This is an archived version of the original June 2020 post announcing our Pride Chats. We have since decided to continue them on a monthly basis. You can learn more about our current Pride Chats here.
What are Pride Chats?
The Ace and Aro Advocacy Project (TAAAP) is hosting eight Pride Chats during the month of June, each focusing on a different topic relating to ace and aro identities. We have set up a Discord server for these chats, which will be open every Saturday and Sunday for text-based chat from 9am – 11:59pm Eastern Time. We will host two hour-long video/audio calls each day the server is open at 11am and 4pm ET.
While we encourage everyone to focus on the topic of the day, the text channels for all topics will be open whenever our Discord server is open.
Who can participate?
We welcome all people, of any orientations, to join. This includes respectful allies, but please recognize that the primary purpose of these chats is to provide aces and aros with a community space. You can check out our learn page if you’re looking to learn about the basics.
Keeping our Pride Chats safe
TAAAP members will be present on the Discord server at all times to moderate and facilitate conversation. We’ve created guidelines for the event, which we ask that all participants read before joining. Serious infractions of the guidelines will lead to removal from the Pride Chats.
Additionally, in order to ensure the security of our online event, we’ll be requiring everyone who wants to participate to register with their email, so we can send you a link to join the Discord server.
Event Descriptions
Ace and Aro Pride
Saturday, June 6th
Our first Pride Chat is an opportunity to celebrate ace and aro pride! Discussion topics will include showing off your pride gear, bring-your-own pride crafts, favorite things about being ace or aro, favorite Pride memories, your journey to feeling pride in your identity, and marching in future Pride parades.
Representation in the Media
Sunday, June 7th
Representation was by far the most popular topic in our interest survey! Join us this Sunday to discuss your favorite canon aro and ace characters, your favorite headcanons, what makes a quality ace or aro character, representation in non-fiction media, and more!
Aro and Ace Identities
Saturday, June 13th
The second weekend of Pride Chats will start out with a conversation about identity. There will be conversations about coming out and how you realized you were ace or aro, as well as spaces for specific identities, including allosexual (non-asexual) aros, aroaces, alloromantic (non-aromantic) aces, gray aces and aros, those who use microlabels, and aces and aros who opt out of using sexual or romantic orientations.
The first half of each chat (11:00-11:30 am ET and 4:00-4:30 pm ET) will be reserved for those who self-identify with the relevant identity or who are questioning. After that time, conversations will be open for respectful allies to listen in and learn, following our guidelines for ally participation.
We will be leaving the chat open overnight, and hosting another chat on Sunday at 4am Eastern.
Sex and Relationships (of all kinds!)
Sunday, June 14th
During this chat, you’ll have the chance to talk about experiences surrounding sex and relationships of all kinds. Discussion topics will include asexuality & romantic relationships, queerplatonic relationships, being non-partnering, aro experiences with sexual attraction & sexual relationships, ace experiences with sex, negative feelings toward sex or romance, different types of attraction, kink, polyamory & relationship anarchy, friendships, and parenthood/child-rearing.
Intersections with Other Identities
Saturday, June 20th
The third weekend of June, our chats will focus on the intersections with different identities outside the aro and ace community. On Saturday, the discussions will focus on race, disability, neurodivergence, mental health, other queer orientations, intersex identities, older folks (40+), and religious identities, and what it means to hold these identities as an ace or aro person.
The first half of each chat (11:00-11:30 am ET and 4:00-4:30 pm ET) will be reserved for those who self-identify with the relevant identity or who are questioning. After that time, conversations will be open for respectful allies to listen in and learn, following our guidelines for ally participation.
We will be leaving the chat open overnight again, and hosting another chat on Sunday at 2am Eastern.
Gender
Sunday, June 21st
This chat will focus on gender, and how it intersects with aro and ace identities. There will be different groups set up for men, women, trans men, trans women, nonbinary folks, and intersex folks.
These categories aren’t meant to be mutually exclusive, but rather what you’d prefer to focus on. For example, a trans woman might choose the “women” option if she wants to talk with other women generally about issues relating to being a woman who is ace/aro, or she might choose the “trans women” option if she specifically wants to talk about experiences relating to being trans and a woman.
The first half of each chat (11:00-11:30 am ET and 4:00-4:30 pm ET) will be reserved for those who self-identify with the relevant identity or who are questioning. After that time, conversations will be open for respectful allies to listen in and learn, following our guidelines for ally participation.
Issues Aces and Aros Face
Saturday, June 27th
During the last weekend of June, we’ll be discussing some more intense topics that cover many of the different issues that people our communities face. These topics include amatonormativity and singlism, political issues that affect aro and ace people, trauma, body image, medicalization of aro and ace identities, lack of access to ace and aro competent medical and mental health care, homophobia and transphobia in aro and ace spaces, society’s expectations regarding sex, ace and aro intracommunity issues, and gatekeeping and aphobia in queer spaces.
Activism and Community Building
Sunday, June 28th
For the very last Pride Chat, we’ll be building on all of the discussions we’ve already had to come up with solutions to some of these issues together. The topics on this Sunday will cover building local communities, reaching out to general populations to help people learn about asexuality & aromanticism, inclusion in larger LGBTQIA+ spaces, building community infrastructure & support, improving inclusivity in our local communities and dealing with problems within them, and brainstorming new approaches to aro and ace activism.