Seeing the Invisible: Asexuality in the South

Abstract: This personal essay explores the struggle of seeing asexuality in the southeastern United States. While the South is often understood as hostile to queer people, asexuality presents a different challenge because few if any recognize its existence. The author finds other ways to access information about asexuality through queer websites and social media spaces and comes to understand that her experience of asexuality cannot be divorced from her racial, gender, class, and regional context. The essay argues for a broader vision for acceptance and understanding of lives and relationships that does not privilege a two-person romantic partnership.