Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

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

peachani's review against another edition

challenging informative slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Slavery

Moderate: Medical trauma and Body shaming

Minor: Rape, Dysphoria, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Religious bigotry, Ableism, and Sexual assault

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

reading_rainbeau's review

emotional informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.25

Beautiful words to investigate identity and find kinship. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Racism, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Slavery

jackieines's review

informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia, Slavery, Racism, and Sexual assault

kylieqrada's review

challenging emotional informative inspiring sad slow-paced

5.0

I am undoubtedly not grasping all that is offered here, both due to my brain capacity and my whiteness. However, I really loved this book!!!! Sherronda's research and arguments were so well-constructed and resonated so strongly. I will never get tired of learning more about the beautiful multi-faceted experience that is asexuality. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Slavery, and Acephobia/Arophobia

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Minor: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Biphobia

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

beals's review

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Misogyny, Mental illness, Rape, Xenophobia, Slavery, Sexual content, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Violence, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, and Genocide