E-book launch and panel discussion
Asexual and aromantic students and staff are present in every school, college and university, yet ace and aro identities remain largely absent from curriculums, safeguarding policies, staff training and RSHE. Where they do appear, they are too often treated as a curiosity to be explained rather than a reality to be expected.
Our new e-book, Usualising Asexual Identities in Education, sets out what it takes to move ace and aro inclusion beyond one off visibility moments and into the everyday fabric of educational settings. Usualising means ace identities are simply part of how we talk about relationships, attraction, identity and wellbeing, without spotlight or special pleading.
To mark the launch, we are joined by a panel of activists, educators and researchers who have led this work in the UK and internationally.
In this session we will explore:
- What usualising looks like in practice, and how it differs from tokenistic visibility
- Why asexuality is still medicalised and pathologised, and what that means for young people
- Practical ways to embed ace and aro identities into RSHE, pastoral care and staff CPD
- How educators can support ace and aro colleagues as well as students
- The current state of legal and policy recognition for ace people in the UK
Who it is for: teachers, lecturers, school leaders, EDI leads, union reps, youth workers and anyone shaping inclusive practice in education.
The e-book will be free to download for all attendees.
Once you have registered on Outsavvy, Pride in Education will email you a Zoom link, which you will need to use to register for the event in order to attend on the day. Before joining us, please take a moment to complete this short survey.
Our panel
Yasmin Benoit (she/her)
Yasmin Benoit is a British model, multi-award-winning asexual activist, writer, speaker, consultant and researcher. Described as the "unlikely face of asexuality" by Cosmopolitan Magazine, she quickly became a leading voice for the community after publicly coming out in 2017. She started the #ThisIsWhatAsexualLooksLike movement for diverse asexual visibility and representation and co-founded International Asexuality Day (April 6). Yasmin was the first asexual grand marshal at NYC Pride 2023, and the first asexual person to lead Pride in London in 2024. Partnering with Stonewall, she released a groundbreaking report into asexual discrimination, and has since received a visiting fellowship position with King's College London's Policy Institute. Last year, she became the first asexual person to win a British LGBT Award.
Sarah Cosgriff (she/they) is a multi award-winning science communicator and LGBTQ+ advocate. They previously worked on equity in science initiatives at the Institute of Physics and the Association for Science Education, and LGBTQ+ inclusion in education at Schools OUT, the founders of UK LGBT+ History Month. As asexuality is a lesser known and understood sexual orientation, Sarah does asexual advocacy work in workplaces, education and healthcare, and co-founded the international network, Aces in STEM. They received a Pride in STEM Decadal Award in 2026 and were shortlisted for the National Diversity Awards in 2022 and 2026.
Sara Ann Hope (She/They) is a full time SEND educator and an activist within the NEU. She founded the NEU's Aro/Ace network where she is also the current chair - the network launched their guide to Aro/Ace education this year and has worked hard to continue to spread Aspec awareness.
Chair: Laila El-Metoui (she/her) is the founder of Pride in Education and a multi award winning equity educator, with long standing experience of embedding LGBTQ+ inclusion across the education sector.
Register now to secure your place and receive your copy of the e-book.