Minerva isn't gay. A fluid conversationalist, the Massachusetts native has been artfully rehashing this point for the last three hours.
"I have been told I could easily be mistaken as a lesbian" she says, gesturing to her cropped, copper hair as evidence. "Which is not a bad thing."
Minerva isn't a lesbian, she says, but she certainly isn't straight. At 29 years old, Minerva, who asked that she be identified by the name of her
Tumblr, has never had a romantic relationship. She calls herself "asexual" meaning she doesn't experience sexual attraction. To anyone.
To the deep chagrin of some members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, Minerva also uses the word "queer" to define her sexuality. A re-appropriated term of endearment for sexual minorities, "queer" is as emotionally charged as it is oddly exclusive, and there is an ongoing, online debate about whether she should feel comfortable using it to self-identify. In some corners of the internet, that debate has turned to all out war.
In October 2011, an outreach organisation called Asexual Awareness Week released a "
Community Census" that polled data from over 3,000 asexual-identifying people. In the survey, more than 40 percent of respondents said they consider themselves members of the LGBT community, and another 38 percent said they consider themselves "allies" or supporters of the community.
Comment: Forget Savile, pedophiles are everywhere in the British entertainment industry