We live in a society where we are constantly having conversations about love, relationship, personalities but we fear to have open conversations about sexuality, gender norms and queer rights because of rejection in the family, societal discrimination and mistreatment or bullying amongst peers. Although India, with its vast cultural diversity, has long celebrated a range of spiritual, philosophical, and emotional bonds. Yet, asexuality—where individuals do not experience sexual attraction, is often misunderstood or completely invisible in public discourse. According to reports almost 1% to 5.5% of the population identifies as asexual. Another report states that 17% of the Indian population identifies as non-heterosexual, with 3% identifying as gay or lesbian, 9% as bisexual, 1% as pansexual, and 2% as asexual. A large number of asexual individuals identify as women or non-binary. One study showed that 27% of asexual people identify as women, while 72% identify as genderqueer or non-binary. If we apply similar figures to India, it’s estimated that around 24.2 million people in the country could identify as asexual.

Thus, in order to raise awareness and advocate for people of the ace community and other ace identities, International Day (IAD) is celebrated every year on April 6th. It follows four main values of Advocacy, Celebration, Education, and Solidarity (ACES).

What is Asexuality?

Asexuality can be defined as a term where people may often experience little sexual attraction or will completely lack sexual attraction towards others. They often term themselves as “ace” or “aces”. But like many identities, asexuality exists on a spectrum often called the ace spectrum or ace spec that includes a variety of experiences that are closely related to asexuality. It is also important to know that people who come under the asexuality group are not celibate and it is a valid orientation just like other identities of the LGBT group that include being heterosexual, gay, transgender or bisexual.

The term “asexual heart” or “ace of hearts” is a symbol that is used by asexual individuals who may experience romantic attraction but not sexual attraction.

Some identities under this spectrum include:

1) Demisexual: Demisexual individuals are those who develop a sexual feeling towards someone only after they have formed a strong bond or connection with them.

2) Grey-asexual: These are individuals that experience very little sexual attraction or in a very low intensity.

3) Aromantic: Aromantic person or also termed as “aroace” which combines aro meaning (lacks romantic attraction)and ace (lacks sexual orientation) is a person who does not experience romantic attractions.

4) Aegosexual: This term is also known as autochorissexual or anegosexual refers to someone who may feel sexual attractions, fantasies and arousals but they do not desire it in real life.

5) Fraysexual: Ignotasexuality or fraysexuality is when a person experiences sexual attraction towards strangers or people they do not know for a long time, with their attractions later fading as they form a more deep understanding.

6) Lithosexual: In this a person feels romantic and sexual attraction but do not wish for their feeling to be reciprocated or have a need to engage in any relationship with the opposite person.

7) Cupiosexual: It is a term that refers to a person who may want a sexual relationship, but does not experience a sexual attraction.

8) Apothisexual: Apothisexuality involves someone who is repulsed by sex or any sexual activity whether it is by engaging in it themselves or even hearing or visualizing it.

Challenges Faced by Asexual People in India

In India, while sex remains a taboo topic and often children are expelled from talking about sexual orientations. It is yet easily accessible through phones, media, ads, movies and explicit sites. This leads to the idea that when one grows up they must be sexual or have sexual relationships. While gay marriage is not accepted in India, other laws like the Special Marriage Act state that being sexual or intimate is necessary in marriage, this makes asexual people feel left out or misunderstood. It also creates a fear in their minds to not be open about this topic as people may laugh down on them. Due to this societal stigma and lack of support, asexual individuals may experience higher rates of anxiety, depression, and social isolation.

Thus, despite increasing awareness, asexual individuals in India often face their own unique struggles. In a society that constantly pressurizes people to get married, have kids this pressure can make people feel not good enough and anxious, as they try to match society’s expectations with who they really are.

• Invisibility and Erasure: Many Indians still haven’t heard of asexuality, leading to misconceptions, such as believing it’s a “phase” or a result of trauma. Many people live in the mindset that if a person is not sexual they may be celibate and following religious or cultural practices. Asexual people have been known to be subjected to corrective rape, a hate crime where a person is raped because of their sexual orientation to “fix” the person’s orientation. Asexual individuals may feel excluded or unsupported by LGBTQIA+ organizations and activists, who may not fully understand or address their specific needs.
  
  
• Medical Misdiagnosis: The mindsets of many Indians even the educated have not psychologists and doctors in India still see asexuality as a medical problem, blaming it on hormones or genetics. Asexual individuals are sometimes pathologized, with doctors suggesting hormone therapy or psychiatric treatment.
  
  
• Cultural Pressure to Marry: Indian society places heavy importance on marriage and childbearing, making asexual individuals feel isolated or forced into relationships that don’t align with their identity. Especially for women it is a challenge to come in terms with their identity due to the pressure of getting married as soon as they turn 25.
  
  
• Lack of Legal Recognition: Asexuality isn’t recognized in laws or policies, leading to exclusion from queer rights discussions, as they lack the same level of legal protections as other sexual orientations like homosexuality or bisexuality.
  
  
• Internal Struggles and Lack of Representation: Without media representation or supportive conversations, many asexual people feel like they are “broken” or “different” in harmful ways. According to a report overall 68% asexual individuals face anxiety issues, 74% struggle with depression and many have reported to have suicidal thoughts.

Supportive Asexuality Groups and Communities in India

Although the fight for acceptance for the asexual community is still ongoing yet the good news is that visibility and support are growing as many people and even psychologists are now focusing on this topic. Several groups and online communities too are working to create safe spaces for ace individuals in India, some are as follows:

• The Asexuality Visibility and Education Network (AVEN) – Though international, AVEN has active Indian members and discussion forums specific to South Asia.
  
  
• Indian Aces – A collective for asexual Indians that hosts awareness campaigns, meetups, and educational content tailored to Indian contexts.
  
  
• Queer Collective India – A larger LGBTQIA+ organization that is inclusive of ace and aro identities, often featuring ace voices in their events and storytelling.
  
  
• Nazariya: A Queer Feminist Resource Group – Works on intersectional gender and sexuality rights, including lesser-known identities like asexuality.
  
  
• Instagram and Reddit Communities – Platforms like @indianaces on Instagram and subreddits such as r/asexuality and r/IndianLGBTQ have created digital spaces for conversations and support.

It is high time that asexuality just like all other orientations deserves to be recognized and the ace community needs to be respected. In a country like India, where we constantly avoid conversations about sex due to societal stigma, male dominance and considering women as weak roles, it is important to acknowledge their existence and experience of asexual people and not term them as celibate. Thus, we need to challenge legal aspects and question the medical myths so that we allow people in the ace spectrum to freely live a life they want without shame or fear.