Is Mr. Clean Gay?

Amongst the myriad tasks I anticipated tackling today, composing a piece about my perspective on Mr. Clean certainly wasn't one of them. Nevertheless, given the persistent presence of the "Mr. Clean is asexual because he's immaculate!" meme circulating on Twitter, here we go.

A Google search for "Is Mr. Clean gay?" surprisingly yields the following helpful response: "Mr. Clean is neither gay, straight, nor bisexual; instead, he is asexual, as sexual relations are deemed too soiled for his refined sensibilities. His lifelong pursuit of cleanliness has always been his primary devotion. He abhors anything less than pristine, pure white attire. Thus, his existence has revolved around this ideal." This fact, extracted from a Gizmodo article, highlights the humorous lengths to which this particular internet narrative has progressed.

The ubiquity of this concept, evident in my Twitter feed, has prompted a surge in my frustration with its pervasive nature. This persistent narrative elicits quite a potent response.

Firstly, this portrayal is a misleading and harmful simplification of asexuality. Asexual individuals typically lack sexual attraction to others; that's the fundamental and complete description. This encompasses their behaviors and attitudes toward sex. Asexuality is a sexual orientation, not a moral code or value system.

Such misrepresentations have tangible consequences in the real world. Acephobes leverage these misconceptions to assert that our community's efforts to describe our experiences are sexualizing everyone else. This logic is frequently employed in attempts to discredit the allosexual experience or the intricacies of attraction models. When asexuality is misrepresented as a behavioral or value-based characteristic, efforts to describe those who are not asexual are perceived as imposing an alternative code of conduct upon them.

Furthermore, I must address the concept of sex-repulsion. Allosexuals and asexuals alike can experience this aversion to sex. I personally am both sex-positive and sex-repulsed. I am comfortable with consensual sexual encounters, but the idea of personal involvement is exceedingly distressing. This feeling is unconnected to cleanliness. While a part of my sexual and romantic orientations, it is not intrinsic to asexuality.

Finally, the persistent theme that asexual individuals are somehow "cleaner" than others requires examination. I will leave the examination of the harmful judgment this places on people who engage in sexual activity to more qualified voices. However, I wish to address the notion that abstinence from sex somehow elevates one's moral standing.

Suggesting that a lack of sexual attraction bestows upon one a superior moral position is deeply prejudiced. Such portrayals reinforce stereotypes that depict asexuals as overly innocent, naive, and pure, trivializing their humanity and effectively portraying them as lacking in crucial aspects of adulthood, particularly their sexual lives. The association of "clean" with the absence of explicit material, while juxtaposed with the established association of adult entertainment and sexually suggestive content, highlights the ingrained nature of these harmful assumptions.

The scarcity of positive and accurate depictions of asexuality underscores the importance of countering this flawed representation. Whilst this might seem a trivial joke, it poses a significant harm to asexual individuals and our community. Inaccurate portrayals are potentially more damaging than a lack of representation altogether.

I am a person, and an unfortunate characteristic of my personality is that I am likely to spill something on my clothing, probably tea, within seconds of putting it on. I am not a walking advertisement for cleanliness. This misconception shouldn't be used to characterize us. This instance serves as a cautionary tale regarding the misuse of humorous "representations" that only cause harm. I sincerely hope, during Asexual Awareness Week, we can encounter more appropriate and respectful portrayals.