I had never seen asexuality in Black television, movies, or literature growing up. I hoped for someone like Spooner when I was a teenager. Seeing her on television as a teen would have helped me sort out my feelings. I didn’t discover I was asexual until age 26, partially due to not knowing that asexuality was something I could have possibly been. I would have loved to have learned about asexuality at a much younger age and been told it’s okay and normal to not be interested in sex. I’m so happy that there is now more LGBTQ representation on television, and that young people can now access so much information on the vast assortment of LGBTQ identities. The increase in asexual characters since I came out six years ago is a welcoming sight, but we are still lacking in Black asexual representation. That being said, I am thankful for the Black aces who are making their voices heard, people like Yasmin Benoit. Identifying as aroace (aromantic asexual), Benoit is a model, activist, and the creator of the hashtag, #Thisiswhatasexualitylookslike.
'By embracing asexuality and all its intersections, the LGBTQ community can draw closer to destroying those false stereotypes around sexuality and help people embrace exactly who they are. As Audre Lorde said, “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.”'
It is time to start celebrating Black asexuality in media by Tyger Songbird For LGBTQ Nation (2022)
