The 'A' Stands for ‘Asexual’: Finding and Sharing Queer Stories

Asexy Life (2010), pp. 14-15.

Finding asexual stories in the historical archive -- both at The ArQuives and from other sources -- involves interacting with complex, highly personal perspectives from varied historical contexts. With the definitive language only taking shape in the 1970s, ace history faces similar difficulties as other queer histories: how do we find that which has no name? And, in the case of asexual stories, how do we prove the absence of something?

These issues are compounded by the cyclical debates around sex, sexuality, and celibacy in queer activist circles. We have found examples of single, celibate women having to justify their experiences to their friends and peers; but we have also found examples of women using their rejection of compulsory sexuality as a touchstone of their identity and tool of their activism. Stories of women like Alice Hamilton prove that a life led in pursuit of platonic connection and passion-driven work are most attainable with the support of one’s community.

Decades later, the conversation continued as folks on the ace spectrum discussed how best to support one another and address community inequities online and in zines. These conversations, like the periodicals before them, preserve a snapshot of debate and offer intimate insight into contributors’ inner worlds. 

We hope that these stories resonate with modern asexual readers and that you come away with a new connection to those who came before us. Asexual history is queer history; long before current names and identifiers, we have found each other and forged spaces that reject oppressive societal norms. We have always been here -- with different language and different contexts, but the same human desire to be known.

This exhibit was researched, written, and curated by Lex Flavelle (she/they), York University, in 2024.