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I think for people to get the most out of school, it’s important for them to be who they are.
STUDENT LIFE
Echo Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Shayla Miller, sophomore
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The unspoken side of sexuality Disproving misconceptions about asexuality
Art Nietzsche Deuel
See if you can ‘ace’ this quiz
Being asexual means you don’t experience ... A) Sexual arousal B) Romantic attraction C) Sexual attraction D) Love Asexuality is a choice. A) True B) False
Asexuality and celibacy are the same thing. A) True B) False
Asexuals are incapable of having sex. A) True B) False
Which one of the individuals in the drawings could be asexual? A) One of the two heterosexuals. B) One of the homosexuals C) The single girl D) All of the above
Art Nietzsche Deuel
Hannah Leff and Nicole Sanford hannahleff@slpecho.com nicolesanford@slpecho.com
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enior Zoë Weinmann said she first began questioning her sexuality her freshman year of high school. “I looked back at middle school and did a lot of research. I saw my friends getting into relationships (and) I noticed that wasn’t something I was into,” Weinmann said. “For a while I didn’t really know for sure (if I was asexual). After a lot of research and a lot of coming out videos I saw, I came to terms that that might be me as well,” Weinmann said. According to Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) adviser Kyle Sweeney, asexuality is the absence of sexual feelings toward others. “When you have an A- as a (prefix), it’s the absence of something. When you are talking about sexuality, you are talking about the attraction to someone sexually. So (being asexual) would be someone who doesn’t have that attraction to anyone,” Sweeney said. Sweeney said she feels there is a lack of education on asexuality with many people, and that’s the cause for some misconceptions. “I think that people don’t know what (asexuality) is. I think sometimes people don’t believe that it’s real or they don’t understand the thoughts or feelings or desires that someone would have that is asexual,” Sweeney said. According to health teacher Amy PieperBerchem, the struggle to define oneself is difficult for students in high school. “Everyone is so into labels these days, and I think that can hurt us. I think sexuality for kids at this age is hard,” Pieper-Berchem said. Sweeney said asexual people can still participate in any type of relationship they choose, contrary to what many people think. “People don’t understand that you can be asexual but still be in a relationship. You can be asexual and still have sex with someone,” Sweeney said. “People have all different types of relationships. I think people’s minds are kind of narrow about what sex and sexuality should look like.” Weinmann said the support she received when she came out last January encouraged her. “(Coming out) was never really something I thought I ever was going to do. I knew no matter what, if I came out or not, I would still be the same person,” Weinmann said. “When I came out back in January, I got a lot of support from my friends. That somehow gave me more confidence that I needed.” Pieper-Berchem said she hopes Park remains a safe place for students who may be struggling with their sexuality.
“I hope kids feel like they are comfortable (at Park), that they can be who they are. You can be different and totally accepted,” Pieper-Berchem said. “Hopefully (at) school, where (students) spend a lot of time, they can find some acceptance and some answers.” According to Weinmann, asexuality differs from person to person. “Asexuality by itself is an entire spectrum,” Weinmann said. “There are people on one side who don’t want anything to do with it and then there are some people who have sexual attraction and then there are some people in between.” According to Weinmann, increased education on asexuality would decrease common misconceptions. “Some people think (asexuality) doesn’t exist (and) some people think it’s the same thing as celibacy, which it’s not,” Weinmann said. “I feel like there should be more (information about asexuality), especially teaching people in high school about it. I Amy Pieper-Berchem, feel like it's rarely health teacher ever talked about. Not very many people know about it.” Sophomore Euan Lim said he feels GSA provides a space for students who may not feel comfortable with their sexuality. “GSA is a place for LGBT(Q+) students to meet each other and socialize and not feel scrutinized or outcasted by cisgender or straight people who might not always appreciate LGBT(Q+) people,” Lim said. Sweeney said anyone questioning or exploring their sexuality would find a positive environment in the support group. “(Park) also has (an) LGBTQ+ support group so people who are really questioning or trying to understand themselves or just want to be with people who are more supportive with who you are. I know I don’t really think about it that much,” Weinmann said. Lim said he urges students to be patient with figuring out their sexuality. “Take time to figure (your sexuality) out. It’s not going to be instantaneous; you’re not just going to wake up one day and be like ‘oh my gosh I’m gay, I’m straight, I’m asexual, I’m queer.’ It’s going to take a long time and feel free to experiment because that’s totally chill,” Lim said.
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I hope kids feel like they are comfortable (at Park), that they can be who they are.
Answers: C, B, B, B, D