic pattern of violence often overlooked in mainstream discourse.

Yasmin’s mission is to collect, document, and amplify the voices of those impacted, creating awareness and driving advocacy toward meaningful systemic change.

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International Advisory Committee

ANOAQA Board Members

From Asia for Global ARO ACE Rise

Co-ordinetor, Research & Development

Neel Chakraborty ,
He-Him

Dr. Saikat Chakraborty (Neel) is a scientist and discreet human rights activist based in India. A founding member of ANOAQA, he holds a Physics degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and has pursued postdoctoral studies at Yangzhou University. He has also held research positions at the International Center for Cosmology (ICC) at Charusat and the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

In addition to his scientific endeavors, Dr. Chakraborty is committed to raising awareness about sex-favorable asexuality and challenging societal misconceptions. As the Coordinator of R&D and Head of Sex-Positive Member Services at ANOAQA, he focuses on promoting the visibility of asexual characters in fetish history and their impact on queer culture, particularly in Asian contexts. His work strives to dispel myths about fetishism, fostering a more inclusive understanding of sexual diversity.

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Co-ordinetor, International Outreach

Mira ,
She-Her

Mira is a Muslim aro ace woman and queer activist, Based in the Arab Emirates, dedicated to raising awareness about allo-ace relationships and challenging societal misconceptions surrounding sex repulsion. Passionate about the rights of Muslim women, youth activism, and asexuality in Islamic countries, she has been a key figure in the foundational growth of ANOAQA.

Currently serving as the Coordinator of International Outreach, Mira provides holistic support to Aro Ace women, focusing on inclusivity and addressing queer women’s crises in Muslim countries. As the Members Coordinator for Gender Diversity at ANOAQA, she has played a crucial role in expanding international outreach and enhancing grassroots engagement beyond the Asian region, significantly boosting online communication and support. Despite her activism, Mira values her privacy deeply.

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Secretary, Member Services

Omayer Hossain ,
They-Them

Omayer Hossain, a Muslim activist who values their privacy, is a passionate advocate for the rights of queer youth, with a particular focus on non-binary activism and homoromantic asexuality. Since joining ANOAQA in it’s second year (2021) as a school student, Omayer has become an integral part of the organization and is currently pursuing an honours degree.

 

As the Coordinator of Member Services, Omayer is committed to providing holistic support to Aro-Ace members, ensuring inclusivity with a special emphasis on youth, homoromantic, non-binary, and transgender individuals. In their role as the Members Coordinator for Gender Diversity at ANOAQA, Omayer has played a pivotal role in expanding outreach and communication, significantly increasing grassroots engagement beyond the capital region.

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Some of the images have been modified with AI based on the comfort level of the team members

WHAT WE DO

WhatsApp Helpline

Asian Network of A-Spec Queer Activists (ANOAQA) helpline provided a confidential channel for individuals to report incidents of violence or hate, often overlooked by mainstream media. By documenting these stories, we spotlighted systemic issues while offering pathways to justice and support.

Hate Crime Report

Team ANOAQA published groundbreaking reports by documenting the experiences of victims of hate crimes, including women, non-binary individuals, and men. Additionally, we shared uplifting stories of successful relationships from our Asian friends to inspire and foster hope within the community.

A-Spec Education

The Asian Network of A-Spec Queer Activists (ANOAQA) has raised awareness and educated diverse audiences across Asia. We plan to further disseminate our content through strategic collaborations with bloggers, activists, and educators while conducting surveys to inform future advocacy initiatives.

Transforming Narratives

  • The stories shared through our helpline were carefully fictionalized to ensure security and confidentiality. These narratives were paired with visual graphics and illustrations, creating engaging and impactful educational materials.

System Mapping

  • We developed a comprehensive system map to identify and analyze underlying systemic issues. This map serves as a valuable tool for stakeholders, including policymakers, service providers, and community leaders, offering actionable insights into addressing challenges.

Our foundational values

Elevating experiences through seamless integration.

Creativity

Fostering a culture of continuous improvement and fresh ideas. Striving for excellence in every endeavor.

Quality

Commitment to delivering outstanding service and results. We excel through attention to detail and customer satisfaction.

Outcomes

We deliver measurable results through strategic efforts and data-driven insights. Performance is our priority.

Teamwork

Building strong partnerships and fostering a collaborative environment. Success achieved together is the ultimate goal.

FAQ

The A-Spec community includes individuals who identify as asexual, aromantic, or agender. These identities fall under the broader LGBTQIA+ umbrella and focus on diverse experiences related to lack of sexual, romantic, or gender attraction.

The A-Spec movement’s integration within the larger queer movement remains uneven. Queer activism often prioritizes allosexual (non-asexual) experiences, which can marginalize the distinct challenges faced by A-Spec individuals, including invisibility, underrepresentation, and unique forms of discrimination. While there have been strides toward inclusion in some regions and communities, the dominance of allosexual narratives frequently hinders the full integration of A-Spec voices.

Discrimination includes conversion therapy, medical abuse (e.g., misdiagnosis as psychosexual disorders), forced marriages, marital rape, societal stigma, and lack of safe spaces.

A-phobia and the unique challenges faced by A-Spec individuals remain overlooked in global anti-phobia campaigns. This reflects a lack of awareness and prioritization.

  • Train individuals in AroAce-feminist and A-Spec liberation theories.

  • Produce and disseminate educational materials and strategies.

  • Build peer support networks and foster global solidarity.

  • Address intersecting oppressions and service disparities affecting A-Spec individuals.

De-westernizing studies allows for a nuanced understanding of how sexual and gender identities are performed, narrated, and contested in diverse cultural contexts. It challenges binary frameworks like ‘East vs. West’ and promotes interdisciplinary, inclusive research.

Many believe that asexual individuals face less discrimination because there are no explicit anti-asexual laws. However, societal attitudes, such as labeling asexual men as impotent or denying asexual women protection against marital rape, are significant and pervasive issues.

The movement aims to achieve global recognition of asexuality and aromanticism as valid identities, equal inclusion in LGBTQIA+ spaces, and the eradication of A-phobia.

For additional resources and support, please connect with advocacy organizations or attend workshops and caucuses focusing on A-Spec liberation.