This Ace/Aro Awareness session is designed by UNISON’s national LGBT+ committee as a safe space for members to learn about some of the + identities.
It covers terminology, what being ace/aro means (and what it doesn’t mean), the issues faced by people identifying as ace/aro in and out of work and how to be an ally to ace/aro members. There will be the opportunity for questions, with none being silly.
Ace is the abbreviation of asexual, a term used specifically to describe a lack of, varying, or occasional experiences of sexual attraction. Aro is short for aromantic – used to describe having little or no romantic feeling towards others. You can find out more with this factsheet.
Why it’s a workplace issue
Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect and should be able to bring their whole selves to work. But a recent Stonewall survey found that just one in five ace/aro people have had a positive experience coming out at work.
A lack of information and education about ace/aro people are a contributing factor to this, which puts the responsibility on ace/aro people to educate co-workers.
Sometimes this can lead to inappropriate curiosity by colleagues, which then can lead to bullying and harassment at work.
