Is there aphobia?
Browse movies, tv shows, books and more with aphobia.
Aphobia, and its subsets acephobia and arophobia, describe discrimination against asexuals (people who don’t experience sexual attraction) and aromantics (people who don’t experience romantic attraction). Some examples of aphobia are: assuming everyone will be in a relationship/have kids, devaluing platonic relationships compared to romantic ones, forcing people into sexual/romantic situations to "fix" them, and telling someone they’re wrong/broken/mentally ill because they don’t experience a type of attraction. Some examples of acephobia are: saying being ace is equivalent to having no libido, saying they’re a prude for not feeling sexual attraction, and saying that their romantic relationships aren’t "real" relationships because they’re not having sex. Some examples of arophobia are: saying being aro is just about using people for sex, calling people derogatory names (sl*t, wh*re, etc.) for having sex without romance, saying they’re cold and loveless because they aren’t dating.
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TV Show • 2004 Report
Yes
34
No
9
11
roseatespoonbill
S8
E8
There's an episode in which House doesn't believe in asexuality and bets Wilson it's a medical issue for one partner and the other is lying because she wants to stay with her husband. He is proven right.
TV Show • 2013 Report
Yes
29
No
3
11
lucy_burns
S2
E2
Season 2 Episode 18: Gina says to Terry and Amy “I'm sorry if we implied you're both asexual nerds who can only be friends with service animals.” Asexual is used as a derogatory term in this context.
TV Show • 2017 Report
Yes
27
No
3
9
SiRenfield
A character that is asexual in the source material is straightwashed into an allosexual much to the backlash of fans and even their own actor
TV Show • 2019 Report
Yes
19
No
5
3
IolaireEagle
S4
E4
one character questions whether or not another is actually asexual or whether they "came out" for personal gain
TV Show • 2010 Report
Yes
18
No
3
2
Anonymous
People repeatedly make fun of Sherlock for not wanting to date anyone and having no need for sex.
TV Show Report
Yes
14
No
5
5
saste12
Characters constantly make fun of Sheldon's lack of sexual attraction to anyone throughout the series. Amy, Sheldon's girlfriend, constantly complains how he won't have sex with her.
TV Show • 2022 Report
Yes
13
No
3
1
BigBouncyBalls
Unintentional aphobia in towards an aspec character by their partner, but that gets resolved.
Video Game • 2014 Report
Yes
13
No
8
3
jdpamv
It’s impossible to make aromantic Miis and there’s no way of ensuring that they won’t want to have babies after marrying so kind of?
TV Show • 2011 Report
Yes
12
No
5
TV Show • 2007 Report
Yes
11
No
5
4
silencesilence
Sheldon is strongly hinted to be asexual. His friends make fun of the way he doesn't understand sex.
Movie • 2015 Report
Yes
11
No
2
7
silencesilence
In this movie, it doesn't matter if you're happily single: you HAVE to find a partner, otherwise you'll be turned into an animal forever.
TV Show • 2018 Report
Yes
10
No
5
2
succession
It’s unclear whether or not Roman is ace or not, but he does get mocked for his lack of sexuality.
TV Show • 2004 Report
Yes
8
No
1
1
lillpon
S8
E8
Season 8 episode 9, very deliberate dismissal of asexuality as a whole, with the narrative supporting that notion.
Movie • 1990 Report
Yes
8
No
4
2
mothyman
there's some discussion about herbert's lack of attraction to women, but it comes across more as homophobia in my opinion
Video Game • 2019 Report
Yes
7
No
2
2
jdpamv
Some of the lore is that “asexuality” is part of what caused the apocalypse, as people weren’t reproducing. The term is misused to refer to lack of sexual activity and it’s overall painted in an aphobic light. Particularly unfortunate as this is one of the only mentions of the aroace community in a video game.
TV Show • 2006 Report
Yes
7
No
2
4
SiRenfield
S3
E3
Okay there’s nothing egregiously offensive said about asexual people but I ESPECIALLY don’t recommend the episode Fertilityklok for having messaging valuing sex over relationships. Granted one we’re not supposed to be take seriously since the characters are meant to be idiots and assholes ,but could still be rather be invalidating to asexual people (albeit in a way that I’m not sure is inversely validating to AlloAros either, I admittedly partially blame that on the writers being mostly straight allo men as far as I can tell). In general the series is weirdly inconsistent on if Toki is into sex or not, and the latter is framed as a bit of a childish quality
TV Show • 1966 Report
Yes
7
No
1
4
CheSnailTheAbomination
S2
E2
The episode The Apple focuses on a planet where the people don't date, have sex, or have children, which Kirk and Bones express is "wrong" and that they need to "fix" the people of that planet. Spock argues that they should not interfere and that the people are happy, but his opinion is quickly shot down.
Book • 2020 Report
Yes
6
No
1
3
HayleyWatson
The main character navigate her own asexuality, and can sometimes misunderstand it herself. There's also an exclusionist character who appears in one or two chapters who says some discriminatory things.
Anime • 2022 Report
Yes
6
No
2
0
candiedmeow
The plot of the show revolves around a girl whose life has chance encounters like an Otome style video game thanks to a wizard who is sent to "help with Japan's declining birth rate". This is the extent of the joke and is mentioned twice in the whole show. While the main character is against the situation, it is only because of her favorite items being kept from her and not because she has no romantic interest.
Movie • 2002 Report
Yes
6
No
4
3
SiRenfield
The sequel pretty much only exists to give Quasimodo a girlfriend to appease those dissatisfied that he didn't end up with Esmerelda
Short Story • 2011 Report
Yes
6
No
2
1
ErinHollow
In-universe, and it's more dismissive than discriminatory. Episode 4
Movie • 2020 Report
Yes
5
No
3
2
MovieWatcher10
Sorta? The parents of the protagonist seem to be relieved she finally has a romantic partner. Another woman tells the protagonist she'll have her own children. Subtle implications about the expectations for the protagonist. She may not be on the ace spectrum, but is still subjected to a heteronormative society.
TV Show • 1989 Report
Yes
5
No
3
3
spirochaete
The ending of "Grade School Confidential" hinges on the idea that there is inherent indignity in being a virgin well into adulthood. Skinner is able to dispel a scandal by admitting to being a 44-year-old virgin - a claim the townspeople consider so embarrassing they don't believe anybody would make it falsely.
Movie • 2005 Report
Yes
5
No
3
1
EamonToPlease
Not exactly, but Cal (Seth Rogen) gently teases David (Paul Rudd) for deciding to become celibate.
TV Show • 1999 Report
Yes
5
No
2
TV Show • 2018 Report
Yes
4
No
0
2
silencesilence
Ace erasure. Most witches are very sexual and promiscuous. When telling her niece about a ceremony involving sex, Zelda says that no one ever refuses to take part in the ritual.
Movie • 2014 Report
Yes
4
No
1
0
nh17
The cult says love can only be romanic straight love. They are in the wrong
TV Show • 2022 Report
Yes
4
No
1
2
ConsternatedSheep
The show itself is not aphobic, but because the show is about aroace people and their struggles, aphobia is explored in depth. If you don't want to see an aphobic narrative, you'll have no problem here, but if you don't want to see aphobia in general I wouldn't recommend it.
TV Show • 2000 Report
Yes
4
No
1
1
Purplefrog
There is a character that describes thankfully only needing to have sex with her husband once in a way where we are meant to find that character silly/ funny as viewers. Asexuality specifically is not mentioned.
TV Show • 2011 Report
Yes
4
No
2
2
SiRenfield
S1
E1
Shringold goes on about saving love for “your special one”, although bare in mind they are very clearly a villainous cult and the show is dissing heteronormativity in organized religion