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ANOAQA Symposium
Curotor
Dipa Mahbuba Yasmin ,
She-Her
Curatorial Note
Dipa Mahbuba Yasmin is a Human Rights Defender and queer activist from Bangladesh, and the founder of the Asian Network of A-Spec Queer Activists. Her organization aims to create a network across Asia to document and report crimes against asexual and aromantic individuals. As a queer artist, activist, and researcher, Yasmin focuses on addressing discrimination, violence, and hate crimes targeting LGBTQIA+ communities. Having personally endured ace-phobic “conversion therapy,” her research began as a way to support her activism, confirming that her experience was not an isolated incident. She has since uncovered a broader, often overlooked pattern of violence within her community. Yasmin’s mission is to collect, document, and share these stories to raise awareness and drive change.
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Asexual Pride Asia Symposium
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A-Spec Symposium
Asexuality is Not A Myth
Asexual Pride Symposium ,
2020
Curatorial Note
The 2020 Asexual Pride Symposium marked the official inauguration of ANOAQA (Asian Network of A-Spec Queer Activists), a pioneering organization dedicated to amplifying the voices and experiences of asexual, aromantic, and agender individuals across Pan-Asia. Titled “Asexuality is Not a Myth,” the symposium boldly set out to dismantle misconceptions surrounding asexuality and create an open dialogue about issues often overlooked in both mainstream and LGBTQ+ spaces.
This groundbreaking event featured a series of panel discussions and thought-provoking conversations, tackling subjects rarely addressed, including:
- Asexual Dating with Allosexuals: Pros and Cons
- Successful Asexual Love and Relationships
- Marriage Pressure in South Asia
- The Threat of Marital Rape for Asexual Individuals in Asia
- Marriage of Convenience: Pros and Cons in Pan-Pacific Asia
By bringing these topics to the forefront, the symposium aimed to shed light on the unique struggles faced by asexual and aromantic individuals, particularly in cultures where societal expectations around marriage and sexuality are rigidly enforced. In South Asia, where forced marriages, marital rape, and the stigmatization of unmarried adults persist, the struggles of asexual individuals are particularly acute. The symposium highlighted stories of asexual women enduring forced sex, perineal tears, and even death—grievous issues often overlooked by media and governments in the region.
A major achievement of this event was the inauguration of both the Pakistani Asexual Association and Nepali Asexuals, representing a significant step forward for A-Spec visibility in these countries. These new associations, formed under ANOAQA’s banner, will focus on addressing issues of forced marriages, the social currency tied to marital status, and the broader societal pressures that asexual and aromantic individuals face.
For many in Pan-Asian cultures, marriage is not just a personal milestone but a societal expectation, often carrying immense social and economic weight. Young adults who remain unmarried struggle to rent homes or secure stable livelihoods. Within these contexts, marital rape is disturbingly common and overlooked, while the voices of those suffering remain unheard.
Through this symposium, ANOAQA sought to provoke much-needed conversations about these harsh realities. The symposium served not only as a platform to discuss the systemic oppression of asexual individuals but also as a call to action for global awareness. By unveiling these hidden struggles, “Asexuality is Not a Myth” aimed to ensure that the challenges faced by asexual and aromantic individuals across Asia are no longer silenced.
A-Spec Movement: Should it Merge with the West, or Remain Independent?
Asexual Pride Symposium ,
2021
Curatorial Note
This symposium marks the first anniversary of ANOAQA (Asian Network of A-Spec Queer Activists), a collective born out of the urgent need to address the unique struggles of asexual and aromantic individuals across Asia. As we celebrate this milestone, we confront a crucial question: Should the Asian asexual movement merge with the global asexual activism spearheaded by Western organizations like AVEN (Asexual Visibility and Education Network), or should it stand alone, rooted in its own socio-political realities?
The political, economic, social, and educational landscapes in Asia differ drastically from those in the West. While AVEN claims to be a global organization, how global can it truly be when it has little to no presence in the rural areas of South Asia? In regions where forced marriage is rampant, where marital status is a gateway to social privileges, and where unmarried adults are denied basic housing, the struggles of asexual individuals are deeply intertwined with cultural and legal systems. Many face marital rape and coercive sexual encounters, leading to severe health consequences, including perineal tears, and yet these stories remain untold in mainstream media.
Asexuality in the West, while still marginalized, exists in an environment with comparatively greater social freedoms and rights. Conversations around asexuality in the West rarely include the harsh realities of forced marriages or the legal erasure of non-romantic identities, challenges faced by a large portion of the asexual population in Asia. In South Asia, asexual women are often subjected to family and societal pressures to marry and have children, with little understanding of their orientation and its implications. Their stories of sexual violence within marriage go unreported, overlooked by both media and law enforcement.
Given these regional differences, does a global organization like AVEN adequately reflect the experiences of Asian asexuals? Can it claim to represent a community whose struggles it rarely engages with in its dialogues? As ANOAQA celebrates its first anniversary, this symposium urges us to rethink the direction of the asexual movement in Asia. Should we continue looking westward for leadership, or is it time to center our narratives, build our own frameworks of activism, and develop regional solutions that directly address the specific social, legal, and economic issues we face?
This symposium invites scholars, activists, and community members to explore these questions and envision the future of a truly inclusive asexual movement that does not compromise the lived realities of those in the East. The stakes are high, and the time for meaningful, regionally anchored action is now.
ANOAQA stands ready to lead this dialogue, amplifying the voices and experiences of A-Spec individuals across Asia. Let’s chart a path forward that values our autonomy while recognizing our global connections.
A-Spec Movement - Is It High Time to Drop the 'LGBT' from 'LGBTQ'?
Asexual Pride Symposium ,
2022
Curatorial Note
On ANOAQA’s second anniversary, the 2022 Asexual Pride Symposium titled A-Spec Movement: Is It High Time to Drop the ‘LGBT’ from ‘LGBTQ’? invites a bold rethinking of queer politics. The event challenges the entrenched hierarchy within the LGBTQIA+ acronym, where the visibility and representation of asexual (ace) and aromantic (aro) individuals are often overshadowed by the narratives centered around gay and lesbian identities. Despite being part of the community, the struggles and experiences of the A-spec population are frequently minimized or invalidated. This symposium opens a necessary dialogue: why are asexual and aromantic individuals often made to feel as though their queerness is ‘less valid’ or not queer enough?
The symposium probes into how mainstream LGBTQIA+ Pride movements have repeatedly failed to account for the comfort and visibility of the asexual and aromantic community. It questions why, in many queer spaces, the focus remains narrowly on sexual and romantic identities, with little to no regard for those whose experiences differ from this dominant narrative. Some organizations still advocate for removing the “A” from the LGBTQIA+ acronym, reflecting their disbelief in the queerness of a-spec individuals.
At the heart of this discussion is the question of queer visibility. The symposium asked: Do we need to look visibly queer? For many A-spec individuals, the pressure to “prove” their queerness by fitting a certain visual mold or adopting mainstream queer narratives can feel alienating. How can we, as a community, move past the need to look or act “queer enough” and create a space where asexual and aromantic identities are celebrated on their own terms?
In a groundbreaking campaign accompanying the symposium, ANOAQA drew attention to the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) movement, which has historically been exclusive of the A-spec community. This initiative sparked a global conversation about renaming IDAHOBIT to ensure that it truly represents and includes asexual and aromantic people. The campaign highlighted the need for broader inclusion within global queer movements, calling on allies and activists to recognize and uplift the diverse experiences of the A-spec community.
In these discussions, the A-Spec Pride Symposium serves as both a critique and a call to action. It reimagines the future of queer politics by advocating for a truly inclusive movement where asexual and aromantic identities are not merely tolerated but embraced as integral to the broader queer experience.