<--Hamish the coo. Just FYI.
Okay so here's the thing, I've been drinking (one 22 oz bottle of hard cider with dinner so not sloshed but expect spelling failures) and I just need to say this, and if I'm feeling particularly stupid later I might post this on tumblr (because the internet is so much smarter/dumber than me sometimes and tumblr is full of tinkerbells) BUT I FEEL THAT THIS IS SOMETHING I WANT TO SAY. I'm not saying it's the right way to think, the only way, or a way that even makes sense, but it's the one that I feel. So.
I don't think Sherlock is asexual. Or, I don't like to think of Sherlock as asexual. I don't mind reading about it in fics--it's fucking fascinating, okay, I hadn't heard the term used on human beings before this fandom, I'd always thought it was a weird sort of sci-fi thing that meant Godzilla was able to self-fertilize eggs in the middle of NYC. But it just isn't my personal head canon. Here's why:
I think calling Sherlock asexual is too easy. Too neat. BORING, to quote a certain consulting detective. The thought that Sherlock might be a virgin due to his biological disinterest in sex is too...simple, for me. It's writing off a slew of other reasons, or implying that the only concievable reason that Sherlock is a virgin (if he is a virgin, it was heavily implied but not outright stated) is because sexual intercourse is not appealing to him on a fundamental level.
Here's how I see it: sex is intimate and deeply physical. Sherlock is INCREDIBLY inexperienced with many aspects of both those things. He's always inside his own head, his intellect keeps him almost trapped in there, constantly taking note and cataloguing multitudes of minutia in case it becomes relevant in a case, his body is not as important as his mind. Transport. If Sherlock were a cartoon, he'd be a brain floating in a jar with metallic sort of legs that carried him around (this seems incredibly familiar, was this a real cartoon?) But the thing is, he still has a body. He still needs physical contact as much as any other human being, and yes, asexuals need physical contact too, just not sexual contact.
But why I like the thought of Sherlock as a sexual being is not just because he's pretty and John's pretty and I want to mentally picutre them doing the nasty (this is also true, but not the biggest reason)--as a writer and a reader and a fan, I like the option that packs the most emotional punch (for me). I like the thought of Sherlock being scared of the intimacy of sex in a way that he can't quite shake intellectually, so when he is propositioned, he shuts people down hard and fast. Like he did with Molly. He uses his intelligence like a whip to keep people away, or at least at arm's length where he can still deal with them at a distance.
It's obvious why he was drawn to Irene Adler--she's intriguing in a way that captures his mind immediately, because he can't tell a single fucking thing about her. She's a mystery, and what does Sherlock do for a living? It's the same damn thing that drew him to John, because John doesn't quite make sense, does he? He should be boring but he isn't. Same thing with Irene, only ten-fold (being naked deletes approximately a bajillion things Sherlock could have found out about her, cheeeekyyyy). But he still doesn't want to have sex with her, because that's giving her (or any person) a power over him that he has no way of controlling. And Sherlock is allllll aboooout control.
If/when Sherlock decides/decided to have sex, and I hate to sound like a cliche here but it sure as hell be with someone special. Mentally, Sherlock is solid, strong, and impenetrable. Physically, Sherlock is pretty damn fragile. He's a steel magnolia. Without the Dolly Parton, child bearing, and eventual death. (BUT OH I'M SORRY ONE MOMENT TAKEN TO FLAIL ABOUT HAMISH AS A NAME FOR THEIR BABY. HAAAAAAMISH.)
Ugh, tl;dr, in conclusion, I think slapping a label on anyone is a bad idea, but especially Sherlock bloody Holmes.
I don't think Sherlock is asexual. Or, I don't like to think of Sherlock as asexual. I don't mind reading about it in fics--it's fucking fascinating, okay, I hadn't heard the term used on human beings before this fandom, I'd always thought it was a weird sort of sci-fi thing that meant Godzilla was able to self-fertilize eggs in the middle of NYC. But it just isn't my personal head canon. Here's why:
I think calling Sherlock asexual is too easy. Too neat. BORING, to quote a certain consulting detective. The thought that Sherlock might be a virgin due to his biological disinterest in sex is too...simple, for me. It's writing off a slew of other reasons, or implying that the only concievable reason that Sherlock is a virgin (if he is a virgin, it was heavily implied but not outright stated) is because sexual intercourse is not appealing to him on a fundamental level.
Here's how I see it: sex is intimate and deeply physical. Sherlock is INCREDIBLY inexperienced with many aspects of both those things. He's always inside his own head, his intellect keeps him almost trapped in there, constantly taking note and cataloguing multitudes of minutia in case it becomes relevant in a case, his body is not as important as his mind. Transport. If Sherlock were a cartoon, he'd be a brain floating in a jar with metallic sort of legs that carried him around (this seems incredibly familiar, was this a real cartoon?) But the thing is, he still has a body. He still needs physical contact as much as any other human being, and yes, asexuals need physical contact too, just not sexual contact.
But why I like the thought of Sherlock as a sexual being is not just because he's pretty and John's pretty and I want to mentally picutre them doing the nasty (this is also true, but not the biggest reason)--as a writer and a reader and a fan, I like the option that packs the most emotional punch (for me). I like the thought of Sherlock being scared of the intimacy of sex in a way that he can't quite shake intellectually, so when he is propositioned, he shuts people down hard and fast. Like he did with Molly. He uses his intelligence like a whip to keep people away, or at least at arm's length where he can still deal with them at a distance.
It's obvious why he was drawn to Irene Adler--she's intriguing in a way that captures his mind immediately, because he can't tell a single fucking thing about her. She's a mystery, and what does Sherlock do for a living? It's the same damn thing that drew him to John, because John doesn't quite make sense, does he? He should be boring but he isn't. Same thing with Irene, only ten-fold (being naked deletes approximately a bajillion things Sherlock could have found out about her, cheeeekyyyy). But he still doesn't want to have sex with her, because that's giving her (or any person) a power over him that he has no way of controlling. And Sherlock is allllll aboooout control.
If/when Sherlock decides/decided to have sex, and I hate to sound like a cliche here but it sure as hell be with someone special. Mentally, Sherlock is solid, strong, and impenetrable. Physically, Sherlock is pretty damn fragile. He's a steel magnolia. Without the Dolly Parton, child bearing, and eventual death. (BUT OH I'M SORRY ONE MOMENT TAKEN TO FLAIL ABOUT HAMISH AS A NAME FOR THEIR BABY. HAAAAAAMISH.)
Ugh, tl;dr, in conclusion, I think slapping a label on anyone is a bad idea, but especially Sherlock bloody Holmes.