Asexual people are experiencing sharper declines in acceptance, visibility, and openness than LGBTQ+ adults overall, according to a new analysis from the Human Rights Campaign.
The analysis, released April 3, 2026, examines responses from asexual participants in the organization’s 2025 Annual LGBTQ+ Community Survey, a large-scale survey of LGBTQ+ adults. The findings show that 50.9% of asexual respondents said there was less acceptance of LGBTQ+ people over the past 12 months, compared to 29.7% of LGBTQ+ adults overall. Nearly two-thirds, 63.7%, said they felt less visible, and 57.3% said they are less open about their identity than they were a year ago.
Asexual respondents made up 4.7% of the survey sample. Of that group, 16.9% identified only as asexual, while 83.1% reported additional identities such as aromantic, demisexual, or panromantic. More than half, 58%, also identified as transgender or gender-expansive.
The data shows differences within the asexual community. Among those who identified only as asexual, 71.7% said acceptance had worsened, compared to 46.1% of those who identified as asexual alongside other identities. Respondents with multiple identities reported feeling less open (60.9%) and less visible (66.7%) than those who identified as asexual.
Asexual activist Yasmin Benoit, who partnered with the Human Rights Campaign on the analysis, said the findings reflect long-standing gaps in recognition and support.
“The asexual community has long been regarded as one of the least visible groups within the wider LGBTQIA+ community,” Benoit said. “We are still one of the communities least likely to come out, to be represented, to have legislative recognition, or to receive support from LGBTQ+ groups and organizations.”
She said the past year has reversed some of the limited progress.
“In an increasingly hostile environment, and with lower levels of community support, asexual people who were gradually approaching the point of feeling safe enough to be open are retreating backward again or deeming it necessary to stay in the background,” Benoit said.
“The significant overlap between the trans community and the ace community means that the impact of these rollbacks is felt even more,” she added.
That overlap is reflected in the survey results. Among asexual respondents who were also transgender or gender-expansive, 71.4% said they felt less visible than a year ago, compared to 45.9% of cisgender respondents.
The findings come just days before International Asexuality Day on April 6, a global campaign focused on advocacy, education, celebration, and solidarity across the ace spectrum, with an emphasis on increasing global awareness and visibility.
Asexuality is an umbrella term that exists on a spectrum. People who identify as asexual may experience little or no sexual attraction, or may experience attraction in ways that do not align with dominant expectations.
The analysis reflects a subset of people who identify as asexual within the LGBTQ+ community and does not capture the full range of asexual experiences.
Asexual respondents are reporting larger declines in acceptance, visibility, and openness than LGBTQ+ adults overall, with many reporting they are less visible and less open about their identities.