anagnori:

The legitimacy of asexuality as a sexual orientation does not depend on how closely it resembles most non-asexual people’s lifestyles. Arguing that asexuality should be accepted because of traits that only some asexual people have (like having sex, having a libido, or wanting romantic relationships), implies that asexual people who don’t have those traits are less worthy of acceptance.

The legitimacy of a person’s asexual identity does not depend on whether their asexuality was affected by other events or circumstances in their life–e.g. mental illness, disabilities, or past experiences with abuse or sexual assault. Countering stereotypes is good, but don’t suggest that these traits are mutually exclusive with asexuality, or that they are things to be ashamed of.