Asexual characters in fiction

Asexual people have a lack of sexual attraction to others, or low or absent interest in or desire for sexual activity.[1][2][3] It may be considered a sexual orientation or the lack thereof.[4][5] It may also be categorized more widely to include a broad spectrum of asexual sub-identities.[6] Asexuality is distinct from abstention from sexual activity and from celibacy,[7][8] which are behavioral and generally motivated by factors such as an individual's personal, social, or religious beliefs.[9] Sexual orientation, unlike sexual behavior, is believed to be "enduring".[10] Some asexual people engage in sexual activity despite lacking sexual attraction or a desire for sex, due to a variety of reasons, such as a desire to pleasure themselves or romantic partners, or a desire to have children.[7][11] This page examines asexual characters in fictional works as a whole, focusing on characters and tropes in cinema and fantasy.

For a list of fictional asexual characters, see List of fictional asexual characters. For information on aphobia and arophobia, see Discrimination against asexual people. For asexual history, see Timeline of asexual history.
Demonstrators at Pride in London 2015, including several wearing asexual colors

For more information about fictional characters in other parts of the LGBTQ community, see the corresponding pages about intersex, pansexual, non-binary, lesbian, and gay characters in fiction.

Asexual characters and tropes
A picture of the asexual activist David Jay in June 2006

Representation for asexual people in fiction has always been mixed, with strong prejudice against asexuals and asexual erasure.[12] In general there has been a lack of representation of asexual characters in media.[13][14] The latter is connected with the issue that many characters are "suspected to be asexual," but are not explicitly stated as asexual.[15] In the 2010s, more characters have appeared in TV and films, but is often portrayed as a fixable problem, as tropes for asexual and aromantic people are common.[16][17] In the case of the "Better Half" episode of House, the founder of the Asexual Visibility and Education Network, David Jay, criticized the representation, 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."[17] Furthermore, asexual characters are often secondary and are not protagonists.[18] One writer, Lauren Jankowski, for Bitch described the state of representation in a 2015 article, writing that:

Not welcoming asexuals to participate in shaping the portrayals of asexuality in mainstream media has resulted in grossly inaccurate and damaging depictions of this orientation. Most allosexual people can name a fictional character who can be interpreted as asexual, but very few can name a single real-life asexual writer, director, actor, or other artist. The beautiful art and contributions asexual-identifying people make to society will continue to be suppressed as long as these negative portrayals and beliefs continue to go unchallenged...In the meantime, here's to hoping we see an asexual character soon whose orientation is treated as normal—not a problem to fix.

This lack of representation was also reflected in a 2017 list by Book Riot which included only four books with asexual characters,[19] along with eight books highlighted by Tor and Bustle.[20][21] The same year, 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."[22] In the same report, they noted that while Jughead is asexual in the Archie comics,[23] the series by The CW is not making him asexual, adding that "the ace community remains nearly invisible in media."[24] They pointed to Raphael Santiago in Shadowhunters as the "only asexual character...on all of cable television"[25] 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.[26]

In 2018 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."[27] The same year GLAAD found one asexual character, Todd on BoJack Horseman, on American cable television and streaming platforms.[28] This fact was reflected in GLAAD's reports in 2018 and 2019. In the first of these reports said that Todd and Raphael had remained, while "no additional asexual characters have been added" and that there are "still no ace characters on broadcast."[29] This report also described Todd as "the only asexual character on streaming services," adding that as Raphael is on the way out as the series ends, they hoped to "see other series step in to fill the void."[30] The second report noted that Todd remained the only asexual character on broadcast and streaming services, with no additional asexual characters.[31]

Prominent examples
Cosplay on day two of Montreal Comiccon 2015. Peridot (from Steven Universe); image by Pikawil from Laval, Canada on July 4, 2015

While Todd Chavez in Bojack Horseman is one of the most prominent examples of asexual characters in popular culture at the present, he is not alone. For one, there is Alastor in the mature adult animation, Hazbin Hotel. Series creator Vivienne Medrano confirmed him as asexual and aromantic.[32][33] There's also Peridot in Steven Universe. On her Twitter, storyboard artist Maya Petersen stated that Peridot is asexual and aromantic on her Twitter,[34] even though she said her word is not "the ultimate authority" on the matter.[35] This asexual identity was never expressed in the show directly.[36] 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.[37] Apart from these characters, there is SpongeBob SquarePants in SpongeBob SquarePants. In an interview with Stephen Hillenburg in 2002, he stated that SpongeBob is neither gay or straight but in fact is asexual.[38] This was once again clarified in 2005, because of controversy about SpongeBob and Patrick's sexual orientations.[39] 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.[40]

See also

References

Citations
  1. Robert L. Crooks; Karla Baur (2016). Our Sexuality. Cengage Learning. p. 300. ISBN 978-1305887428. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
  2. Katherine M. Helm (2015). Hooking Up: The Psychology of Sex and Dating. ABC-CLIO. p. 32. ISBN 978-1610699518. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
  3. Kelly, Gary F. (2004). "Chapter 12". Sexuality Today: The Human Perspective (7 ed.). McGraw-Hill. p. 401. ISBN 978-0-07-255835-7Asexuality is a condition characterized by a low interest in sex.
  4. Marshall Cavendish, ed. (2010). "Asexuality". Sex and Society. 2. Marshall Cavendish. pp. 82–83. ISBN 978-0-7614-7906-2. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  5. Bogaert, AF (April 2015). "Asexuality: What It Is and Why It Matters". The Journal of Sex Research. 52 (4): 362–379. doi:10.1080/00224499.2015.1015713. PMID 25897566. S2CID 23720993.
  6. Scherrer, Kristin (2008). "Coming to an Asexual Identity: Negotiating Identity, Negotiating Desire". Sexualities. 11 (5): 621–641. doi:10.1177/1363460708094269. PMC 2893352. PMID 20593009.
  7. Margaret Jordan Halter; Elizabeth M. Varcarolis (2013). Varcarolis' Foundations of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 382. ISBN 978-1-4557-5358-1. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  8. DePaulo, Bella (September 26, 2011). "ASEXUALS: Who Are They and Why Are They Important?". Psychology Today. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
  9. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (3d ed. 1992), entries for celibacy and thence abstinence.
  10. "Sexual orientation, homosexuality and bisexuality". American Psychological Association. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  11. Prause, Nicole; Cynthia A. Graham (August 2004). "Asexuality: Classification and Characterization" (PDF). Archives of Sexual Behavior. 36 (3): 341–356. doi:10.1007/s10508-006-9142-3. PMID 17345167. S2CID 12034925. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2007. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
  12. 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.
  13. Jankowski, Laura (February 27, 2015). "Too Niche". Jim C. Hines. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  14. 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.
  15. "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.
  16. 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.
  17. Clark-Flory, Tracy (February 1, 2012). ""House" gets asexuality wrong". Salon. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  18. 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.
  19. Stepaniuk, Casey (May 11, 2017). "100 Must-Read LGBTQIA YA Books". Book Riot. Riot Media Group. Archived from the original on May 24, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  20. 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.
  21. Foley, Maddy (June 21, 2018). "3 YA Writers Share Why They Wrote Books With Asexual Protagonists". Bustle (magazine). Bustle Digital Group. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  22. GLAAD 2017, p. 3.
  23. 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.
  24. GLAAD 2017, p. 4.
  25. GLAAD 2017, p. 4, 8.
  26. GLAAD 2017, p. 10-11, 13.
  27. Ghaleb, Sara (March 26, 2018). "Asexuality is still hugely misunderstood. TV is slowly changing that". Vox. Archived from the original on May 8, 2020.
  28. Crittenton, Anya (October 25, 2018). "LGBTQ characters on television reach record high". Gay Star News. Archived from the original on December 6, 2019.
  29. GLAAD 2018, p. 7, 9, 11.
  30. GLAAD 2018, p. 12, 13, 15.
  31. GLAAD 2019, p. 7, 8, 10-13.
  32. 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.
  33. Faustisse (January 5, 2020). "💖 Inking the Hazbin Hotel ALASTOR Comic💖". YouTube. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  34. 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.
  35. 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.
  36. 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.
  37. 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.
  38. "Camp cartoon star 'is not gay'". BBC News. October 9, 2002. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  39. "SpongeBob is asexual, says creator". The Age. January 29, 2005. Archived from the original on April 25, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  40. Vincent Waller [@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.

Sources
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