05/05/2021
Congratulations to Stephanie Konadu-Acheampong ‘21 on completing her honors project!
“An Invisible Spectrum: Navigating Society as an Asexual Woman of Color”
Research on asexuality is fairly recent, and the area is still relatively understudied. While previous studies have examined demographic factors associated with asexual populations—including gender diversity, few have studied how these demographic factors might impact asexual individuals’ experiences; further, despite the mutually reinforcing nature of race, gender, and asexuality, few studies have examined them in tandem. To address this gap, the current study drew upon interviews, conducted with seven asexual (ace) women of color. Using the consensual qualitative research method, six themes emerged from the data: (1) negotiation of insider/outsider status, (2) questioning identity/identity uncertainty, (3) family and cultural expectations, (4) societal reception and perception of asexuality, (5) otherization from American society and its effects, (6) support networks and resilience. The findings highlight the unique challenges that aces experience resulting from living at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities— sexual orientation, ethnic/racial identity, and gender— and how they create space to express themselves despite invalidations from American society, their racial/ethnic community, religious communities, the ace community, and the LGBTQ+ community. The implications of this study address the unique needs of ace women of color’s wellbeing,
belonging, and identity development, including emphasizing the importance of healthy and affirming relationships.
