(1/10) What if ... ace people stopped fighting over the proper way to write an ace character’s (here, Jonathan Sims’) sexuality ... and didn’t accuse ace writers of erasing or disrespecting an ace character’s asexuality by writing them in smut or erotica or even *gasp* kink ...

(2/10) There is no one ~correct~ or ~respectful~ way of writing asexual characters. Some ace people are sex repulsed, full stop. Some ace people are curious about touching others, but not okay with being touched, and vice versa. Some ace people see sex as something mundane

(3/10) but inoffensive to be done primarily for their partners’ benefit. Some ace people see sex as a fun or intimate thing to do with a partner. Some ace folks are interested in sex only in a kinky setting. Others are interested in nonsexual kink only. Others are kiss-repulsed

(4/10) or completely touch averse. Some ace folks vary wildly in their libido, attraction, interest, and feelings regarding sex and kink. Some ace folks are solidly, 100% repulsed or disinterested or curious. Some ace folks like sex but only in theory, not in practice.

(5/10) Some ace folks enjoy (and even CREATE) erotica! And when ace folks have a CANON ace character? Who was outed by a third party on the word of an old partner who dated him almost a decade previously? Ace fans - of all degrees and combinations of sex repulsed, sex indifferent

(6/10) sex curious, sex positive, kinky - are given character whom we can SAFELY project onto, in all our experiences. That includes fic with sex-repulsed Jon who has strict, rigid boundaries. That includes fic with sex-curious Jon who enjoys sex with people he loves & trusts.

(7/10) And, yes, that includes fic where Jon is kinky as hell. I personally know a *lot* of writers in the TMA fandom who write Jon smut who are asexual themselves, but don’t necessarily out themselves as such in the tags or fic notes on AO3 to prove they have the “credentials.”

(8/10) And even if folks don’t tag “ace author” or mention that they’re ace in the notes - which we SHOULDN’T HAVE TO DO - please, please, PLEASE stop assuming that all smut fic, ESPECIALLY all kink fic, featuring Jon is automatically erasing or disrespecting his asexuality.

(9/10) Of course there is fic that erases or disrespects or misrepresents Jon’s asexuality, or is even blatantly offensive about it. Frankly, I’ve seen that MORE in NON-SMUT fic. But Jon smut is *NOT* automatically erasure, and acting like PWP or kink or even dead dove

(10/10) Jon fic is somehow inherently offensive to his sexuality is just ... tiring & ostracizing to ace fans who use Jon to explore our own relationships to sexuality - or even just want to have smut featuring an ace character to see ourselves & our experiences in fic.