The portrayals of asexuality in the media reflect societal attitudes towards asexuality, reflected in the existing media portrayals. Throughout history, asexual characters have appeared in television series, animated series, literature, comics, video games, music, and film.
Asexual representation in the media is limited and rarely openly acknowledged or confirmed by creators or authors.[1] Representation for asexual people in fiction has been mixed, with strong prejudice against asexuals, asexual erasure, and few asexual characters in media.[2][3][4] This is because many characters are "suspected to be asexual" but are not explicitly stated as asexual,[5] while other asexual characters are secondary and are not protagonists.[6] In a 2015 article, Lauren Jankowski stated that while more characters have appeared in TV and films, their asexuality is often portrayed as a fixable problem, as tropes for asexual and aromantic people are common.[7] Jankowski further argued that not having asexuals engage in media portrayals of asexuality has resulted in "grossly inaccurate and damaging depictions of this orientation."
Animated series
editIn 2014 and 2019, it was confirmed that Owen Burnett in the 1990s series, Gargoyles was asexual.[8][9]
In 2017, GLAAD started counting, for the first time, non-binary and asexual characters, noting that in the past, characters of these identities were "often relegated to one-off episodes, which did not allow for nuanced exploration."[10] In the same report, they noted that while Jughead Jones is arguably asexual in his depictions by Archie Comics,[11] the series by The CW is not making him asexual, adding that "the ace community remains nearly invisible in media."[12] They pointed to Raphael Santiago in Shadowhunters as the "only asexual character...on all of cable television"[13] and Todd Chavez in BoJack Horseman, describing him as "the only asexual character on streaming originals," adding that he is the first GLAAD counted since they began counting streaming services in 2014.[14] Chavez was revealed, at the end of the show's third season, to be asexual, which was further elaborated in the 4th season of the series and has been generally well accepted by the asexual community for its methods of positive representation.[15] The following year, GLAAD found one asexual character, Todd on BoJack Horseman, on American cable television and streaming platforms[16] while Vox reported that asexual characters in popular media has a large impact on the asexual community, and described the history of asexual representation as "short and shallow."[17] This was also reflected in GLAAD's reports in 2018 and 2019, noting that no additional asexual characters had been added, with Todd as the only asexual characters in broadcast and streaming services in 2019.[18][19] This did not account for Yolanda Buenaventura, an asexual friend of Todd.[17]
Todd Chavez in Bojack Horseman is one of the most prominent examples of asexual characters in popular culture. Alastor in the mature adult animation, Hazbin Hotel, Peridot in Steven Universe, and SpongeBob SquarePants in SpongeBob SquarePants have also been confirmed as asexual. Hazbin Hotel series creator Vivienne Medrano confirmed him as asexual and aromantic.[20][21] On her Twitter, storyboard artist Maya Petersen stated that Peridot is asexual and aromantic on her Twitter,[22] even though she said her word is not "the ultimate authority" on the matter.[23] This asexual identity was never expressed in the show directly.[24] It is complicated by the fact that fans shipping Peridot with various other characters, specifically Lapis Lazuli and Amethyst, some reviewers even seeing Peridot and Lapis in a "close, loving relationship" in the past.[25] In an interview with Stephen Hillenburg in 2002, he stated that SpongeBob, who was under speculation (2002) and later controversy (2005) because of claims that he and his best friend, Patrick were gay, is neither gay or straight but in fact is asexual.[26] This was once again clarified in 2005, because of controversy about SpongeBob and Patrick's sexual orientations.[27] Hillenburg also instructed that SpongeBob should never have a love interest or romantic relationship, since he is asexual (as all real-life sea sponges are) and too innocent for it.[28]
In 2020, Erica Mendez, a Mexican-American voice actress who has voiced in English dubs for Funimation, Bang Zoom! and Studiopolis,[29] said she identified as asexual.[30] In the eighth episode of The Case Files of Jeweler Richard, Shouko Tanimoto, reveals she is asexual and aromantic indirectly, confessing she has never felt romantic attraction.[31] After being asked if she really wants to marry Homura, she says that she does not know what it means to like someone in a different way than her mom and dad, and adds that "...choosing not to fall in love and never understanding it in the first place aren't the same." Her asexual identity was never expressed in the show directly.
In 2021, the character Lilith Clawthorne from the animated series The Owl House was confirmed as asexual by her voice actor, Cissy Jones, on an Instagram live.[32]
Film
editThe first mainstream feature film to include a canonically asexual character would be Roman Polanski's 1965 British psychological horror film Repulsion, in which main character Carole Ledoux (played by Catherine Deneuve) is a beautiful but shy, eccentric and withdrawn sex-repulsed asexual woman. While some critics and reviewers have noted the film's exploration into the life of a person who does not find sex interesting but rather unpleasant, there is some slight contention surrounding the categorization of Carole as asexual; while canonically asexual, the character is also portrayed as mentally ill and dangerous, and so bothered by sex that she cannot even tolerate the knowledge that her sister and sister's boyfriend repeatedly have sex so loudly that she can hear it. In the film's ending, during which Carole's sister's boyfriend (named Michael) comforts her and carries her away from a judgmental crowd, his compassion is the first time during which she is portrayed as trusting of a man, having had a vague but traumatic and unspoken sexual encounter (implied molestation event) as a child with a much older relative. With this in mind, some critics hold the view that Carole has a phobia of sex caused by trauma rather than being a sex-repulsed asexual, while other critics consider her asexual.[33][34][35][36][37]
The 1982 black comedy Eating Raoul is considered by many to be one of the first blatant examples of an asexual character in a feature film. Main character Paul is a romantic asexual while his wife, Mary, is revealed throughout the story to be a heterosexual woman who stays with Paul simply because she loves him romantically, even though the two never have sex. While Paul is portrayed as paunchy, balding and middle-aged, Mary is portrayed as a physically beautiful blonde nurse, challenging relationship conventions and also portraying the emotional bond between an asexual and a non-asexual.[38][39]
Matthew Goode, who portrayed Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias in the 2009 film Watchmen, has stated that he portrayed the character as being asexual.[40] He also described the character's sexuality as "ambiguous". This was also reflected in the Watchmen TV series.[41]
A 2014 film, The Olivia Experiment, revolves around a 27-year-old grad student named Olivia (played by Skye Noel) who thinks she is asexual, with her asexuality often "questioned and doubted", treated as something temporary.[7][42] As such, she is encouraged to find a way to fit herself "into an allosexual narrative" rather than be asexual.
Literature
editIn works composed prior to the beginning of the twenty-first century, characters are generally automatically assumed to be (allo)sexual[44] and the existence of a character's sexuality is usually never questioned.[44] Several legendary characters are often interpreted as being aroace, including the Greek goddesses Hestia, Athena, Artemis, and Hecate and Kay, Galahad, Bors, the Grail heroine (Percival's sister), and Dinadan in Arthurian legend. Some researchers have found asexual resonances in the writings of 17th-century French poet Catherine Bernard.[45] Arthur Conan Doyle portrayed his character Sherlock Holmes as what would today be classified as asexual,[43] with the intention to characterize him as solely driven by intellect and immune to the desires of the flesh.[43] Sue Bridehead in Thomas Hardy's 1895 novel, Jude the Obscure is portrayed as having an active aversion to sex and is considered by some to be an asexual character.[46]
There are various openly asexual authors, such as short story writer Morgan Bell, English model Yasmin Benoit, and YouTube personality Julie Sondra Decker.[47][48][49][50] New Zealand writer Keri Hulme, the late atheist blogger Niki Massey and video game writer Mikey Neumann also identify as asexual.[51][52]
The 1976 Paul Zindel young adult coming-of-age novel Pardon Me, You're Stepping on My Eyeball! features a canonically asexual character, protagonist Edna Shinglebox, although the direct term "asexual" is not used (did not exist at the time the book was written). Instead, Edna's liberal, sex-positive parents worry that their daughter is "prudish" and that her total lack of interest in sex is a mental health issue. Edna does meet a boyfriend, eccentric student Louis "Marsh" Mellow, but she never expresses interest in sex with him and admits that she has no interest in sex; the two characters remain friends anyway.[53] Kirkus Reviews made note of the harsh way in which Edna is treated for her lack of sexual interest, stating, "pretty but withdrawn Edna's only problem is her mother's pushy obsession with her getting a boyfriend."[54]
In 2017, Book Riot, highlighted a small number of books with asexual characters.[55] Book Riot pointed to characters in Laini Taylor's Days of Blood & Starlight, J.L. Douglas's Lunaside, R.J. Anderson's Quicksilver, and Seanan McGuire Every Heart a Doorway. Tor.com pointed to some of the same books but also highlighted asexual characters in Guardian of the Dead, Banner of the Damned, and Clariel.[56] In 2018, Bustle pointed to three writers who had books with asexual protagonists: Kathryn Ormsbee (Tash Hearts Tolstoy), Claire Kann (Let's Talk About Love), and Alice Oseman (Radio Silence).[57] Oseman's 2020 novel Loveless specifically deals with the protagonist coming to terms with her asexual and aromantic identity while at university.[58] Victoria 'Tori' Spring, a recurring character in their books, was also confirmed asexual in a Tumblr publication.[59]
Comics
editThe Archie Comics character Jughead Jones was likely intended by his creators as an asexual foil to Archie's excessive heterosexuality, but, over the years, this portrayal shifted, with various iterations and reboots of the series implying that he is either gay or heterosexual.[43][60] In 2016, he was confirmed to be asexual in the New Riverdale Jughead comics.[60] The writers of the 2017 television show Riverdale, based on the Archie comics, chose to depict Jughead as a heterosexual despite pleas from both fans and Jughead actor Cole Sprouse to retain Jughead's asexuality and allow the asexual community to be represented alongside the gay and bisexual communities, both represented in the show.[61] This decision sparked conversations about deliberate asexual erasure in the media and its consequences, especially on younger viewers.[62]
Other webcomics had asexual characters. In 2015, Alix was introduced in Sex Criminals.[63] While other characters in the story are able to freeze time when they orgasm, Alix freezes time through the adrenaline rush of BASE jumping. In 2019, Bo came out to her friend, Lola, in an issue of the Dutch teen dramedy romance webcomic Acception.[64] The same year, Diane, in issue #68 of Lumberjanes, says to Hes: "...I like you too. But I don't have any interest in kissing or junk like that" and has never had interest in kissing anyone.[65] On the following page, she still says she has romantic feelings toward Hes, but not sexual ones.
Edward St. John Gorey, an American writer and artist noted for his illustrated books,[66] is asexual. When asked what his sexual orientation was in an interview, he said that he is "neither one thing nor the other particularly...apparently reasonably undersexed or something."[67] Edward Gorey agreed in an interview that the "sexlessness" of his works was a product of his asexuality.[68] Similarly, American cartoonist, Maia Kobabe, is queer, nonbinary,[69] asexual.[70] and uses Spivak pronouns.[71]
Live-action television
editGilligan, the eponymous character of the 1960s television series Gilligan's Island, would today be classified as asexual.[43] The producers of the show likely portrayed him in this way to make him more relatable to young male viewers of the show who had not yet reached puberty and had therefore presumably not yet experienced sexual desire. Gilligan's asexual nature also allowed the producers to orchestrate intentionally comedic situations in which Gilligan spurns the advances of attractive females. Asexuality as a sexual identity, rather than as a biological entity, became more widely discussed in the media in the beginning of the twenty-first century.[1] The Fox Network series House represented an "asexual" couple in the episode "Better Half". However, this representation has been questioned by members of the asexual community (including David Jay, the founder of the Asexual Visibility and Education Network), calling it "disturbing but not unexpected," while others, in a petition to FOX executives, wrote that the episode encourages viewers to see asexuality skeptically, rather than accept it, "to probe asexual people for causes of our 'condition' rather than to accept us as a part of the natural spectrum of human sexual diversity."[72] This led to controversy over the representation and a petition on change.org for Fox Network to reconsider how it represents asexual characters in the future, stating it "represented asexuality very poorly by attributing it to both medical illness and deception."[72]
In a 2013 episode, the character Evan Waxman proclaims his asexual identity upon his first appearance in of the web series High Maintenance; the character, portrayed by Avery Monsen, reappears in several episodes, including the series' subsequent continuation on HBO.[73][74][75] In the 2010s series, Faking It, Brad briefly exclaims his orientation in an episode about labels.[76] In a fourth series episode of Game of Thrones, the spymaster Varys (Conleth Hill) derides the role of "desire" in plunging Westeros into civil war, and the show distinguishes him from other eunuch characters by stating his asexuality prior to his castration, and portraying his celibacy after.[17]
In 2017, on the British soap opera Emmerdale, 15-year-old character Liv Flaherty revealed that she fancies neither boys nor girls, leading to speculation that she might be asexual.[77] Additionally, the television series Shadowhunters, based on the book series The Mortal Instruments, includes the asexual character Raphael Santiago[78] and Norman Reedus, who voices Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead, stated that he reads the character as asexual.[79] At the same time, Valentina "Voodoo" Dunacci in Sirens, was the "focus of a major storyline" where she has a strong bond with Brian, who is not "asexual but is hopelessly in love with Val."[17] while Florence in Sex Education calls asexuality when "someone has no sexual attraction to any sex or gender," but that it is not the be-all, end-all of relationships.[80]
In the tenth episode of the seventh season of American superhero series Legends of Tomorrow, broadcast in January 2022, one of the main characters, Esperanza "Spooner" Cruz, stated that she does not feel attraction to any gender, leading to a conversation where she identifies as asexual.[81] The Imperfects featured an asexual succubus character in 2022.
In early 2022, a Japanese drama series centered around asexuality and aromanticism, Koisenu Futari (As Two People Who Can't Fall in Love), was produced by NHK. The main characters, Sakuko and Takahashi, both aroace (short for aromantic asexual), start living together for convenience and raise awareness around them, educating family and friends, as they try to reinvent what it means to be a family.[82]
Indian actress, Sriti Jha identifies as asexual as does television personality Caitlyn Jenner, stand-up comedian Paula Poundstone, and Japanese model and actor Satsuki Nakayama.[83][84][85][86][87][88]
In Becoming Karl Lagerfeld (2024), Karl Lagerfeld (Daniel Brühl) is portrayed as asexual.[89]
Music
editCavetown has stated that he is asexual, aromantic,[90][91] and transgender.[92] Another musician, Bradford Cox, has described himself as gay,[93] though he previously has stated that he leads a non-sexual/asexual lifestyle.[94][95] However, in a 2011 interview with Rolling Stone, Cox said that he no longer identifies as asexual but rather as queer: "For a long time I just said I was asexual, but now I just realized that... I'm still, I guess... I mean, I'm queer. I just sort of, don't really have a very big self-esteem, so asexuality is sort of like a comfort zone where you don't get rejected."[96] Cox stated in an October 19, 2016, radio interview: "There's so many types of sexuality, but one that I think is overlooked is to be asexual. I am absolutely asexual. I am a virgin at 34 years old."[97]
Radio
editIn 2020, Sir Fitzroy Maplecourt, in the podcast The Adventure Zone: Graduation, is portrayed by Griffin McElroy, who said in a Q&A episode that he thinks of Fitzroy as asexual.[98] The same year, Jet Sikuliaq, in The Penumbra Podcast was confirmed as asexual and aromantic.[99] Also, Jonathan Sims in The Magnus Archives, the head archivist of the Magnus Institute, has also been described as biromantic.[100] His voice actor, Jonathan Sims, noted that although he's asexual, Jon wouldn't actively identify as such.[101]
Video games
editIn 2019, The Outer Worlds, Parvati Holcomb, crew and party member on the Player's ship "The Unreliable," acting as the ship's engineer, expresses professional and later romantic interest in Junlei Tennyson (chief engineer of a major space station in the game), and they become a couple. Narrative designer Kate Dollarhyde, an asexual woman who is also biromantic, was excited they were inheriting this character, saying she was glad to "bring that personal experience to the audience," making her character different from other companions.[102] In the quest, The Unplanned Variable, the player character has the option to relate to Parvati's feelings about sexual intimacy, and can add that, unlike her, they are not interested in romance, too.
Web series
editCaduceus Clay, in the web series Critical Role, is asexual and aromantic. In episode 114 of campaign 2, he states that "[sex] is not really my thing".[103]: 45:28 Player Taliesin Jaffe tweeted in support of Asexual Awareness Week in regards to the character[104] and then confirmed on Talks Machina that he planned on the character being asexual from the beginning but had waited for an organic moment to reveal it.[105] In episode 14 of the web series Dimension 20: A Crown of Candy, Liam Wilhelmina comes out to his father as asexual.[106] Additionally, Percival King / Percy in the web series, Epithet Erased is a police officer with a strict moral code, values order and safety, and is asexual. The creator of the show, Brendan Blaber, confirmed that she is asexual and may also be aromantic.[107] He also said that while Percy is female and asexual, it was his "intention to leave everything beyond that point up to the viewer," adding that headcanons of fans that she is trans, non-binary, autistic, or anything else, is valid.[108]
Evan Edinger, an American-born YouTuber based in London, England,[109][110] identifies as being on the asexual spectrum, near demisexual.[111] Edinger is known for his "British VS American" series, in which he compares topics such as exams, healthcare systems and taxes with guest YouTubers from Britain.[112]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Kelemen, Erick (2007). "Asexuality". In Fedwa Malti-Douglas (ed.). Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender. Vol. 1. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA. p. 103. Retrieved May 2, 2016 – via Archive.org.
- ^ Kate, Lyons (September 1, 2012). "Prejudice Against "Group X" (Asexuals)". Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, LLC. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ Jankowski, Laura (February 27, 2015). "Too Niche". Jim C. Hines. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
- ^ Jankowski, Laura (February 28, 2019). "Asexual Representation in Mainstream Speculative Fiction". Book Smugglers. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
- ^ "Asexual Representation". SiOWfa15 Science in Our World Certainty and Controversy. Penn State University. April 15, 2014. Archived from the original on January 31, 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
- ^ Phin, Rose Vanessa [@wordfey] (August 10, 2017). "Jo: Asexual characters are frequently secondary, not written as protagonists. #worldcon75 #asexuality" (Tweet). Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b Jankowski, Lauren (August 3, 2015). "We're Not Broken: Asexual Characters in Pop Culture". Bitch. Bitch Media. Archived from the original on April 8, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
- ^ goliathelisashippers (July 9, 2014). "CONvergence 2014 Schedule". Tumblr. Yahoo, Inc. Archived from the original on March 10, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
- ^ Delatte, Thomas (August 6, 2019). "20 Cartoon Characters We Totally Forgot Were Gay". thethings. Archived from the original on March 10, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
- ^ GLAAD 2017, p. 3.
- ^ Baker-Whitelaw, Gavia (January 16, 2017). "The CW rewrote Jughead's sexuality for 'Riverdale,' against the actor's wishes". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019.
- ^ GLAAD 2017, p. 4.
- ^ GLAAD 2017, p. 4, 8.
- ^ GLAAD 2017, p. 10–11, 13.
- ^ Kliegman, Julie. "Todd's Asexuality On 'BoJack' Isn't A Perfect Depiction, But It's Made Me Feel Understood". Bustle. Archived from the original on April 19, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
- ^ Crittenton, Anya (October 25, 2018). "LGBTQ characters on television reach record high". Gay Star News. Archived from the original on December 6, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Ghaleb, Sara (March 26, 2018). "Asexuality is still hugely misunderstood. TV is slowly changing that". Vox. Archived from the original on May 8, 2020.
- ^ GLAAD 2018, p. 7, 9, 11–13, 15.
- ^ GLAAD 2019, p. 7, 8, 10–13.
- ^ Medrano, Vivienne [@VivziePop] (October 11, 2018). "Angel and Alastor are old men who don't understand anything anymore 👍 I hope everyone on this #NationalComingOutDay2018 stays safe and stays proud 🥰" (Tweet). Archived from the original on February 8, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ Faustisse (January 5, 2020). "💖 Inking the Hazbin Hotel ALASTOR Comic💖". YouTube. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
- ^ Peterson, Maya [@rnn_tweet] (March 10, 2020). "Word of Saint Paul, I know, but if it hasn't been said by now, Peridot's sendoff episode, it probably never will be said. Peridot's interest in shipping and romance is anthropological, and she's not about fusion. She's the ace and aro rep" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 13, 2020. Retrieved April 5, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ Peterson, Maya [@rnn_tweet] (March 11, 2020). "It means whatever I say is not Word of God, the ultimate authority. As a secondary creator involved in the show, what I say is true of conversations I was in the room for and took part in, but can be negated or clarified by a higher authority" (Tweet). Archived from the original on March 11, 2020. Retrieved April 5, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ Baron, Reuben (March 14, 2020). "Steven Universe: A Crystal Gem Is Confirmed As Asexual". CBR. Archived from the original on March 15, 2020. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
- ^ Alptraum, Lux (July 9, 2018). "Steven Universe's message of love is emphatically queer". Polygon. Archived from the original on July 31, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
- ^ "Camp cartoon star 'is not gay'". BBC News. October 9, 2002. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ^ "SpongeBob is asexual, says creator". The Age. January 29, 2005. Archived from the original on April 25, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- ^ Waller, Vincent [@VincentWaller72] (May 20, 2016). "Probably not. It's definitely on the Steve short list, of NOs" (Tweet). Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ "About – Erica Mendez". Erica Mendez Voice. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
- ^ Mendez, Erica [@tsunderica] (July 2, 2020). "My twitter is a safe space for all LGBTQIA+ people, but as an ace myself, this particularly resonates with me \o/ https://t.co/oWv2JRW6At" (Tweet). Archived from the original on July 3, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ Silverman, Rebecca. "The Case Files of Jeweler Richard 1-12 Streaming [Review]". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 25, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
The theme goes on to be developed in the story of Seigi's crush Tanimoto, who feels no sexual or romantic attraction to anyone but thinks she should marry to be "normal," as well as in Richard's own past...it's not a theme we often see in anime
- ^ Belos X (March 18, 2022). OFFICIAL!! LILITH IS ASEXUAL. YouTube. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
- ^ Burleigh, Samuel. "Repulsion: Sexual Repression, Mental Illness, and The Malevolence of Beauty". the-artifice.com. The Artifice. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
- ^ Walter Cheely, Daniel. "Repulsion – A Roman Polanski Film. Fourth Review in The Haunted Apartment Series". thebooksofdaniel.com. The Books of Daniel. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
- ^ "TCM Underground: The Brood (1979) and Repulsion (1965)". the-avocado.org. The Avocado. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
- ^ "Repulsion (Movie Review)". bloodygoodhorror.com. Bloody Good Horror. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
- ^ Smalley, Gregory J. "3. REPULSION (1965)". 366weirdmovies.com. 366 Weird Movies. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
- ^ "Eating Raoul (1982)". filmfanatic.org. FilmFanatic. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
- ^ Williams, John H. "Eating Raoul (1982)". www.filmhydra.com. FilmHydra. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
- ^ Marshall, Rick (October 7, 2008). "Matthew Goode On Ozymandias' Sexuality And CGI Creatures". MTV. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- ^ Commons, Jess (November 3, 2019). "'Watchmen': Jeremy Irons' Enigmatic Role Revealed". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 5, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- ^ "About". Official website of The Olivia Experiment. 2020. Archived from the original on February 21, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
Olivia decides to film her weekend's "experiment" with Julian, saying she hopes to advance the discourse on asexuality – but ignoring her roomie James' warning this sounds like a terrible idea. With the help of CJ, a lesbian camerawoman, Olivia begins her weekend's adventure with her "loaner" boyfriend.
- ^ a b c d e Bogaert, Anthony (2012). Understanding Asexuality. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc. pp. 36–39. ISBN 978-1-4422-0099-9.
- ^ a b Jackson, Stevi; Scott, Sue (2010). Theorizing Sexuality. Maidenhead: Open UP.. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
- ^ Waters, Michael (March 6, 2020). "Asexuality Is Often Dismissed as an "Internet Identity." But in Reality, "Aces" Existed Well Before They Could Log On". Slate Magazine. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ Krieger, Elliot (January 11, 2016). "Sue Bridhead's asexuality in Jude the Obscure". Elliot's Reading. Archived from the original on June 23, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020. Elliot is a former reporter-editor at the Providence Journal.
- ^ Beller, Jerry. "Morgan Bell". Author Alliance. Archived from the original on August 14, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
- ^ Jaffray, Chris (March 5, 2019). "The + in LGBTQ+: An Interview with Yasmin Benoit, Asexual Activist and Model". The Nopebook. Archived from the original on November 1, 2019. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
- ^ Benoit, Yasmin (August 11, 2018). "I'm Asexual, And I'm A Lingerie Model. Here's How I Balance The Two". HuffPost UK. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
- ^ Nichols, James (October 22, 2013). "'Asexuality: An Overview' By Julie Decker Explains A Frequently Misunderstood Identity". The Huffington Post. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
- ^ "Hulme, Keri". Hulme, Keri - Oxford Reference. Oxford University Press. 2016. doi:10.1093/acref/9780191823510.001.0001. ISBN 9780191823510. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
- ^ Tremblay, Kaitlin (2017). Ain't No Place for a Hero: Borderlands. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1773050775.
- ^ Zindel, Paul (1976). Pardon Me, You're Stepping on My Eyeball!. Harper Trophy. ISBN 0-553-26690-X.
- ^ "Pardon Me, You're Stepping on My Eyeball!". www.kirkusreviews.com. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
- ^ Stepaniuk, Casey (May 11, 2017). "100 Must-Read LGBTQIA YA Books". Book Riot. Archived from the original on May 24, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
- ^ Stubby the Rocket (April 11, 2016). "Five Books With Asexual Protagonists". Tor.com. Macmillan Publishers. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
- ^ Foley, Maddy (June 21, 2018). "3 YA Writers Share Why They Wrote Books With Asexual Protagonists". Bustle. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
- ^ Henderson, Taylor (March 2, 2021). "Alice Oseman Reveals Cover for Aromantic YA Novel Loveless". Pride. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
- ^ chronicintrovert. "Post by chronicintrovert". Tumblr.
Tori canonically identifies as straight in Solitaire, but I personally think she is actually on the aro/ace spectrums (I also thought I was straight when I wrote that book, then later of course discovered I was aroace haha)
- ^ a b "Archie Comic Reveals Jughead Is Asexual". Vulture. February 8, 2016. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
- ^ "Cole Sprouse Is Bummed That RIVERDALE's Jughead Isn't Asexual". Nerdist. January 27, 2017. Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
- ^ Revanche, Jonno. "'Riverdale's' Asexual Erasure Can Be More Harmful Than You Think". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
- ^ "Sex Criminals #13". CBR. October 16, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
- ^ Coco "Colourbee" Ouwerkerk (w, a). "Episode 78" Acception, vol. 1, no. 78 (December 9, 2019). Internet (webcomic): Webtoon.
- ^ Kanesha C. Bryant (w, a). "Shannon Watters" Its A Myth-Terry, vol. 17, no. 68, p. 22/5 (November 27, 2019). United States: Boom! Studios, 84428400378068011.
- ^ Kelley, Tina (April 16, 2000). "Edward Gorey, Eerie Illustrator And Writer, 75". The New York Times.
- ^ Gottlieb, Robert (December 31, 2018). "Superb Oddities: Robert Gottlieb Reviews a Biography of Edward Gorey". The New York Times.
- ^ Gorey, Edward (2002). Ascending Peculiarity: Edward Gorey on Edward Gorey. Harvest Books. ISBN 978-0-15-601291-1.
- ^ "About - Maia Kobabe". redgoldsparkspress.com. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
- ^ Kobabe, Maia (May 28, 2019). Gender Queer: A Memoir. ISBN 978-1549304002.
- ^ a trans podcast (January 28, 2020). "While I'm threading, I'll add that this person emailed me to tell me about e/em pronouns as if he invented them..." Twitter. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
- ^ a b Clark-Flory, Tracy (February 1, 2012). ""House" gets asexuality wrong". Salon. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
- ^ Terry, Josh (September 14, 2016). "10 'High Maintenance' episodes that prove it's the best web series ever". RedEye Chicago. Archived from the original on April 19, 2020.
- ^ Kornhaber, Spencer (February 15, 2020). "How 'High Maintenance' Creates Ethical Tension". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
- ^ Winchester, Beth (February 17, 2020). "High Maintenance 4x02 Review: "Trick"". The Young Folks. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
- ^ Mathers, Charlie (October 25, 2018). "15 asexual characters you can find on your screen". Gay Star News. Archived from the original on June 15, 2020.
- ^ "Is teenager Liv asexual in new Emmerdale storyline?". October 12, 2017. Archived from the original on August 17, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
- ^ "'Shadowhunters' Confirms Raphael Is Asexual, Stays in Canon with Book Series". Hidden Remote. March 7, 2017. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020.
- ^ Acuna, Kirsten (October 14, 2019). "'The Walking Dead' star Norman Reedus says he has read Daryl as asexual and even receives fan mail thanking him for it". Insider. Archived from the original on June 23, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- ^ Dodgson, Lindsay (January 18, 2020). "The 11 best lessons season 2 of Netflix's 'Sex Education' teaches you about real-life sex and relationships". Insider. Archived from the original on June 23, 2020.
- ^ Opie, David (January 27, 2022). "Legends of Tomorrow just introduced TV's first asexual superhero". Digital Spy. Hearst UK. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
- ^ Hiroki, Ito; Midori, Iki; Honomi, Honma (March 21, 2022). "NHK TV drama sheds light on lives of asexual, aromantic people". The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
- ^ "What happens when you don't like sex? - Sriti Jha | Spoken Fest Mumbai'20". YouTube. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
- ^ "Kumkum Bhagya Actress Sriti Jha Recites a Beautiful Poem On 'I Am Asexual' at Spoken Fest Mumbai 2020 (Watch Video)". LatestLY. March 23, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
- ^ Yahr, Emily (April 24, 2015). "Bruce Jenner's in-depth interview: 'For all intents and purposes, I am a woman'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ^ "Bruce Jenner Comes Out as Transgender Woman: How Family, Celebrities Reacted". NBC News. April 24, 2015. Archived from the original on April 25, 2015. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
- ^ Nesti, Robert (August 21, 2013). "Paula Poundstone Lives Her Life In Her Comedy". Edge Media Network. Archived from the original on August 10, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
- ^ "無性愛 [Asexuality]". 中山咲月 公式ブログ (in Japanese). Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ Powers, John (January 27, 2022). "'Becoming Karl Lagerfeld' is the smart, dishy backstory of a style icon". NPR. NPR. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
- ^ Cavetown [@CAVETOWN] (September 17, 2019). "Ace and aro are spectrums! I still identify with both :)" (Tweet). Retrieved December 27, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ Cavetown [@CAVETOWN] (September 17, 2019). "sike" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Cavetown apologises for resurfaced anti-semitic, racist and transphobic comments". Gay Times. September 12, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ Aaron, Charles (2008). "Pretzel Logic". Spin Magazine (April 2008). Spin Media LLC: 76–82.
- ^ "Search". Clatl.com. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
- ^ Young, Logan K. "Deerhunter". Trouser Press.
...a non-practicing homosexual.
- ^ Perpetua, Matthew (November 7, 2011). "Bradford Cox Talks Nervous Breakdown, New Atlas Sound Album". Rolling Stone.
- ^ Abad, Mario (October 1, 2016). "Deerhunter's Bradford Cox Says He Is Asexual And A Virgin – PAPER". Papermag.com. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
- ^ "The Adventure Zone Zone: MaxFunDrive 2020". The Adventure Zone on Maximum Fun. July 30, 2020. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021.
- ^ "Juno Steel and the Tools of Rust (P2)". The Penumbra Podcast. Archived from the original on January 31, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- ^ "Season 4 Q&A Part 1". acast. November 28, 2019. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020.
- ^ Sims, Jonathan [@jonnywaistcoat] (June 21, 2018). "You are :) Although whether that's how the Archivist himself would actively identify, who knows? He's never struck me as the sort to discuss that sort of thing particularly openly" (Tweet). Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ Hall, Charlie (October 31, 2019). "The story behind Parvati, the internet's favorite Outer Worlds companion". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on May 13, 2020.
- ^ "An Open Window | Critical Role | Campaign 2, Episode 114". Youtube. Critical Role. November 2, 2020.
Caduceus: 'Not really my thing'
- ^ Jaffe, Taliesin [@executivegoth] (October 30, 2020). "It was all @matthewmercer. I've been sitting on this for ages wondering if it was EVER gonna come up naturally. And it's Ace Week? Holy shit! <3" (Tweet). Retrieved November 9, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ Critical Role Stats [@CritRoleStats] (November 10, 2020). "From the beginning, Taliesin planned Clay as ace, all his energy directed into other places. He didn't want to bring it up, organic only. It was nice that it came up organically, though less nice in costume. #TalksMachina" (Tweet). Retrieved November 11, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ Dimension 20 [@dimension20show] (July 22, 2020). "'Can I just tell you right now? I'm asexual.' – Liam Wilhelmina" (Tweet). Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020 – via Twitter.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Zora is canonically bisexual and I write Percy as ace (maybe aro too? I'd have to talk to her original player about that). Because Percy is ace nothing sexual would ever happen between her and Zora". Tumblr. December 24, 2019. Archived from the original on June 23, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020. (This Tumblr is the blog of Brendan Blaber. He is responding to the question "Hi jello! First off, I adore epithet erased, so thank you!!! Second off, for the characters, have you decided if any of them are LGBTQ+? How do you feel about the LGBT headcanons?....")
- ^ "Percy is asexual and she identifies as female, but it was always my intention to leave everything beyond that point up to the viewer. Is she trans? Is she a non-binary woman? Is she on the autism spectrum? I don't know! Sure! She's whatever you want her to be!". Tumblr. January 6, 2020. Archived from the original on June 23, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020. (This Tumblr is the blog of Brendan Blaber. He is responding to the question "Will any non-binary characters be showing up?")
- ^ Edinger, Evan (April 23, 2015). "Life as a YouTube star". BBC Newshour (Interview). Retrieved April 24, 2015.
- ^ "21 Times Evan Edinger's Puns Made Us Want to Throw Twitter Out a Window - New Media Rockstars". New Media Rockstars.
- ^ Edinger, Evan (February 14, 2019). "This is what it's like to celebrate Valentine's Day as an asexual person". independent.co.uk.
- ^ Ifield, Jordan (May 7, 2020). "Youtubers suffer drops in advertising income despite increase of online audiences during lockdown". SWLondoner.
Further reading
edit- The Asexual Visibility and Education Network
- GLAAD (2017). Where We Are on TV Report – 2017 (PDF) (Report). GLAAD.
- Pasquier, Morgan (October 27, 2018). "Explore the spectrum: Guide to finding your ace community". GLAAD.
- GLAAD (2019). Where We Are on TV Report – 2019 (PDF) (Report). GLAAD.
- Why I Find BoJack Horseman's Depiction of Asexuality Deeply Relatable by Michael Cuby
- Home page of the Demisexuality Resource Center
- Home page of the Asexuality Archive