A 2019 survey by The Ace Community Survey reported that 10.9% asexuals identified as gray-sexual and 9% identified as demisexual,[37] though asexuality in general is relatively new to academic research and public discourse.[8]

A gray-asexual may engage in sex with someone they have a strong connection to, but their relationship is not based on sex, nor do they crave sex.[5][12] This can also be known as gray areas, which can be combined with different orientations, such as:[13]

Online communities, such as the Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN), as well as blogging websites such as Tumblr, have provided ways for gray-As to find acceptance in their communities.[8][10] While gray-As are noted to have variety in the experiences of sexual attraction, individuals in the community share their identification within the spectrum.[35]

A black, gray, white, and purple flag is commonly used to display pride in the asexual community. The gray bar represents the area of gray sexuality within the community,[12] and the flag is also used by those who identify as gray-asexual:[36][better source needed]

The emergence of online communities, such as the Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN), has given gray aces locations to discuss their orientation.[8]

A demisexual person does not experience sexual attraction until they have formed a strong emotional connection with a prospective partner.[2][8] The definition of "emotional bond" varies from person to person in as much as the elements of the split attraction model can vary.[19][20] Demisexuals can have any romantic orientation.[21][22] People in the asexual spectrum communities often switch labels throughout their lives, and fluidity in orientation and identity is a common attitude.[5]

Gray asexuality, grey asexuality, or gray-sexuality is the spectrum between asexuality and allosexuality.[1][2][3][4] Individuals who identify with gray asexuality are referred to as being gray-A, gray ace, and make up what is referred to as the "ace umbrella".[5][6] Within this spectrum are terms such as demisexual, semisexual, asexual-ish and sexual-ish.[7]

Demisexuality, as a component of the asexuality spectrum, is included in queer activist communities such as GLAAD and The Trevor Project, and itself has finer divisions.[23][24]

Aegoromantic

Demisexuality is a common theme (or trope) in romantic novels that has been termed 'compulsory demisexuality'.[25] Within fictitious prose, the paradigm of sex being only truly pleasurable when the partners are in love is a trait stereotypically more commonly associated with female characters. The intimacy of the connection also allows for an exclusivity to take place.[22][26]

Fictosexuality refers to the sexual attraction towards fictional characters, encompassing those who lack attraction to real individuals and fall within the spectrum of gray asexuality.[30][31] These individuals can be found within online asexual communities.[30][31] In recent times, certain fictosexuals have actively participated in queer activism.[32]

In society, there is a lack of understanding of who asexuals are. They often limit their interactions to an online platform. Asexuals have also found it safer to communicate through the use of symbols and slang. Asexuals are often referred to as aces. People are often under the misconception that asexuals hate sex or never have sex. For them, sex is not a focal point. This is where the term gray-asexual comes in.[12][5]

Aromantic

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The term demisexuality was coined in 2006 by Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN).[5] The prefix demi- derives from the Vulgar Latin *dimedius, which comes from Latin dimidius, meaning "divided into two equal parts, halved."[16][17][18]

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Post-doctorate research on the subject has been done since at least 2013, and podcasts and social media have also raised public awareness of the sexual orientation.[27] Some public figures, such as Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo, who have come out as demisexual have also raised awareness, though they typically face some degree of ridicule for their sexuality.[28] The word gained entry to the Oxford English Dictionary in March 2022, with its earliest usage (as a noun) dating to 2006.[29]

Gray asexuality is considered the gray area between asexuality and allosexuality, in which a person may experience sexual attraction in variety of "unconventional" ways.[1][2]