Asexual does not and has never meant “not interested in sex”. An asexual person is someone who doesn’t experience sexual attraction. It’s a sexual orientation.

–Heterosexual = Sexually attracted to opposite sex

–Homosexual = Sexually attracted to same sex

–Bisexual = Sexually attracted to both

–Asexual = Sexually attracted to nothing and no one

(To put it simplified.)

This meme is about someone coming out as asexual (= does not experience sexual attraction) and some asshole is telling them that they’re not actually asexual but that they don’t feel sexual attraction because of trauma. More often than not, no such trauma actually even exists. But people who deny the existence of asexuality insist that it’s not a real sexual orientation, and if asexuals got over this non-existent “trauma”, they would be “cured” into being “normal”.

Theres a sort of…umbrella of asexuality. The only true “requirement” for the definition is “little to no sexual attraction.” Meaning, someone who does not find an individual(s) to be a preferable partner to engage in sexual activities with – although, that is more across the board and not limited to an individual.

It can seem complicated but I’ll try to simplify it a bit. Some asexuals do still have sex, and some do not. Some are whats called “sex positive” which is an asexual who does not experience sexual attraction, but will still engage in sexual activity for personal reasons. Others are what’s called “sex indifferent” which they don’t have strong feelings one way or the other. Some are “sex repulsed” which do not like the activity of sex or may otherwise be disgusted by the act.

It’s important to remember that sexual attraction =/= sexual activity. Every ace is different as we are all individualistic humans with our own preferences, but the main defining fact is, again, someone who experiences very little to no sexual attraction at all.

And onto the meme… a lot of us are told that we are only ace because we had TraUMa which is completely untrue.