Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black Asexual Lens on Our Sex-Obsessed Culture by Sherronda J. Brown

16 reviews

peggy_racham's review against another edition

4.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual harassment, Slavery, Biphobia, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Outing, Forced institutionalization, Acephobia/Arophobia, Body shaming, Medical trauma, Addiction, Racism, Violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Hate crime, Rape, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia

cogowno's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexism, Acephobia/Arophobia, Racism, and Misogyny

ghosthermione's review against another edition

5.0

I read this back in 2022 as an ARC. I had big plans to review it, as it absolutely blew my mind and I highlighted about 500 sentences that were either impactful or resonated with me. 
And then i put so much pressure on myself about doing the book justice that I ended up never writing that review. 
The gyst of it is, this book should be compulsory reading. Especially for anyone interested in sexuality, race, gender, and the intersection of the three. It felt like it was articulating things I somehow knew but hadn't quite been able to put words to. And then went deeper than that into aspects I'd not even begun to consider. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Transphobia, Rape, Acephobia/Arophobia, Racism, Colonisation, Misogyny, and Sexual violence

workingdaley's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

I feel like this is a deeply important read for every queer person, especially Black asexuals. It's deeply important for us to be able to understand asexuality in general, as it's a very misunderstood orientation, but I feel it's especially important to understand asexuality through a Black lens. This book managed to not only speak to some of the thoughts about my asexuality as a Black person that I was only partially able to articulate before reading this, but also speaks a lot to my disconnect with gender and my disconnect with the "human experience" as someone who is Black, asexual, aromantic, agender, and autistic. It also manages to speak to my frustrations with the realization that I've fallen out of the chrononormative structure that's been set out for me. And while my hesitations around marriage and children were going to cause this for me eventually, having it happen so early in my life forces me to really reflect on why life is structured in the way that it is, and what it means for me and my future that I've decidedly fallen off of my pre-determined path. This book has also given me tools to help better navigate consent and trying to work towards a world where we can break free of the allonormative assumption that we should all be desiring sex, and the racist assumption that as a Black person, I am always consenting to sex by my mere existence. I cannot recommend this book to enough people. I really do think that our understanding of queerness is improved when we can acknowledge and analyze the Black asexual lens.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Racism

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexism, Fatphobia, Medical trauma, Sexual violence, Slavery, Sexual harassment, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Biphobia, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Violence, Death, Emotional abuse, Lesbophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Hate crime, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Colonisation, and Transphobia

maddramaqueen's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Racism, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Sexism, Rape, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Body shaming, Homophobia, Slavery, Outing, Physical abuse, and Colonisation

Minor: Dysphoria, Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Biphobia, Classism, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, Pandemic/Epidemic, Abortion, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Transphobia

kaynova's review against another edition

informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Racism

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, and Homophobia

leweylibrary's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative slow-paced

4.5

I'm really glad I read Ace by Angela Chen before this one just because this one was much drier and more academic. That took me out of it and the experience a bit, especially because the author is writing about such big parts of their identity but not really addressing their own experiences of those identifies much. I'm not at all saying this makes the book worse by any means, just that it would've made me feel more invested in it and see even more connections to myself than I did.

That being said, a lot did still resonate with me, and I saw myself in a lot of parts. But by far the most valuable part of this book is how it connects asexuality and compulsive sexuality in our society and cultures is connected to all of the other massive, systemic issues of our world, including white supremacy, cisgender, patriarchy, heteronormative, colonialism, etc. I had never made this connection, but the more this book spelled it out, he more undeniable it became. This also went a long way in reassuring me that asexuality is a queer identity and that it belongs in the LGBTQIA+ acronym and larger culture and world. I'm not a fake queer for having this identity. It's weirdly comforting to know that this part of my identity, especially when paired with my childfree identity, are so terrifying to the "normal" culture. *Punches fist into air triumphantly* All of this made the dryness well worth it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia, Gaslighting, and Homophobia

Moderate: Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Misogyny, and Religious bigotry

jayisreading's review against another edition

informative reflective medium-paced

4.75

This was a compelling read, giving a lot of food for thought to the reader. I thought Brown did a wonderful job addressing the rampant acephobic narratives that exist outside but also within the queer community. What makes this particular book stand out to me compared to other essays and writings about asexuality is the way Brown approached it from a Black perspective, reaffirming the importance of intersectionality. They critically reflect on what it means to be a Black asexual, and how the treatment of asexuals and Black people have overlaps.

Brown brings in academic sources in their discussion on asexuality, but also turns to lived experiences to assert why it’s so important to highlight the asexual experience (especially as a queer one). Acknowledging and uplifting asexual voices is more than just accepting that there are some people who have little to no sexual attraction. It’s clear that, through an asexual lens, especially a Black asexual lens, a lot of reflection needs to be done.

I did find the book a little repetitive after the first few chapters, but for those who have little to no familiarity with asexuality (and, relatedly, aromanticism), I would absolutely recommend this book as your starting point.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia, Racism, Slavery, and Misogyny

Moderate: Rape, Transphobia, and Sexual violence

Minor: Police brutality, Death, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Suicide

cedence's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

Each chapter of the book has its own trigger warnings for content as it deal with mistreatment of black people, esp. black women and black (a)sexuality, and generally is informative on what constitutes acephobia and the narration of asexuality as "abnormal" and an illness thoughout history. I added some of them below. 

The book focuses in on asexual people who do not experience sexual attraction at all. 

The book focuses on US history and context. 

This book will show you the clear ties between white supremacy, the patriarchy and capitalism to  racism, queerphobia, and compulsory sexuality. It will share with you how black sexuality has been forced, shaped and willfully misinterpreted by white supremacy agendas. It will also contain testimonies of lived black asexual experiences. And it will end on a positive note on the futures of asexual people. 

Loved it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Acephobia/Arophobia, Racism, Misogyny, Classism, Colonisation, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual content, and Slavery

jugglingcoder's review

challenging informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Racism, Sexism, and Sexual assault