Dear Friends,
I hope you’re doing well! Do you have any special plans for Asexuality Day on April 6, 2025?
At ANOAQA, we’re organizing a webinar titled “Asexuality & Dating: Navigating Apps, Finding Partners, Avoiding Scams, and Staying Safe.” Our goal is to bring together a diverse panel of ace speakers from different backgrounds and age groups to explore the unique experiences of asexual individuals in dating and relationships. We’d be honored to have you as one of our panelists.
A key question driving this discussion is the visibility (or lack thereof) of different ace identities on dating platforms. Hetero-romantic man and homo-romantic women seem to be less visible—why do you think that is?
More specifically, why are asexual individuals who are interested in male partners more prominent? Could it be that the impatience and coercive tendencies of men regarding sex create greater vulnerability for ace?
This webinar will dive into how asexuality challenges mainstream dating narratives, leading to misunderstandings, barriers, and even risks—especially when navigating platforms designed for allosexual users.
Some key topics we plan to cover include:
· How is asexual dating different from allosexual dating, and what unique challenges do ace people face in relationships
- The impact of cultural norms, social pressure, and misconceptions on asexual dating experiences.
- How ace people define intimacy, connection, and emotional safety.
- The challenges of using mainstream dating apps and encountering mismatched expectations.
- The scams and predatory behaviors ace individuals face online—and how to safeguard against them.
· How do manipulative dating behaviors— (breadcrumbing, love bombing, and gaslighting) —affect asexual people, especially those unsure of their boundaries
- Whether dating apps and online spaces genuinely support ace people or create more obstacles.
Additionally, we want to bring attention to a growing concern in South Asia regarding how asexual dating platforms are used. We’ve observed a significant number of South Asian users—particularly from India—exhibiting specific behavioral patterns, such as:
- Individuals with erectile dysfunction but a high sex drive seeking companionship on ace platforms.
- Users assuming asexual people might engage in virtual sex or sex chatting, despite not engaging in in-person sex.
This pattern seems less common in other regions, leading us to critical questions:
- Does the lack of activism and awareness in our region contribute to confusion about the meaning of asexuality?
- In Western countries, dedicated platforms exist for virtual sex and sex chatting. In South Asia, where such spaces are limited, do men turn to asexual dating apps as an alternative?
We would love to have your insights and experiences in this discussion.
The webinar will be released on April 6, but we plan to record it at least 10 days in advance. Would you be available and interested in joining this important conversation?
Looking forward to your response!
Best regards,
Dipa Mahbuba Yasmin
ANOAQA Team
