So, what's the New Ace Flag Called?

Let's dive right into this

Since sharing the New Ace Flag, I’ve gotten a lot of comments saying my use of the word 'New’ and ‘Official’ has been upsetting. In my eyes, I’ve seen this a more individual issue due to their personal attachment to a symbol they’ve seen as ‘more official’ than the one I designed. While I value the attachment to the original design of the Asexuality Flag, I also value critical thinking and processing. When I said ‘It’s Official, Here’s the New Asexuality Flag’ I’m saying this in the most literal sense.

According to Merriam -Webster, the word ‘New’ is defined as;

'Having recently come into existence : recent, modern: I saw their new baby for the first time.’

‘Beginning as the resumption or repetition of a previous act or thing: a new day, the new edition’

‘Different from one of the same category that has existed previously: new realism’

In the same breath, According to Cambridge.org, the word ‘Official’ is defined as;

‘Relating to a position of responsibility: He visited China in his official capacity as America’s trade representative.’

‘If a piece of information is official, it has been announced publicly with authority: Their engagement is now official.

Used to describe something that has been announced publicly by someone in a position of authority: So far, there has been no official announcement from the company.’

Now that you know these definitions, give yourself some time to think about how these words are being used, in the context they’re being said, before responding from an emotionally unregulated and immediately reactive place. Doing that only furthers harm, dismisses and emphasizes the issues of literacy/comprehension we’ve seen growing in the US. Let’s continue with the flag name.

A lot of people have called this, The New Asexuality Flag, as it is. But, with that label, it’s preventing people from seeing this as an addition to our community vs a replacement of the original flag. As I’ve stated, several times, I want this flag to be used in tandem with the original design. For people to be aware that this flag represents Asexuals, there has to be acknowledgement of what was present prior. While there has been amazing art showcasing the unity of both flags, for that to be distinguishable, I needed to give this a name. I’ve shared this with a few other creators on Instagram so you may have already seen it, but, I’ve decided to call it ‘The Universal Asexuality Flag’ or ‘Uni Ace Flag’ for short.

Before I get jumped again, let’s visit Merriam -Webster & look at the definition of ‘Universal’;

‘Including or covering all or a whole collectively or distributively without limit or exception’, especially: available equitably to all members of a society: universal health coverage’

‘Present or occurring everywhere, existent or operative everywhere or under all conditions: universal truths, universal cultural patterns’

‘Embracing a major part or the greatest portion (as of humankind): a universal state, universal practices’

‘Comprehensively broad and versatile: a universal genius’

I chose this name because I wanted to acknowledge two things; Asexuality from more nuanced/comprehensive perspectives/experiences, which varies from person to person, and, Space Ace’s [2.0].

In a IG Reel, I stated that the original design of the Asexuality flag reminded me of (outer) space. Space used to be seen as this ‘other thing’, ‘unfamiliar’, ‘separate from us’ and very different from the world we live in, while still being ‘vast’ ‘grandiose’ it can bring a lot of discomfort thinking about it. I’ve very regularly seen people [and to some degree, I’ve internalized certain parts of these opinions as well] think of Asexuality Similarly.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve continued to learn more about Space and my relationship with Asexuality. I’ve started to better understand & value how expansive, decorative and detailed it really is. How much depth it has and the way every new discovery/experience shared, gives us more insight on how much it encompasses and highlights where it relates to others as well. Space, just like Asexuality, is much more than what we see with our eyes, it is expansive, revealing more to us each time we speak about it to someone and every time we give ourselves an opportunity to sit with that, we open ourselves up to learning the diversity of Asexuality through each person living in this journey. In my eyes, Asexuality is a spectrum of experiences that deserve to be spoken about, acknowledged and uplifted; it is a Universal Experience, and for that reason, this flag is named to highlight & honour all of those who desire more support/celebration in that.

So, Let’s all celebrate The Universal Asexuality Flag in the ways we see fit. Again, for those who are searching, the colours of this flag & the meanings of each, are here:

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Thank you all of continuing to follow along this journey. Through all the ignorance I’ve been exposed to in the past 2.5 months, I continue to find joy in those who see themselves better represented in this flag.

If you want to support me, consider being a part of the Ace Babe Collective by being a paid subscriber on this Substack, OR, send some love to my Kofi [PNG’s & Hex Codes of this flag are available there as well!].

Just a heads up to those who follow me on Instagram, Facebook & Tiktok, I will be implementing some more rules on my posts to mitigate what recently occurred here [surprisingly] and across the spaces I curate. Folks need to sit with their thoughts more before speaking so be ready for that soon!

Chat ya’ll later!

-Ashabi