Tl;dr: The A in LGBTQIA+ refers to asexuals/aromantics not allies. This is because asexuals/aromantics are members of the community whereas allies, while important, are not.

The LGBTQ+ community generally refers to people who are not heterosexual cisgendered. This should include the community of [asexuals] (https://www.asexuality.org/?q=overview.html) who do not feel, or rarely feel, sexual attraction; and the aromantic community who do not feel, or rarely feel, romantic attraction, and therefore should not be considered heterosexual.

These are also minority sexual orientations which are under-represented and who can feel insecure about their own feelings and sexuality. The lack of awareness surrounding this sexuality and the erasure it faces in media and conversation, even within the LGBTQ+ community itself should also be enough to include them in the community.

On the other hand, allies do not go through the insecurity and potential discrimination faced by many in the LGBTQ+ community. Allies are vital to the LGBTQ+ community, but they are not members who should be represented in the acronym. Being an ally means taking action, but it does not form part of your identity in the same way.

TL;DR - I absolutely agree with this. Whilst allies are incredibly important for the LGBTQ+ community, allies are not a part of the community.

The LGBTQ+ community exists for all those people of alternate genders and sexualities that sit outside of the heteronormative structures (heteronormativity being the assumption of heterosexuality and the gender binary, seen as normal and expected in society.) Those who are asexual and aromantic sit outside of this structure but allies do not. Allies are those who fit within the heteronormative structures of gender and sexuality but show their support and action for those who don't, therefore they can't be included in the LGBTQ+ community and identities. Those within the queer community are discriminated against and experience many hardships due to their sexuality and/or gender which is something allies do not experience.

Therefore, the A in LGBTQIA+ cannot possibly include allies but does stand for asexuals and aromantics as individuals who do not fit inside these heteronormative structures.

tldr: I definitely agree with this thread, but in the effort of including ace/aro in the LGBT+ community, we need to be careful not to recreate the same exclusionary spirit that inspires the "A is for Allies" position

I agree but I think its important to make another comment. I think its better to say that the A in LGBTQIA stands for ace/aro and not allies because ace/aro are part of the community not because allies aren't. This feels important to me because theLGBT+ space is trying to expand what we accept about gender and sexuality. By explicitly excluding allies we are alienating crucial support in redefining what gender and sexuality is in the greater society.

As an asexual person myself, I don't want my inclusion to mean someone else's exclusion. The project of the LGBT+ community, to radically redefine gender/sexuality for the betterment of society, is more important than making inflexible labels and acronyms.