Asexual flag held at a pride parade. Art by Trollhare Courtesy of Flickr.
By Jasmine Sanchez Staff Reporter
Fox News features a routine segment, The Five, where five personalities address present-day issues in a seminar discussion. The subject of an initial discussion concerned student loans and the curriculums in college. One of the five personalities sparked controversy when they spiraled into a bizarre rant.
Greg Gutfeld, a 58-year-old Fox News host, interjected his opinions into the conversation. He sporadically whined about college students deliberately ignoring and going against beauty standards, purposefully “uglifying” themselves while pursuing an education.
“You see them on TikTok. They’re out of shape. They’re asexual. They’re rejecting the truth in beauty, they all look like rejects from a loony bin,” he complained to his co-hosts.
A conversation sparked around his fixation on the way college students weren’t attractive to him anymore. A piece of his rant flew under the radar as his comments were scrutinized by the media.
His inclusion of asexuality has stirred two prominent reactions in the asexual community. The first is distraught at being mentioned as something to be ashamed of.
Destiny Vasquez, a member of the ace community, replied, “It was the first time I ever heard my orientation on the news. It was a 58-year-old man complaining that college students weren’t physically attractive to him anymore.”
Like Vasquez, many members of the ace community first heard their sexuality mentioned on a news platform during and after the segment aired on television. Asexuality is rarely brought up in the media and is usually only mentioned in written articles. So it was unsurprising that the community learned of the segment and the way they were brought up.
The distaste Gutfeld portrayed against the orientation is not unfamiliar to the community. It is but a snapshot of the indiscernible opinions aimed at the group. The conspicuous aversion towards those who experience little to no sexual attraction.
A more noticeable reaction, primarily seen on TikTok, is being content in feeling recognized. Asexuals have and still face acephobia within the LGBTQ+ community and beyond it. Most ace spec individuals have endured persistent denial and rejection of their feelings by family, friends, and even professionals. They would like to be acknowledged in some capacity.
Jacob Rodriguez identifies as asexual and is an avid TikTok user. Upon scrolling through the application, he came across a clip of the same segment and commented, “Being acknowledged in itself is a pivotal moment for the community. [Ace spec individuals are] told we don’t exist or our feelings are a phase. I’d rather be told I’m the problem than not exist at all.”
For Rodriguez, the news segment is a stepping stone in the right direction despite the orientation being referred to in a swift demeaning and vilified manner. There’s a spark of hope to be widely recognized and accepted by the general public.
Gutfeld’s rant became a trending sound for ace spec individuals to satirize the original connotation. Humor is used, in the community, to congregate as a group and feel connected.
“Unlike other orientations, the ace community bonds over humor rather than love. The TikToks make us feel connected towards one another when we can’t relate to other aspects of our sexuality,” Rodriguez said.
