Welcome
The Asexuality Aotearoa New Zealand (AANZ) website has been specifically created to provide information for the asexual community of Aotearoa New Zealand. AANZ aims to increase the awareness and visibility of asexuality in Aotearoa New Zealand and to encourage the formation of asexual groups throughout the country.
What is asexuality?
Asexuality is a lack of sexual attraction. Asexuals can be defined as people who do not experience sexual attraction or, put simply, people who do not care about sex. Apart from this core criteria asexuals differ hugely in areas such as relationships, arousal, non-sexual attraction and identity.
More detailed information on asexuality can be found on our Pamphlet page and by using the range of web resources listed on our Links page.
Visibility, Awareness and Community
While diversity is a very important part of the asexual community its members all have one thing in common: a lack of sexual attraction. This lack of attraction can present problems for asexual people who, generally, live in societies and cultures that place a very high value on sexual relationships.
Asexuals can often feel deficient or inadequate because of their lack of sexual desire and many face criticism if they choose not to enter into sexual relationships. Since asexuality has only recently been recognised and discussed many asexuals have grown up in environments where they have perceived their feelings as being unique to themselves, often resulting in profound feelings of isolation.
AANZ believes that these issues can be addressed by increasing the visibility and awareness of asexuality and by the creation of asexual communities. Further information on these activities can be found on our News, Visibility and Awareness and Community pages.