men have a lot more to gain by claiming ace identities than women do, especially white men.

in fact they have everything to gain.

with an ace identity they have the capacity to claim that they are incapable of being complicit in the sexual violence perpetuated by men onto women. they can also use an ace identifier to argue that they are less voyeuristic, less fetishistic, and less prone to objectifying women than other men are.

this is huge scapegoating potential for men - for white men in particular - who are, as it stands, not the victims of discourse that posits them as hypersexual or animalistic. not only can men use this identifier to excuse them if their own misogyny, but they can also utilize an ace identity to their own racial advantage, further positing men of color as hypersexual and out of control. they can essentially use aceness as another way of blaming men of color for sexual violence against women (side note: white women who use the ace label are also absolutely capable of framing themselves as innocent victims of misogyny in juxtaposition to the “nasty” women of color who obviously “deserve” whatever violence they receive)

on the other hand, women generally don’t really gain anything when using an ace identifier (besides the above side note). in fact, it seems pretty clear that a woman who uses an ace identifier may be engaging in yet another act that increases the likelihood of her experiencing sexual harassment, assault, and even rape.

that’s what it means to say that “acephobia” is better understood as a facet of misogyny or racism rather than a standalone category of oppression.

the fact that white men stand to actively gain something by identifying under the ace spectrum is really telling of the gendering and racializing at play.