Rainbow Alliance | Photo by Bethany Althauser | The Wright State Guardian
Allies and members of the LGBTQA+ community alike gathered together on Wednesday, Oct. 25, to listen to an informative presentation by Dr. Rhea DeBussy about asexual and aromantic communities with clarifications of frequent misconceptions about the groups.
Introductions
Dr. Emily Yantis-Houser, the advisor for Rainbow Alliance, introduced Dr. DeBussy prior to her presentation. Yantis-Houser had agreed to let the speaker present during Rainbow Alliance’s usual weekly meetings to inform people on a lesser-known portion of the LGBTQA+ community: asexuality and aromanticism.
While DeBussy reached out first, Yantis-Houser found that DeBussy’s presence would be perfect for Ace Week, as it is a time for celebration and recognition of asexual individuals.
“We have a fairly large ace/aro community on campus, and I thought they would enjoy hearing from Dr. DeBussy, and those who do not identify would definitely benefit from hearing how to support the community,” Yantis-Houser said.
DeBussy has had a very active work life in representing the LGBTQA+ community and has had many roles throughout her career. Currently, she works as the director of external affairs at Equitas Health.
The presentation
DeBussy started the presentation with an explanation of the terminology of the asexual and aromantic spectrums: asexual refers to people who do not experience sexual attraction, while aromantic refers to people who do not experience romantic attraction. She followed these up with the split attraction model, a visual model used to represent how the spectrum of sexuality and romantic attraction heavily overlaps with the multiple potential identities one person might identify with at a time.
Misconceptions about and discrimination against these two communities are still common in today’s time. DeBussy focused a large portion of her presentation towards information on how to identify and combat these situations. According to DeBussy, many people today do not realize that the asexual and aromantic communities face discrimination, but marginalization and oppression often occur for members of these communities, especially in regards to emotional or mental wellbeing.
She finished off her presentation with a short Q&A session where she attempted to clear up any confusion the listeners may have had. Questions involving identity, distinction between certain labels and past experiences that may influence current perspective were discussed.
Importance and impact
Anyone who is considering their identity or labels in the LGBTQA+ community would benefit from DeBussy’s presentation and the information she provides. She stresses the importance of educating people even in today’s time when diversity has been more widely accepted.
“Ace-spec people also face disparities and societal stigma, and fostering inclusive and intersectional information about the community is an important step in addressing these disparities and reducing stigma,” DeBussy said.
All members of the LGBTQA+ community should strive to be educated on many matters in an attempt to offer a welcoming environment for all. Mak Goddard, an attendee of DeBussy’s speech, reflected on their feelings during the presentation and how DeBussy managed to create a welcoming and accepting environment.
“It felt nice that no one said anything [rude] about it,” Goddard said. “[DeBussy] was also nice and explained stuff in a way that didn’t make me uncomfortable.”
Future action
The executive board of Rainbow Alliance asked what they could do to make the club more inclusive to aromantic and asexual individuals. DeBussy’s presentation offered multiple ways to ensure that these underrepresented communities get the recognition they deserve, but she also had a few points to mention.
“One of the biggest needs is for such organizations to specifically solicit input from ace-spec community members and leaders while also developing ace-spec focused spaces, programs and resources,” DeBussy said.
Inclusivity for and participation from members of these communities is vital in all LGBTQA+ spaces, especially for those who may be struggling with their identity or self-expression. While Rainbow Alliance may still have work left to do to ensure this inclusive environment in its own space, Dr. Debussy’s speech was a vital step forward.
Rainbow Alliance meets every Wednesday at 6 p.m. and is always looking for new members. It is encouraged to drop by for the occasional meeting or hang out in the official club room at Student Union 023D.
