One in four young asexual people feel excluded from LGBTQ+ community

A new study has found that more than a quarter of asexual people feel that the LGBTQ+ community excludes them.

Research collected by the LGBTQ+ young people’s charity, Just Like Us, found that 27 per cent of asexual young adults feel as though they rarely belong in the LGBTQ+ community.

For Asexual Awareness Day, the charity released data on its survey of 3,695 young people aged 18 to 25 as part of its Positive Futures campaign.

It found that, of the respondents who identified as asexual, 30 per cent said they always feel part of the queer community, while the same percentage said they only sometimes feel part of the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

Of all groups, those who identified as asexual were by far the most likely to feel rejected by the community.

Comparatively, the people to feel the most included were those who identified as non-binary, with 56 per cent saying they always feel part of the community and just eight per cent saying they rarely or never felt included.

“Sadly, we can see that asexual young adults are feeling excluded from the wider LGBT+ community,” Just Like Us interim chief executive, Amy Ashenden, told PinkNews.

‘Need for greater awareness’

The survey also found that 39 per cent of asexual people of colour rarely or never felt part of the community. When it came to asexual white people, 24 per cent said they felt rarely or never included in the LGBTQ+ community.

“I hope that this research makes clear the need for greater awareness of the lived experiences and realities of asexual people. We can see a wider pattern here for LGBT+ people of colour feeling excluded from our community,” Ashenden continued.

“We know the best way for LGBT+ young people to feel less alone is through inclusive education in schools. We invite all schools to take part in School Diversity Week this 26-30 June, to send a positive message of acceptance to their young people who may be LGBT+ or have LGBT+ families.”

The charity’s Positive Futures report, which is due to be published on 1 June, outlines independent research carried out earlier this year.

The study has looked at the experiences of young LGBT+ adults in the UK, and covered a range of topics from home life to school and work. It has also taken intersectionality into account and will outline statistics on faith, race and disability.