February 2017 Carnival of Aces Call for Submissions

The Carnival of Aces is a monthly blog carnival event for the asexual community that has been ongoing since 2011. Basically: people write blog posts (or may vlog instead) about a specific topic, chosen by the host. At the end of the month, the host posts links to all pieces submitted for the carnival.

Last month’s Carnival of Aces was hosted by Ace Advice, and the topic was “Many Ways to be Ace.”  You can check out all previous topics, and volunteer to host future carnivals, at our Carnival of Aces Masterpost.

This month there were no volunteers to host the Carnival of Aces, so we will be hosting the carnival here at The Asexual Agenda instead. Future months are still open, so please volunteer!

This month’s topic is…

Resistance, Activism, & Self-Care

In the wake of the U.S. election, many of us have been in crisis mode. Speaking for myself, I have found it very difficult to write about or focus on anything else, including asexuality. I have many unfinished drafts piled up, but now they feel wrong to publish. I have also been scrambling to get things like health care and legal documents taken care of while it is still accessible and relatively “easy.” I know I am not the only one.

Although the ace community is global, it is heavily influenced by the U.S. and our support organizations are taking a big hit, since when we are busy just figuring out how to get through this we become less available to each other. And of course, the U.S. is far from the only country facing serious crises and rising levels of fascism, xenophobia, and bigotry of all kinds. Strife is everywhere.

So let’s be there for each other, by offering whatever thoughts we can on how to get through this. Here are some prompts to get you started:

• Resistance can take many forms. It can be a grand gesture, or it can be as simple as choosing to keep taking another breath, for spite. What does it look like for you?
• How are you doing lately? How are you taking care of yourself? Even if it’s something you consider to be very basic, it’s useful to share it anyway—it may still help someone struggling. For example, when you need to take your mind off the news for a little while, what do you turn to?
• What does your support network look like right now? Do you have access to people who accept you and help you cope? If so, what are some things they are doing right?
• Or, on the other hand, are you currently facing increased hostility and/or a deteriorating support system? If so, how does being on the ace spectrum factor into your situation?
• How about your other identities? Have you experienced any new challenges or change in how you are treated recently? What are some of the things you wish people understood about being ace and ___ (and ___)?
• Asexual people already experience significant barriers to accessing health care, including mental health. Now, with Republicans determined to repeal the Affordable Care Act, many of us are likely to face even more difficulty. How will this affect you? If you are not from the U.S., what sort of barriers to accessing health care exist for you?
• Are you doing any activism lately? What kind? How do you balance this with self-care?
• Many of us have at least a little experience doing some kind of activism related to asexuality. How has this helped you with any activism you are doing now? Are there things you are learning from whatever you are doing now that you would apply to asexuality activism in the future, or wish you knew before?
• What other past experiences give you insight into how to deal with this situation? Do you have any stories or resources you’d like to share?
• Have you felt pressured to engage in a certain kind of activism, or felt that people around you have shown little understanding of your situation, and how you may not be able to participate in the same way that they are?
• Have you felt disappointed by any activist efforts lately? How can they better include you?
• All of us have some experience resisting harmful messages, erasure, or gaslighting. What are some of the ways you’ve found most helpful for you? How do you avoid internalizing these messages, or fight against them?
• What are the things that inspire you to keep going?

These are just some of the ways you might approach this topic. You are welcome to write about anything else you think of that might apply.

We also encourage you, if you feel so inclined, to comment here with something you hope to see others address, especially if it is not already listed here.

How to Submit

Create a blog post addressing this topic. The post can be in the format of your standard, everyday written post, but it doesn’t have to be. It can be in the form of a comic instead, or it can be a video blog if you feel more comfortable with that. Feel free to be creative. However, if you submit something video or image-heavy, please also try to include a transcript if you can, to make your submission as accessible as possible. There are no length requirements, but if your post is very long, we suggest splitting it up into parts.

Post your submission to your own public blog space, and then send us a link. If you do not have a blog, or if for some reason you feel uncomfortable posting your submission to your own blog, you can submit it as a guest post to The Asexual Agenda, and we will host it here. Anonymous guest posts are fine. There are also other blogs open to guest posts where you may host your submission if the owner agrees.

Submissions should be sent to asexualagenda at gmail dot com. Alternatively, you can leave a comment on this post with a link to your submission.