6 ms·

I've always thought this phrase is a bit silly. It completely erases the existence of asexual people and their goals and ambitions.

by A12-B 6y ago

benburleson 6y ago
Or, is the lack of sex about power, reinforcing the axiom?
- A12-B 6y ago
  The 'axiom' (idiom) is not that the lack of sex is power, but that everything is sex, and sex itself is power, therefore everything is ultimately about power. But you cannot take sex our of that equation. So it implies that anything you do, even if you don't care about having sex at all, is about sex. Doesn't make sense.
jmt_ 6y ago
Not that I'm supporting asexual erasure, but sayings like the quote in GP are usually fairly general. Statistically, there are much much fewer asexual people than not, so in general it may hold but that's not to say it holds for every single person.
- robscallsign 6y ago
  The average human has one breast and one testicle.
  - covidthrow 6y ago
    Parent is talking about percentiles, not averages. But on the point of averages: the median human has two breasts and no testicles.
  - dspillett 6y ago
    And less than two arms.
eqvinox 6y ago
I think you misunderstand the phrase; it's about society as a whole, not individual people. Things are implicitly about sex and power on an ingrained level, and asexual people are just screwed (SCNR) even more by this.
- A12-B 6y ago
  I disagree with that. Not everything is implicitly about sex, maybe everything is about power (strong maybe) but sex is not a precursor to that. That said, you are probably right that the things that are about sex and power end up disadvantaging the asexuals.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
lostgame 6y ago
Came here to post this, glad I didn't and forget we can't post about asexuality here. As an asexual person, not only are we not respected whatsoever here, but in my experienced, also personally attacked. That your comment about erasure is getting this many down votes is unfortunately absolutely common for HN, and I'm incredibly disappointed in that. Before people jump in who might not be asexual to try to defend this - it's such a problem I have actually shared emails with an admin who actually seem genuinely concerned about the problem. Just the truth. I'm not sure why HN has it in for asexuals, but God damn guys, can't you ease up on us?
- azeirah 6y ago
  I found that HN is generally not very friendly to LGBTQ+ people. I don't think it is because there's a certain type of phobia here, but most people here are very logical and analytical people which I've seen resulting in "logical arguments for and against the existence of ..." which is just.. Why We exist because we exist, nothing else.
  - lostgame 6y ago
    And to speak up about it, as obviously pictured once again here - gets us downvoted into oblivion, only confirming our feelings of being unheard... For real, it's been such an issue here I have had emails with an admin but didn't press the issue further and I think it's due time to send another one. They really did seem to care and to be concerned.
    - eqvinox 6y ago
      You're assuming you're getting downvoted due to the asexual aspect of your posts. I don't know whether this applies to other cases, but in this case I'm reasonably sure the reason is different: the existence and behavior of asexual people does not change how overall society works (sadly). In the very situation the BBC story refers to, it doesn't matter whether you're an asexual musician. The producer/executive/... would still expect sex from you. They don't give a shit, follow their ingrained patterns, and that's the problem. No part of "Everything is about sex. Except sex, which is about power." is in any way diminishing or erasing asexual people. If anything, it exemplifies the additional plight that being asexual brings, even over other LGBTQ+ preferences. Society expects you to be about sex & that's gonna be a very slow change.
kgwxd 6y ago
It's also leaves out everyone for whom sex is not about power. It's like saying knives are for stabbing, which is true, if you're going to stab someone.
- mnouquet 6y ago
  Either conscientiously or inconscientiously, sex is about power.
voldacar 6y ago
Asexual people actually are the ones erasing their own existence. On a generational timescale, at least
- A12-B 6y ago
  Not really, because asexuality is not an inheritable trait, as far as i understand. It wouldn't have lasted this long in humanity if it was (maybe there were asexuals who have been forced to have sex? I don't know). It can also just be a lifestyle choice. We wouldn't call this asexuality probably, but nevertheless if someone chooses not to have sex it's kind of a spit in the face to say that everything from work to relaxation is undertaken because of some sex->power pipeline.
  - ben_w 6y ago
    > It can also just be a lifestyle choice. We wouldn't call this asexuality probably, The word there is “celibacy”. It’s not like straight people make a “lifestyle choice” to not get aroused when they see an attractive member of the opposite sex. > but nevertheless if someone chooses not to have sex it's kind of a spit in the face to say that everything from work to relaxation is undertaken because of some sex->power pipeline. Not from what I’ve heard from people who make that choice. That group mostly consisting of Catholic priests.
globular-toast 6y ago
Yeah and it completely erases the existence of clouds too! Why isn't there a bit about clouds?!
mnouquet 6y ago
Even with asexual people, it's all about sex... or the lack of thereof. Asexuality is a sexuality.

I've always thought this phrase is a bit silly. It completely erases the existence of asexual people and their goals and ambitions.

by A12-B 6y ago

I've always thought this phrase is a bit silly. It completely erases the existence of asexual people and their goals and ambitions.

benburleson 6y ago

Or, is the lack of sex about power, reinforcing the axiom?

A12-B 6y ago
The 'axiom' (idiom) is not that the lack of sex is power, but that everything is sex, and sex itself is power, therefore everything is ultimately about power. But you cannot take sex our of that equation. So it implies that anything you do, even if you don't care about having sex at all, is about sex. Doesn't make sense.

jmt_ 6y ago

Not that I'm supporting asexual erasure, but sayings like the quote in GP are usually fairly general. Statistically, there are much much fewer asexual people than not, so in general it may hold but that's not to say it holds for every single person.

robscallsign 6y ago
The average human has one breast and one testicle.
- covidthrow 6y ago
  Parent is talking about percentiles, not averages. But on the point of averages: the median human has two breasts and no testicles.
- dspillett 6y ago
  And less than two arms.

eqvinox 6y ago

I think you misunderstand the phrase; it's about society as a whole, not individual people. Things are implicitly about sex and power on an ingrained level, and asexual people are just screwed (SCNR) even more by this.

A12-B 6y ago
I disagree with that. Not everything is implicitly about sex, maybe everything is about power (strong maybe) but sex is not a precursor to that. That said, you are probably right that the things that are about sex and power end up disadvantaging the asexuals.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]

lostgame 6y ago

Came here to post this, glad I didn't and forget we can't post about asexuality here. As an asexual person, not only are we not respected whatsoever here, but in my experienced, also personally attacked. That your comment about erasure is getting this many down votes is unfortunately absolutely common for HN, and I'm incredibly disappointed in that. Before people jump in who might not be asexual to try to defend this - it's such a problem I have actually shared emails with an admin who actually seem genuinely concerned about the problem. Just the truth. I'm not sure why HN has it in for asexuals, but God damn guys, can't you ease up on us?

azeirah 6y ago
I found that HN is generally not very friendly to LGBTQ+ people. I don't think it is because there's a certain type of phobia here, but most people here are very logical and analytical people which I've seen resulting in "logical arguments for and against the existence of ..." which is just.. Why We exist because we exist, nothing else.
- lostgame 6y ago
  And to speak up about it, as obviously pictured once again here - gets us downvoted into oblivion, only confirming our feelings of being unheard... For real, it's been such an issue here I have had emails with an admin but didn't press the issue further and I think it's due time to send another one. They really did seem to care and to be concerned.
  - eqvinox 6y ago
    You're assuming you're getting downvoted due to the asexual aspect of your posts. I don't know whether this applies to other cases, but in this case I'm reasonably sure the reason is different: the existence and behavior of asexual people does not change how overall society works (sadly). In the very situation the BBC story refers to, it doesn't matter whether you're an asexual musician. The producer/executive/... would still expect sex from you. They don't give a shit, follow their ingrained patterns, and that's the problem. No part of "Everything is about sex. Except sex, which is about power." is in any way diminishing or erasing asexual people. If anything, it exemplifies the additional plight that being asexual brings, even over other LGBTQ+ preferences. Society expects you to be about sex & that's gonna be a very slow change.

kgwxd 6y ago

It's also leaves out everyone for whom sex is not about power. It's like saying knives are for stabbing, which is true, if you're going to stab someone.

mnouquet 6y ago
Either conscientiously or inconscientiously, sex is about power.

voldacar 6y ago

Asexual people actually are the ones erasing their own existence. On a generational timescale, at least

A12-B 6y ago
Not really, because asexuality is not an inheritable trait, as far as i understand. It wouldn't have lasted this long in humanity if it was (maybe there were asexuals who have been forced to have sex? I don't know). It can also just be a lifestyle choice. We wouldn't call this asexuality probably, but nevertheless if someone chooses not to have sex it's kind of a spit in the face to say that everything from work to relaxation is undertaken because of some sex->power pipeline.
- ben_w 6y ago
  > It can also just be a lifestyle choice. We wouldn't call this asexuality probably, The word there is “celibacy”. It’s not like straight people make a “lifestyle choice” to not get aroused when they see an attractive member of the opposite sex. > but nevertheless if someone chooses not to have sex it's kind of a spit in the face to say that everything from work to relaxation is undertaken because of some sex->power pipeline. Not from what I’ve heard from people who make that choice. That group mostly consisting of Catholic priests.

globular-toast 6y ago

Yeah and it completely erases the existence of clouds too! Why isn't there a bit about clouds?!

mnouquet 6y ago

Even with asexual people, it's all about sex... or the lack of thereof. Asexuality is a sexuality.