I've always been repulsed by the concept of kissing on the lips or making out. I eventually was in a relationship I trusted enough to test it and I was right, it makes me deeply uncomfortable/I find it very unpleasant. [It's okay, though, we don't have to kiss, lol, it was just a safe, controlled situation to see]. I also will say I do like other types of kisses! I like to kiss shoulders, cheeks, foreheads, etc. I am more okay giving them than receiving them, though I am fine with them sometimes. I especially like when they're mostly silly/almost like kissing at the air. I also enjoy that I have a partner who is willing to be told "hey, actually, that's bothering me today" or "no thank you" without feeling too rejected. I will say, I did literally always look at kissing and have a negative response to seeing it. I knew I was disgusted by it, even when I tried to reframe it as something neutral in my head. If you don't feel that way, mayb...

Can you explain examples 1&2 in the SAM listed towards the end of the ppt? September 13, 2023 at 10:39PM

Not fully. Many of my family members aren't that supportive and will freak out if I tell them I'm anything but fully straight. I've only come out to my nephew and he's fully accepting of me being ace. September 13, 2023 at 10:37PM

That’s wild. I’ve never heard that before. How would they enforce that, lmao? I’m from MS and we’re way more conservative than Texas and we don’t have laws like that. September 13, 2023 at 10:34PM

I'm sorry you had this experience, and in fact, I've wondered about some version of the same. I'm from a traditional " arranged marriage" culture, and my mom was always stressing the importance of having an impeccable reputation. Which meant repressing any signs of sexuality. I've often wondered whether the consistent "self numbing" had anything to do with my asexuality. September 13, 2023 at 10:34PM

Apparently you're only allowed 5. I don't know the specific details, though. September 13, 2023 at 10:33PM

I’m the exact same!!! I am happy engaging with myself on my own, but for the idea of sex or pleasure from someone else, I’m just uninterested. It does feel forced, not in a traumatic way, just like I don’t care to engage in the first place. Which, I feel bad bc my partner wants to and on the rare occasion that I do get aroused, he wants to make me happy but I really don’t care for it. In all honesty I’d rather have sensual cuddles or entirely foreplay and then either end there or finish on my own. I’m starting to think it’s an ace thing. September 12, 2023 at 11:19PM