Submitted by theprincessofkittens t3_1000rlf in relationship_advice
So my boyfriend and I have been off and on since I was 15 but we got back together and have stayed together for 3 years now.. I love him. I don't doubt that I love him. We've had ups and we've had downs and we've had Very Very Bad Downs... but, we have managed. And I've stayed. But. Here's the thing.
I've recently been wondering if I was asexual, because I do not enjoy having sex or engaging in any kind of sexual activity with my boyfriend at all. We've done things before, and in the beginning I made myself because I wanted him to be happy, but I didn't get any enjoyment out of it. I was actually incredibly repulsed.. and eventually I stopped hiding it. And we haven't done anything in over a year now. Much to his disappointment.
I've just swept these feelings under the rug for awhile, because I didn't know how to deal with them but they're always there and driving me nuts. And here's the thing...
After consideration, I DON'T think I'm asexual.
Because I'm very strongly attracted to women and have no problem being aroused when it comes to them.
I've identified as bisexual for a long time.. and that's never been a problem. But I'm starting to think maybe I'm just a lesbian? And if I am, what do I do? Because I love my boyfriend, he's my best friend. I don't want to lose him.
Sex really is not that big of a deal to me, I'm fine not having it. But he wants it, he respects that I don't. But, I just worry for how long can he actually handle it? He cheated on me two years ago when I WAS giving him sex.. and as far as I know, he hasn't since and we've worked every day to get past everything that happened. But I just worry. If he could do that then, what about now? How long can he stay faithful if I'm not putting out?
Especially when he knows I AM attracted to women, and I know for a fact that it makes him feel incredibly insecure when I mention women or when I talk about masturbation or sex toys, things like that. And I feel bad for him. So I just don't know what to do.
Because again, I do love him. He actually had a health scare pretty recently, and I was terrified he was going to die. And I think that made me realize after, what has been awhile of wondering do I actually still love him, YES I do. I do still love him.
But I'm not sexually attracted to him. This isn't to say I don't think he's beautiful, because I do. He's a very attractive man, and I always tell him how gorgeous he is because he is. And I genuinely can and do appreciate when a man is attractive. But.. where do I go from here? I find it hard to even allow him to kiss me... and sometimes he notices how I pull away and I can see how much that hurts him.
From an outside view this probably sounds so messy... but.. if anyone has any advice or words of widsom.. I'd be obliged.. thank you
AngryTudor1 t1_j2ettkk wrote
Look, you know what you need to do and it is going to happen eventually anyway.
Yes, you "love" him. But you aren't going to spend your entire life with him and you know that. Your relationship is already a patchwork of compromises and some of those are compromises neither of you should be having to make for a long term relationship.
You don't know if you are lesbian yet because you have yet to have sex with anyone that you really connect with sexually. It might need a woman, but you might feel that connection with a different man. You wont know until you find out.
The love you have for him is not good enough to put aside a lifetime of sexual connection and satisfaction for yourself, and neither is the love he has for you. You realise that you cannot satisfy him as a sexual partner either? Yes, you can have sex with him and make him orgasm. But he has much better sexual experiences ahead of him with someone else who actually wants to sleep with him.
You can't sustain a relationship where you feel disgusted in any way by your partner. You must know this.
Free both of you rather than delaying the inevitable