Reviews with content warning for Acephobia/Arophobia - Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black Asexual Lens on Our Sex-Obsessed Culture

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.

Content Warnings