Dear allosexual people publishing stuff about asexuality &/or asexual people,

There are certain terms that you use

- interchangeably that aren't actually interchangeable

- too much, while leaving out others

- that can cause misconceptions

- that you should avoid altogether

A few examples:

• Sexual attraction ≠ sexual desire

• Sexual attraction ≠ sex drive

• Asexual ≠ not wanting sex

• Sex ≠ intimacy

• Love ≠ Relationship

• Romantic attraction ≠ love

• Acespec ≠ (Just) asexual + demisexual + graysexual

• Aro ≠ part of acespec

• Asexuality is an orientation, not a movement/ideology.
We don't recruit/try to convert people.

• Asexuality isn't new.
It's not just young people/a generation who are ace.

• Unless someone literally says they "identify as"/"define themself as"/etc ace, say they "are" ace.

• Don't say aces can still feel love/want a relationship/have sex/etc.
We're not a hivemind. Some do, some don't. Some do all, some not. All of us are valid.
Avoid generalizations & the attempt to make aces sound more human by throwing aros/sex-repulsed aces/etc under the bus.

• Asexual means not feeling sexual attraction (or no interest in or desire for sex).
Using people's personal preferences to explain asexuality is bad. Don't mess with the definition.
You can use people's personal preferences to highlight how diverse the ace community is though.

• If in doubt - or just in general? - ask aces &/or check ace resources.
You might use terms that have a particular meaning/impact in the ace community that you're not aware of.

• I'm pretty sure the 1% is an outdated number.
There are way more of us than that worldwide!