#justpassingthrough

I don't hate it, but I don't love it either. I'm torn, really.

The colours, to me, aren't that bad. They are brighter and more warm-toned than those of the original flag. And it irks me. But I attribute that more to me just being used to the darker/cooler toned colours than any actual distaste. So no real issues with the palette.

I do understand and appreciate the reason(s) it was changed. From what I know, the main reasons were because some had issues with the white stripe representing allies and partners, and to acknowledge nuance, intersectionality, and diversity. I like that =)

But, I have qualms with the pink stripe and what it represents.

I think it's a bit strange to have a stripe specifically centering(??) or focussing on love. This is not to say that I don't think asexuals experience love or that the love asexuals experience shouldn't be talked about. It'd be silly of me to say that as an asexual that does. But, I've seen many aspec folk, particularly loveless folk, feel that it's centering love and not properly acknowledging them.

And, I have to say I feel the same. I've seen a post arguing that 'the flag isn't meant for you/your loveless experience.' I partially agree with the sentiment because, yes, the flag isn't supposed to be about loveless individuals or their experiences specifically. However, I feel like the flag should still be inclusive to them, because many loveless people are or consider themselves asexual.

They are part of the community and deserve to feel respected and included in our flag.

Now, I'm not saying I want the stripe removed or the new flag removed. I'm in no way asking for that. But, I personally feel like it would've been better if the stripe had represented both the fact that some asexuals do feel love and others don't.

Perhaps with a meaning more like: "to signify the love that some of us feel. And the fact that some of us don't feel love" (This is terrible wording, apologies) or something like that.

Having a stripe that just talks about the love some of us experience feels like it can be exclusionary to aces that don't feel love, and I can understand how many feel like it's glossing over them and their asexual experiences.

"are you ready for the time of your life"...

Like, even when I see posts/takes I agree with/support, there's often still someone referring to enban as 'theyfabs/theymabs.' Like, the post wouldn't even be abt nonbinary people but it'd just be there. It's not only exorsexist but misgendering and bioessentialist.

How?

To me:

It's misgendering because it's trying to reduce enban to their 'birth gender' (for lack of a better term), sorting them into either woman-lite or man-lite. And it's bio essentialist as it's often meant to insinuate their viewpoints or mindsets are intrinsically tied to their sex.

And, from my perspective, it almost mirrors how radfems/TERFs refer to transwomen and cis men/or otherwise male-perceived folkel. They call transwomen TIMs, meaning 'trans identifying males.' Which not only misgenders trans women, but is also used to insinuate that the 'harmful' actions and mindsets of transwomen are tied directly to them being 'evil, rapist males.' They also often paint men/male-perceived individuals as being inherently evil. Which is already wrong. But it's not even attributed to the influence and conditioning under the patriarchy. It's, instead, attributed to *their genitals and *their hormones.

It all just give me this sick feeling in my stomach. But, Idk, maybe I'm missing something here??

*I've seen a post where a TERF suggested castrating young boys to prevent them from being abusers