Asexual Outreach

Happy Ace Week!

I know it's the last day, but due to Long COVID among team members and technical difficulties, we weren't able to get to you sooner. Ace people are valid, are loved, are wonderful. The ace umbrella includes lots of kinds of gray-ace. I myself am gray-ace and have found the umbrella concept very useful for me as I find myself shifting farther away from "pure" asexuality. Positivity and validation posts are important, but I also want to take a moment to focus in on crises our community is facing, because ace people are everywhere. We missed posting on Disabled Aces Day earlier this week because we were too unwell to get it set up in time, because of eugenicist "let it rip" policies on COVID that have (further) disabled our team. Did you know the Centers for Disease Control has found that lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals are at higher risk of COVID-19 infection?: https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/cdc-releases-report-confirming-lesbian-gay-and-bisexual-people-at-greater-risk-of-covid-19-illness-calls-for-more-data-collection Bisexual and transgender people are at higher risk of Long COVID than cishet people and cis gay men and cis lebians: https://www.them.us/story/long-covid-trans-and-bisexual-people-healthcare-disparities . I can't find any data on ace people's risk! I've looked extensively. I am also thinking of ace Palestinians as Israel commits genocide in Palestine as I type. Palestinians don't need to be queer to deserve our support, but queer Palestinians by their very existence dispel homonationalist myths perpetuated by Israel and other settler-colonies that back it such as the so-called United States. Ace Palestinians in particular destabilize homonationalism through their very existence. Queer and Palestinian, and queer-in-a-way-other-than-gay and Palestinian, their existence shakes false dichotomies to their cores. Understandings of asexuality vary from culture to culture, language to language, ethnicity to ethnicity. To advocate for the preservation of ace community in all its variations and freeedom to be ourselves in all our variations is to advocate for the preservation and freedom of the Palestinian people.

As Ace Week comes to a close, please practice queer community care by masking to protect each other from COVID, especially when taking action for Palestinian liberation.

Would you like to get involved in planning for the future of the ace and aro advocacy movement?

Are you passionate about making a difference in the world?

Would you like to use your skills and expertise to uplift and empower ace and aro communities?

We're looking for board members, and you might be the right fit!

Asexual Outreach is currently looking for volunteers for its Youth Advisory Council. If you are 14-18 years old, and are in middle/high school, this is an excellent opportunity for you to get involved in ace advocacy, connect with other like-minded youth, develop leadership skills, earn volunteer hours and experience, and advise a major ace non-profit organization on how it can best support the youth of our community.! If you are interested, we'd love to have you on board - all you need to do is fill out our application!

  You can find the Youth Advisory Council application here: http://asexualoutreach.org/get-involved/youth-advisory-council/

Interested in getting more involved in ace advocacy through Asexual Outreach? We are seeking volunteers to fill four new positions in our organization - our Program Coordinator, Events Manager, Volunteer Coordinator, and Youth Advisory Council Coordinator. This is a great opportunity for you to make a substantial difference in our community, all while working on meaningful projects with supportive and appreciative teammates!