YouTuber Jaiden Animations comes out as aromantic and asexual

21 March 2022, 15:11

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By Jazmin Duribe

"I've come to realise that I'm AroAce."

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Jaiden Animations has announced that she's aromantic and asexual in a new YouTube video.

The YouTuber is best known for her animated storytime videos and she has almost 11 million subscribers. After starting her channel in 2014, Jaiden won a Streamy Award in the animation category in 2020 thanks to her relatable and hilarious content.

On Sunday (Mar 20), Jaiden posted a 15-minute video titled 'Being Not Straight'. "I've come to realise that I'm AroAce which stands for aromantic asexual and I know what you're thinking, 'That's not gay, what the hell is that?' And you know what that is completely fair because I didn't know what that is either," Jaiden revealed.

What is AroAce?

Jaiden Animations comes out as aromantic and asexual. Picture: Jerod Harris/Getty Images, Jaiden Animations via YouTube

Jaiden then goes onto explain the meaning of being AroAce, which means aromatic and asexual. An aromantic person has no interest in or desire for romantic relationships while an asexual person has no sexual feelings, desires, or sexual attraction to anyone. In other words, Jaiden doesn't desire romantic relationships or feel the desire to have sex with other people.

While some people identify as both aromantic and asexual, you can be aromantic but not asexual and vice versa. Being aromantic and asexual also doesn't mean that you would never have a romantic relationship or sex because it's possible to have an intimate relationship with someone without feeling sexually attracted to them.

Jaiden said that while she recognises when someone is conventionally attractive, she is never drawn to them romantically or sexually. She even faked having a crush on someone when she was younger. "Growing up I never developed crushes on anyone," she explained.

"I remember in fifth grade people started talking about their relationships left and right and it was starting to feel like something I had to experience too. I felt like that's something that happens. Don't make fun of nine year old me, I was a sheep.

"I decided I needed to have a crush because that’s what just happens to people and I very robotically chose this random kid in the class whom we can call Pikachu. He didn’t mean anything to me and I didn’t do anything about this crush like I didn’t tell anyone or anything. It was just a head-canon thing for me to feel up to speed and like I was hitting my normal human emotions quota."

Jaiden said that throughout her school years she wasn't interested in a "single person" and one point she thought she was bisexual or pansexual. But now she realises that she's AroAce, Jaiden is hoping to help other people like her get more representation.

Watch Jaiden Animations video here.

Being Not Straight

She continued: "When I stumbled onto the term 'AroAce' and started realising that I fall into that category it helped me feel much more confident and sure of myself. I've read a lot about how people have said they felt broken or that something was wrong with them, but honestly I feel the complete opposite.

"Coming from my biased perspective I think AroAce is one of the coolest, if not the coolest, and most confident orientations out there. Not needing even a gram of intimate validation from anyone is so cool. All you need is yourself to be happy, and maybe friends and family too… and birds. The more I came to terms with the fact that I'm AroAce the more empowered and capable I felt."