I hadn’t heard of orchidsexual until today, so this post (and thread) has been an education. Here’s my take from a gray A perspective: sexual attraction is not the same as wanting sex. Sexual attraction for me can be like a hunger pang, it suddenly happens and you can act on it (eat food, sort yourself out) or not. But it can be ignored because I just don’t have the impulse to act upon it, and it’s rare enough for me that it’s not a bother. For a lot of people I guess there’s confusion between desire and attraction. But the way I think of it, you can find someone aesthetically pleasing (attractive) and not want to be with them (sexually or romantically). Attraction without desire.

Some of these posts invalidate anyone who experiences any sort of sexual attraction as not being asexual. Just because our experience isn’t the same as yours does not invalidate our status as asexual. There’s a discussion about microlabels and whether orchidsexual fits in the ace spectrum. Labels should help us understand our lived experience and find community. I’d say, if you want to identify as ace and this label (orchid) fits you, go for it OP.