What it means to be asexual and aromantic (with Yasmin Benoit)

ITV Pridecast

To round off ITV Pride’s coverage of LGBTQ+ History Month, the ITV Pridecast is back looking at what it means to be asexual and aromantic. Many LGBTQ+ people’s lives have been recorded and documented over the years, allowing for a celebration and time of reflection during each February. However, the recording of asexual and aromantic people’s lives has been much more limited with more still needed to be done.
Those who are asexual do not experience sexual attraction to anyone. Unlike celibacy, which is when people choose to abstain from sexual activity, asexuality is intrinsic to those who identify in this way. According to a report by Stonewall from last year, 2% of the population in the UK now identify as asexual. People who are aromantic are those who do not have any, or very little, romantic feelings towards others. However, not all aromantic people are asexual and vice versa, and while the two can overlap it doesn’t mean the two always go hand in hand.
Someone trying to raise more awareness of people who are both asexual and aromantic is Yasmin Benoit and she is the guest for this ITV Pridecast. She is a British model who identifies as both asexual and aromantic. After coming out in 2017, Yasmin has worked to become a voice for the asexual and aromantic community and give a platform to people that have not been heard within the mainstream.
She is working to make sure that those who are asexual and aromantic have full social and legal recognition and to make more people aware of the intersectionality that exists within these identities. In 2022, in partnership with Stonewall, Yasmin began this work by launching the UK’s first asexual rights initiative, The Stonewall x Yasmin Benoit Ace Project.
In this episode of the ITV Pridecast, Yasmin discusses what it means to be asexual and aromatic and the work she is doing to support the community. She also chats about the dynamics about being a model as well as an asexual activist and dispelling misconceptions around the two. Joining Liam McConkey to co-host this episode is Dougie Robertson. Dougie is an Engineering Manager for ITVX and an ITV Pride Committee member. Within his work for the ITV Pride network, he works closely with InterMedia UK which aims to support members of the LGBTQ+ community across the media industry.
The transcript of this episode is available here: ITV Pridecast with Yasmin Benoit - transcript
More information on asexuality and aromanticism:

• Asexual Visibility and Education Network: https://www.asexuality.org/
• Stonewall's six ways to be an ally to asexual people: https://bit.ly/3ZpurSf
• Yasmin Benoit's website: https://www.yasminbenoit.co.uk/
• Stonewall's five things you should know about aromantic people: https://bit.ly/3KHalik