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

reflective medium-paced
"If we are not human, then surely we must be displaced gods."
 

This was an informative non-fiction book, written in a very straightforward and accessible manner that would work for those largely unfamiliar with academic writing. It provided relevant content warnings for each chapter which was great for those who require them and a timeline of asexulity in publication and media towards the end which was very interesting.

As an ace, this did not provide me with any new information in that regard though this is an invaluable resource for the Black asexual experience through its  discussions on the intersectionality of racism and (a)sexuality and which I admittedly hadn't considered in great detail before reading this book. While it is clear that the author researched this book extensively, particularly concerning historical context, perhaps it could have benefitted from being more scientifically based in other areas (though I acknowledge the sparsity of adequate data on asexuality). The author had a tendency to make big statements but not support them with any relevant referencing for example in the following quotation: "These are male supremacists who fail to form romantic and sexual relationships or connections, blame others for their social and sexual ineptitude, and believe that women should be required or forced to have sex with them. Several have even become mass killers because of their frustrations and misogyny". While I can't argue that this statement is untrue, it would have been good to get some examples when such statements were made to ground the argument. This is not to say that the author's own experiences and views (or the people she interviewed) are invalid as a member of both communities but that the arguments provided could have been stronger with supporting evidence and a more in-depth analysis/ examination of the impacts of the discussed ideas on individuals rather than just being surface level. Additionally, the author repeated many of the same points frequently and as it was often quite disjointed in terms of structure where I couldn't always grasp the connections/comparisons being made.

While this may seem like a largely negative review, I think that this is a great start for those who are unfamiliar with the topics discussed (the intersectionality of (a)sexuality and racism). It was informative and well researched, yet accessible and touched on issues I might not have considered as a white asexual. I really have no major faults with this book other than slight nitpicks which are just my personal tastes in terms of non-fiction. I'm really glad that books like this are being published more frequently as they can be very validating to individuals who are struggling with their ace identity, compulsory sexuality and racism. Overall, it is a really solid nonfiction, would recommend.



Personal highlights:

"Help not Wanted"
"Frigidity"
"Refusal"
"Histories"
"Black Asexual Insight"
Expand filter menu Content Warnings