Antisexualism / Anti-sexualism
Antisexualism / Anti-sexualism – a term used to denote a movement opposed to all forms of sexuality, as well as antagonistic views toward sexuality as such.
People who support antisexualist ideas are referred to as antisexualists. The terms antisex and antisexuality are also widely used.
Before the modern era, antisexualism found expression in various religious forms. In contemporary society, however, it may be understood as a secular phenomenon and as a voluntary and conscious position aimed not only at sexual self-restraint but also at transforming society as a whole.
Antisexualists are people who consciously choose to live without sexual activity and declare their intention to contribute actively to reducing the role of sex in human life. They may arrive at this position independently, through reflection on the nature of sex and its influence on individuals and society. From an antisexualist perspective, the overall influence of sexuality is considered predominantly negative and so extensive that it cannot be ignored.
Antisexualists may include both people who have never had sexual relations and those who have had such experiences in the past; people who consider themselves naturally asexual and those who believe that they have successfully eliminated manifestations of sexuality from their lives.
Antisexualists not only deny sex a positive value but also exclude it from their lives. Antisexualism should not be confused with sex phobia: sex may be regarded as unacceptable without necessarily being experienced as a source of fear. Nor is abstention from sex necessarily the result of religious vows, such as celibacy, or of moral prohibitions, although antisexualists may also hold religious beliefs.
The principal arguments advanced by antisexualists include the following:
- sexuality complicates interpersonal relationships, for example when people become hostile toward one another because they are sexually attracted to the same person;
- sexual desire encourages people to prioritize what antisexualists regard as a primitive instinct over personal development;
- sexuality may lead people to disregard caution and engage in reckless behavior, including unsafe sexual contacts despite awareness of sexually transmitted infections;
- sex may produce a form of dependence that antisexualists compare to drug addiction, with the relevant substances being endogenous, that is, produced by the body itself;
- society presents sexuality as an obligatory and self-evident component of a “fulfilling life,” thereby encouraging people to adopt attitudes and values that may be alien to them;
- the diversity and complexity of sexual orientations, preferences, fetishes, and harmful or non-consensual practices are interpreted by antisexualists as evidence of the unacceptability of sexuality;
- sexuality may contribute to hostile or dismissive attitudes toward people who do not conform to prevailing standards of sexual attractiveness;
- sex may be used as a means of subordinating individuals or manipulating sexual partners psychologically;
- uncontrolled population growth may contribute to overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation.
Antisexualism should be distinguished from asexuality, which refers to the absence or low level of sexual attraction and does not necessarily involve opposition to sexuality as a social phenomenon.
See also: Asexuality, Celibacy, Sexuality, Sex-Positive Feminism.
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