Representation of Asexuality in Queer Art – an exemplary discussion, 2024 – Franziska Selina Latz

Das dem folgenden Artikel zugrundeliegende Paper entstand im Zusammenhang des Kurses „Where is the queer in queer art“ am Heidelberg Centre for Transcultural Studies (HCTS), das die Unebheitheit der Repräsentation von Queerness in der Kunst verdeutlichte. Gleichgeschlechtliche Intimität oder Partnerschaft in Kunst auszudrücken, ist zwar verhältnisweise selten, aber konzeptuell nicht unvorstellbar. Deutlich komplizierter wird das Ganze dann, wenn es sich um eine Form von Queerness handelt, die oft durch die Abwesenheit von sexueller und/oder romantischer Anziehung definiert wird. Wie funktioniert Queerness ohne Sex? Und wie lässt sich die Abwesenheit von etwas künstlerisch darstellen? In ihrem finalen Paper macht es Franziska Selina Latz zu ihrem Anliegen, sich mit Repräsentation von Asexueller Kunst oder vielmehr des Fehlens derer, zu beschäftigen.

1 Introduction: Furthering Discourse around Asexuality in Queer Art

During an investigation of queer art, it becomes apparent that while the LGB (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual), maybe even the T (Trans), come up frequently, seldomly, can representation of the QIA+ (Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and more) be found in art or even in scholarly discourse. Therefore, this paper aims to further insights into the A of the queer community and its representation regarding quantity and quality within the field of queer art. Oftentimes, asexuality is understood as a ‘lack’ of sexual attraction. In relation to art, the question emerges how it would be possible to represent something that is absent. This inquiry will be dissected and complicated, its problematic implications discussed, and Laia Abril’s multimedia work, the Asexuals project, will be analysed in detail and debated in context of scholarly approaches to queerness and asexuality. The project consists of a collection of videos and stills showing asexuals who were interviewed regarding their intersecting experiences of sexual identity and integration into society. The project was published and immediately republished online in 2012-2013 on multiple websites, among them first Vimeo and online curatorial sites. 

To determine the representational value of Abril’s project, I will consider a foundation of theories alongside asexuality terminology. In the first, theory-based section of the paper, the terminology of asexuality will be cleared before then continuing to introduce further ideas crucial to queering social theories. Here, Annemarie Jargose, Sara Ahmed and Kristina Gupta will be given centre-stage. Additionally, ideas of discussing representation as suggested by Stuart Hall will be considered. Zooming out onto the field of asexual representation, or the lack thereof, as criticised by British activist Yasmin Benoit, contextualisation is provided 1 before then commencing the small-scale analysis of Abril’s project as a rare representative of its kind. Though various aspects of Abril’s work will prompt more questions than answers, it finally proves a piece of much appreciated representation that furthers the discourse around asexuality within and beyond the field of queer art. 

2 Main part: Asexuality and its Representation in Queer Art

2.1 Theory and Discourse around Asexuality

To first establish a common ground and basic understanding of the highly intricate theory of asexuality and all its nuances, a brief introduction to the concept and the interrelated key terms is required. To achieve this, I will rely on different queer theorists, among them Kristina Gupta, Annemarie Jargose and Sara Ahmed. Additionally, definitions as found in public discourse, i.e., queer internet forums and educational websites, such as thetrevorproject.org or https://asexuality.org, will be considered, as they constitute a central space for discourse. 

Beginning with the concept of ‘Asexuality’ itself, it can be determined that it is commonly described by members of the asexual community as “a sexual orientation or identity characterised by a lack of sexual attraction to other people”.2The term ‘lack’ in its insinuation of something being amiss, will receive a platform for discussion in the further course of analysis. At this point, however, I first suggest exploring further correlative concepts within the community. 

To investigate the subject matter in an organised manner, I will follow the spectrum notions in order as presented on the asexual pride flag as shown here (Figure 1).3 

Fig. 1: Asexual Pride Flag.

The black on top is the representative colour for the part of the community identifying as completely asexual, in the sense as explained above. The grey denotes the more variable interpretations within the spectrum.

They are usually summarised under the term greysexual which creates space for people who experience sexual attraction so rarely that they feel at home in the head label of asexuality. Among grey sexual orientations specific notions like demi-sexuality are placed. An identification as demi-sexual usually implies a rare experience of sexual attraction and this only in case of strong or complex emotional bond with the subject of desire. The white part is said to represent partners who may or may not identify as asexual themselves which in turn has the potential to create tension in a relationship comprised of partners with differing sexual needs. Finally, the purple part of the flag represents the aspect of community among all the different lived realities of asexuality.4 Furthermore important to note is that similar to other queer and non-queer circles, a variety of attitudes towards sex is differentiated. It is commonly spoken of interpretations such as sex-favourable, sex-indifferent and sex-repulsed. Those then play a crucial role in the character of relationships and hold the power to influence the previously mentioned tensions between partners majorly.5

One last basic idea that is common and very central to the network of identification and has come up time and again in personal communication with members of the community, is the differentiation of romantic from sexual attraction.6Romantic attraction can similarly be expressed in a range of variants, among them e.g., hetero-, homo-, bi-, pan- or aromantic identities. Similar to sexual attraction, of which asexuality is one form, a free identification anywhere on the scale of romantic attractions is possible and commonly diverting from asexuals’ sexual attraction. While it is a regular occurrence for individuals to identify as asexual and aromantic, usually referred to as AroAce, there are just as well all different combinations, e.g., asexuals identifying as hereto-, homo- or pan-romantic. This system is frequently depicted as two separate scales – also mentioned by one of the members of the asexual project – the scale of romantic attraction and the scale of sexual attraction ranging from zero (asexual, aromantic) desire to one hundred (pansexual, panromantic) attraction to all gender identities. – The numbers here in in this case indicate nothing more or less than opposing ends of the spectrum and no findings of any statistical significance. – Those diverse and inventive approaches aptly illustrate the point that Annemarie Jagose made in Queer Theory when stating that “Since queer’s opposition to the normative is its one consistent characteristic, it has the potential to invent itself endlessly, reformulating whatever knowledges currently constitute prescribed understandings of sexuality”.7

Zooming now out to contextualise asexuality within the greater framework of queer theory, as part thereof in society, and within the concept of orientation per se, Sara Ahmed’s theories can function as a foundational basis. Here, her approach to reconsider the term ‘lack’ as encountered previously in Gupta’s definition with its negative connotations suggesting emptiness and nothingness proves valuable. In “Orientations: Toward a Queer Phenomenology” Ahmed suggests that “[i]f orientation is a matter of how we reside in space, then sexual orientation might also be a matter of residence, of how we inhabit spaces, and who or what we inhabit spaces with”.8 Continuing this train of thought, I deduce that rather than an orientation away from ordinary forms of desire towards a void, I see a deliberate orientation towards non-sexual aspects of life. From the same work of Ahmed, further questions arise that aid the quest for a theoretical approach towards queerness and, specifically, asexuality. When considering asexuality as a deliberate orientation towards non-sexual aspects of life, then “[w]hat does it mean for sexuality to be lived as oriented?” and “[w]hat difference does it make what or who we are oriented toward in the very direction of our desire?”9

Answers to those questions can be found in the close examination of asexuality as identity and as orientation. As seen before “[o]ver the past 15 years, a number of people have come together in online communities to define asexuality as a sexual identity category”.10 The diverse lived realities of this conceptualisation find expression under and beyond the various labels provided under the umbrella term. Approaching the subject matter now from the perception of asexuality as a sexual orientation, we are presented with new impulses. Sara Ahmed states that “[w]e can reconsider how one becomes straight by reflecting on how an orientation, as a direction (taken) toward objects and others, is made compulsory, recalling Rich’s model of “compulsory heterosexuality”.11 And that we should do. Erasing the possibility of orienting away from the norm, the void, or whatever term – all of them bearing questionable implications of their own – I choose and replace it with the concept of deliberate orientation towards something else, orientation received a compulsory character. Compulsory sexuality as introduced by Kristina Gupta, is a concept that relates back to Adrienne Rich’s concept of compulsory heterosexuality which Ahmed similarly mentions in her considerations of queer phenomenology.12 In this tradition “[h]eteronormativity is a hegemonic system of norms, discourses, and practices that constructs heterosexuality as natural and superior to all other expressions of sexuality”.13 It is unsurprising that therein desire is oftentimes conflated with sexual desire. However, the same happens in Ahmed’s theorisations. Hence, the concept of compulsory sexuality as introduced by Gupta and considerations catering specifically to asexual means and desires are highly valuable. The former theory is problematic not only for asexual individuals but also for heterosexual people as it bears strong links to a heavily biased perception of masculinity. Gupta now postulates that this regulates the behaviour not only of those, who identify as asexual but of all people and that, hence, society’s definition of the norm must be tied to the sexual, not necessarily entirely to the heterosexual. Gupta applies the concept to 

“describe the assumption that all people are sexual and to describe the social norms and practices that both marginalize various forms of non-sexuality, such as a lack of sexual desire or behavior, and compel people to experience themselves as desiring subjects, take up sexual identities, and engage in sexual activity.”14

In this context, two issues are emphasised substantially. Firstly, the struggles of queer individuals to navigate the challenges and inflexible patterns of society, and secondly, the dual effort for the asexual community to find space within the queer community and the greater framework of society. In light of the marginalisation, is seems unsurprising just how difficult it is to find representation, specifically in the form of art for this branch of the queer spectrum. 

Before continuing to the art analysis, let me briefly establish a common definition of representation. Though it is a word employed casually, it can be fleshed out into a concept that will prove valuable for later analysis. Relying on Stuart Hall, a few theoretical facets require specific introduction. First, it is noteworthy that representation is no passive by-product of existence but described as an active process of meaning-making.15 Within this process, meaning is constantly en- and decoded which implies not only active participation on the sender’s side, but also on the receiver’s side.16 The produced meaning has a certain influence on the portrayal of specific groups and thereby contributes to their ideology in a certain way meaning that, simultaneously, reality is constructed through representation, not just the other way around.17 Moreover, there is no such thing as the one true meaning as in representation, we always find a case of polysemy. Due to power implications, some interpretations emerge as more dominant than others.18 In the same way, this dominance can enforce binaries and present certain subjects of representation as different or other.19 While this theory is universally applicable, it conveniently contributes to furthering research for asexual representation. 

British activist Yasmin Benoit criticises representation in every form to be lacking for the asexual community. In the article “Asexuality: The Misunderstood Identity” Benoit urges that „[t]he lack of discourse on asexuality within the queer community often leaves asexual people feeling marginalised and misunderstood. Our experiences are valid and deserve to be included in the broader LGBTQ+ narrative“.20 We have to realise, however, that finding representation proves much more difficult than perhaps imaginable at first glance. To base this claim, a brief overview of the journey to finding sources and suitable material for an art-based analysis of asexual representation will be shared. The difficulty presented therein, does not only denunciate the quantity but also the accessibility of artworks. The question of quality shall be our concern at a later point. 

The usual online search was not sufficient to find a suitable object of study in the first place. At least, it required much more persistence and flexibility to locate artworks. While a great number of doodle-style drawings showed – rather a variant of ‘low art’ – nearly no ‘fine art’ was traceable. Despite the great variety of digital, online art community pieces available, it was a process of great difficulty to produce a result that could even offer as much as a caption. Having then found Laia Abril’s multimedia work, the Asexuals Project, deeper research again, proved challenging. Though officially published and republished, and apparently exhibited in galleries, the project was near undetectable on the artist’s website.21 Furthermore, all traces and connections to galleries and links to e.g., Facebook pages proved expired, invalid or were not even findable at all. Moreover, all attempts at contacting the artists stayed fruitless. The only few sources available were online curational magazines, and articles in popular magazines linked to her work.22 23 After weeks of research, the – presumably – full project could be retrieved from Vimeo, a platform that itself often limits access to registered members.24 While the difficulty of this process of retrieval was to some degree discouraging, it simultaneously sparks curiosity about the intention and reasoning for the maintenance of a low profile. Moreover, how does it impact the project and its success? Before turning to these issues, a detailed examination of the retrieved artwork is needed and will be given subsequently. 

2.2 Laia Abril’s Asexuals Project

Narrowing the focus down now, the found object of study, Laia Abril’s multimedia web documentary, the Asexuals Project, requires a detailed introduction. The Catalan artist, born in Barcelona in 1986 who is a research-based artist and editor working with photography, text, video, and sound, comprised her work of a series of video-based interviews with one trailer of six minutes combining sections of many of the ethnically diverse interviewee’s single interviews and multiple stills. In this project, asexual people are interviewed about their sexuality, describing their lives, difficulties or joys in experiencing their sexuality, hopes for the future and retellings of past stories. This analysis will be based on the below selection of stills as published alongside the trailer on the online curatorial website a Curator.25

Fig. 2: Stills from Laia Abril’s Asexuals Project.

In the subsequent description and analysis, the stills will be the main sources considered. However, they will be scrutinised in the context of the video material. For this reason, the reader is advised to consult the trailer as linked here and in the references.26

The first figure from the left as shown in Figure 2 is depicted sitting on a stool with fingers interlaced. We detect a slight slouch in the posture and an outfit consisting of a red sweater, black top, and blue jeans. The person with short black hair seems to be bearing a serious, contemplative, almost sad face and is positioned in front of a tiled, blue-grey-painted background with many spots of shadows. The source of light appears to be a spotlight on the person in a rather unnatural tone. The colours are contradictorily quite natural and strong. The overall mood of the still seems serious and emanates a feeling of loneliness or seclusion. The person’s orientation is slightly behind the camera, i.e., not the viewer, and thereby contributes to this aura. 

The second figure (Figure 2) is presented in a similar setting. Again, we find a person in the middle ground sitting, this time on a bed, with their hands folded together in a slightly slouched position. They are wearing a black shirt and blue jeans and have a bald head. Alike the first figure, we see a rather serious, contemplative, or even sad-looking face while the person is even more facing away from the camera and looking into the distance. The bed that constitutes the background is similarly shadowy and dark, but the bedding is brighter, and a yellow pillow and dotted blue duvet can be spotted in the darkness. Especially since the colours here are less vibrant overall, an equally lonely, secluded mood is conveyed. Due to the bed setting, a different, less formal and a little more intimate sentiment can be perceived. 

The third still (Figure 2) diverts from this pattern and shows a person standing upright in an outdoor setting. The background depicts grass, trees and what appears to be a park in the near distance, while in the far distance houses are distinguishable. The figure is portrayed in beige trousers and a lightly muted white, pink and blue striped jumper. Their long, light brown hair falls onto their shoulders and similarly to the first two figures, the gaze is shifted and reaching beyond the camera. Overall, the mood seems less dark and enclosing due to the open setting, but the rather cool colour-scheme still fabricates an air of seclusion and distance. 

Moving on now to the interpretation of especially the reoccurring elements, the darkness, shadows and thereby produced serious mood may be employed to emphasis the documentary purpose of the work. It may be a depiction of the struggles of asexuality in a heteronormative society and even in queer culture, as we have seen before. It might, however, also be a sign of intimacy of the individual in seclusion and a representation of an undisturbed, quiet space of calmness. 

The suggested sadness might be utilised to show loneliness and underline the shared stories of failed relationships and desires for heteronormative wishes that are more difficult to realise due to asexuality. The accompanying slouch and missing eye contact might represent a lack of confidence or weariness resulting from those stories. It might, however, contrarily portray a scene of comfortability in this secluded space, meaning that there is no need to present in an impressive way. This interpretative claim is supported by the depiction of the people in ordinary setting, without flashy outfits and partially surrounded by personal objects, in the sense of transmitting a picture of normal people. While, unfortunately, artist interpretation is rare to consult, Abril is quoted stating her aim to depict asexuals as looking “like any person”.27

Further, knowledge gained from the context of other queer art can be employed, such as e.g., the photo exhibition Queer Heroes in Focus presented as part of the Heidelberg Queer Festival.28 Contrastingly to Abril’s work, many of the photos there exhibit people in less natural colours, fuller backgrounds and open and confident body language. The mood is, generally, much lighter and more fun poses are chosen, oftentimes depicting the models smiling following an agenda of empowerment. In contrast, Abril’s depiction of the queer subjects stands out as very serious and tainted with sad undertones which incites the question whether this was a deliberate choice by the artist to underline the documentary character of her work, emphasise the negative experiences shared by the interviewees mainly or if it is a case of biased, prejudiced representation by the artist. 

The question remains still after contextualising this project within her artistic oeuvre. Abril’s works commonly depict people oftentimes in more active settings and in a candid style that contrasts the static posing in this project. For reference, please consider the enclosed example, (Figure 3).29  

Fig. 3: Laia Abril’s Femme Love.

Generally, touch and physical connections are shown in her people-focused works. This proves especially interesting, when considering the purple tint chosen for the trailer that resembles the purple component of the asexual flag which in turn represents community. It seems that an intriguing tension between solitude and community is created – here, deliberately leaving her dark, conceptual pieces that do not focus on people aside. The interpretation of the stills with aid of artist statements, reference to other queer art, and the artist’s oeuvre hence still leaves us with the question of the work’s representational intention and subsequent success. In the final section, a concluding discussion of this very question is to follow under employment of queer theory and theory of representation as introduced before. 

3 Conclusion: The representational value of the Asexuals Project

In light of the insights gained through art analysis and theoretical considerations, a subjective evaluation of the work’s value outstanding. Thinking back now, especially to the theory of representation as an active process of meaning-making, the title Asexuals Project seems interesting and raises the question whether it thereby pushes a narrative of interpreting a specific mood as related to a certain sexual orientation. Calling the work a project implies an active, ongoing process with a specific aim in mind-style nature. Therefore, it may give it an air of a work in progress, something ‘half-baked’ which in turn may diminish its authoritative value. The intention behind the work and the specific poses, setting and interview statements chosen – hence, the decoded meaning – is difficult to assume due to the sparsity of information and framing material available. All the more, can the idea of polysemy be retrieved from the project. To name just one example that emerged during the still’s interpretation: the discrepancy between the dark setting and slouched positions as sign of sadness in loneliness or, contradictorily, as comfort in seclusion. Those approaches then also vary depending on their contextualisation within the video content. Statements in favour of both ways of interpretations can be retrieved for different pictures. As the dominant tone of the trailer is, however, the depiction of struggles to fit into a (heteronormative) society, the interpretation becomes tendentious. In this exhibition of struggles, we almost automatically find a strong sense of ‘othering’ of the subjects. The binary that emerges is counteracting the aim stated explicitly by the artist of presenting asexuals as ‘normal people’.  

Here, the question emerges whether Abril’s shaping of this ideology by portraying the individuals as part of a certain group is challenged by her position as an outsider of the binary she creates. Again, this might pose a degrading threat to the representational value of the work. This positioning in addition to the missing fervour that we might deduce from the way this project was swept under the rug and most traces vanished, sheds a questionable light on the sincerity of the representational attempt. In terms of meanings to decode, they are thereby potentially overshadowed by feelings of confusion. While the basic approach and much of the uttered content holds the power to move the audience, the inconsistencies and breaks within the project generate mixed feelings, and even annoyance. Despite its educational approach which is emphasised by the documentary-style setting and methodology, vital points of education are missed. Without consulting additional resources, it is impossible to receive education on e.g., the intricate terminology and existing concepts of gender and identity within the asexual community. However, if we concede that the main aim of the work is the transmission of the emotional, then the documentary style chosen seems an unfavourable choice. Another medium or different staging could shine a better light on the chosen topic. Overall, the project seems to be combining a variety of fruitful approaches in a manner so convoluted though that it complicates the decoding of representation. 

Reflecting now back on the paper and the insights gained, let us return once more to the research question posed in the beginning. A brief dive into queer theory and asexuality terminology has set the foundational framework within which the analysis of Laia Abril’s Asexuals Project was conducted. It became obvious, especially in reliance on theory of representation as suggested by Stuart Hall, that the quality of representation in her work is dubious and that it exhibits valuable insights but simultaneously presents questionable approaches and framing. However, we need to acknowledge the work itself as an inducement for furthering discourse around asexuality within the queer community and beyond it. Their representation is, as was argued by activists and scholars, lacking not only in the field of queer art. 

The applied crossover of theoretical approaches and art analysis proved fruitful for this cause of retrieving information about this particular intersection of societal affairs and issues of artistry: asexual art and asexual lives. Dealing with the research question in this narrow manner was beneficial for the depth of the research. It would, however, prove interesting for further studies in in this field to widen the scope, comparatively considering additional forms of representation and keeping the scholarly discourse active in this continuously evolving field of study. 

4 References

Abril, Laia, Femme Love <https://www.laiaabril.com/project/femme-love/> [accessed 16 August 2024]

Ahmed, Sara, ‘Orientations’, GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies, 12.4 (2006), pp. 543–74, doi:10.1215/10642684-2006-002

‘Asexual Pride Flag Meaning’, 2021 <https://heckinunicorn.com/blogs/heckin-unicorn-blog/what-is-the-asexual-pride-flag-and-what-does-it-mean?srsltid=AfmBOopV0BO5jRYi2SbpxHCSkoRb6CtgWpn3K5INmt6g8txuMPwdsG3e&currency=KRW> [accessed 28 February 2025]

Benoit, Yasmin, ‘Asexuality: The Misunderstood Identity’, Personal Blog, 2024 <https://example.com/asecuality-the-misunderstood-identity>

‘Fotoausstellung: Queer Heroes in Focus | Karlstorbahnhof e.V.’ <https://www.karlstorbahnhof.de/news/fotoausstellung-queer-heroes-in-focus/> [accessed 12 August 2024]

Gupta, Kristina, ‘Compulsory Sexuality: Evaluating an Emerging Concept’, Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 41.1 (2015), pp. 131–54, doi:10.1086/681774

———, ‘Gendering Asexuality and Asexualizing Gender: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Intersections between Gender and Asexuality’, Sexualities, 22.7–8 (2019), pp. 1197–1216, doi:10.1177/1363460718790890

Hall, Stuart, ‘Encoding/Decoding’, in Culture, Media, Language: Working Papers in Cultural Studies, 1972-79, ed. by Stuart Hall, Dorothy Hobson, Andrew Lowe, and Paul Willis (Hutchinson, 1980), pp. 128–38

———, ed., Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices, Culture, Media, and Identities (Sage, 1997)

———, ‘The Rediscovery of “Ideology”: Return of the Repressed in Media Studies’, in Culture, Society and the Media, ed. by Michael Gurevitch, Tony Bennett, James Curran, and Janet Woollacott (Methuen, 1982), pp. 56–90

Jagose, Annamarie, Queer Theory (New York University Press, 2009)

‘Laia Abril’, Vimeo <https://vimeo.com/user4542639> [accessed 12 August 2024]

‘Laia Abril — Artist’, Laia Abril <https://www.laiaabril.com/> [accessed 1 July 2024]

‘Laia Abril: Asexuals’, aCurator <https://acurator.com/blog/2014/08/laia-abril-asexuals.html> [accessed 12 August 2024]

Latz, Franziska Selina, ‘Franziska Latz in Conversation with Anon.’, 2024

Rich, Adrienne, ‘Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence’, in The Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader, ed. by Henry Abelove, Michele Aina Barale, and David M. Halperin (Routledge, 1980), pp. 7–24

Robinson, Brandon Andrew, ‘Heteronormativity and Homonormativity’, in The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Gender and Sexuality Studies (John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2016), pp. 1–3, doi:10.1002/9781118663219.wbegss013

Sanchez, Gabriel H., ‘Here’s What It’s Like To Identify As An Asexual Person’, BuzzFeed News, 2019 <https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/gabrielsanchez/heres-what-its-like-to-identify-as-asexual> [accessed 12 August 2024]

———, ‘This Photo Series Captures Asexual Experiences From Around The World’, BuzzFeed News, 2019 <https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/gabrielsanchez/heres-what-its-like-to-identify-as-asexual> [accessed 1 July 2024]

‘The Asexual Visibility and Education Network | Asexuality.Org’ <https://asexuality.org/> [accessed 1 July 2024]

‘Understanding Asexuality’, The Trevor Project, 2024 <https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/understanding-asexuality/> [accessed 16 August 2024]

Biografie

FRANZISKA SELINA LATZ ist Masterstudentin am Heidelberg Centre for Transcultural Studies (HCTS) der Universität Heidelberg und absolviert derzeit einen Auslandsaufenthalt an der Seoul National University (SNU). Ihr wissenschaftlicher Fokus liegt auf kulturvergleichenden Analysen zwischen Europa und Ostasien, insbesondere im Bereich „Society, Economy, and Governance“. Ihre Forschungsinteressen umfassen neben politischen und wirtschaftlichen, besonders gesellschaftliche Verflechtungen in transkulturellen Kontexten.

Fußnoten

  1. Yasmin Benoit, ‘Asexuality: The Misunderstood Identity’, Personal Blog, 2024, URL: https://example.com/asecuality-the-misunderstood-identity.
  2. Kristina Gupta, ‘Gendering Asexuality and Asexualizing Gender: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Intersections between Gender and Asexuality’, Sexualities, 22.7–8 (2019), pp. 1197–1216 (p. 1197).
  3. ‘Asexual Pride Flag Meaning’, 2021, URL: https://heckinunicorn.com/blogs/heckin-unicorn-blog/what-is-the-asexual-pride-flag-and-what-does-it-mean?srsltid=AfmBOopV0BO5jRYi2SbpxHCSkoRb6CtgWpn3K5INmt6g8txuMPwdsG3e&currency=KRW [accessed 28 February 2025].
  4. ‘The Asexual Visibility and Education Network | Asexuality.Org’, URL: https://asexuality.org/ [accessed 1 July 2024].
  5. ‘Understanding Asexuality’, The Trevor Project, 2024, URL: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/understanding-asexuality/ [accessed 16 August 2024].
  6. Franziska Selina Latz, ‘Franziska Latz in Conversation with Anon.’, 2024.
  7. Annamarie Jagose, Queer Theory (New York University Press, 2009), p. 131.
  8. Sara Ahmed, ‘Orientations’, GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies, 12.4 (2006), pp. 543–74 (p. 554).
  9. Ahmed, ‘Orientations’, p. 543.
  10. Kristina Gupta, ‘Compulsory Sexuality: Evaluating an Emerging Concept’, Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 41.1 (2015), pp. 131–54 (p. 131).
  11. Adrienne Rich, ‘Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence’, in The Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader, ed. by Henry Abelove, Michele Aina Barale, and David M. Halperin (Routledge, 1980), pp. 7–24.
  12. Ahmed, ‘Orientations’, p. 557.
  13. Brandon Andrew Robinson, ‘Heteronormativity and Homonormativity’, in The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Gender and Sexuality Studies (John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2016), pp. 1–3 (p. 1).
  14. Gupta, ‘Compulsory Sexuality’, p. 132.
  15. Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices, ed. by Stuart Hall, Culture, Media, and Identities (Sage, 1997).
  16. Stuart Hall, ‘Encoding/Decoding’, in Culture, Media, Language: Working Papers in Cultural Studies, 1972-79, ed. by Stuart Hall and others (Hutchinson, 1980), pp. 128–38.
  17. Stuart Hall, ‘The Rediscovery of “Ideology”: Return of the Repressed in Media Studies’, in Culture, Society and the Media, ed. by Michael Gurevitch and others (Methuen, 1982), pp. 56–90.
  18. Hall, ‘Encoding/Decoding’.
  19. Hall, ‘The Rediscovery of “Ideology”: Return of the Repressed in Media Studies’.
  20. Benoit, ‘Asexuality: The Misunderstood Identity’.
  21. ‘Laia Abril — Artist’, Laia Abril, URL: https://www.laiaabril.com/ [accessed 1 July 2024].
  22. ‘Laia Abril: Asexuals’, aCurator, URL: https://acurator.com/blog/2014/08/laia-abril-asexuals.html [accessed 12 August 2024].
  23. Gabriel H. Sanchez, ‘This Photo Series Captures Asexual Experiences From Around The World’, BuzzFeed News, 2019, URL: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/gabrielsanchez/heres-what-its-like-to-identify-as-asexual [accessed 1 July 2024].
  24. ‘Laia Abril’, URL: https://vimeo.com/user4542639 [accessed 12 August 2024].
  25. ‘Laia Abril’.
  26. ‘Laia Abril’.
  27. Gabriel H. Sanchez, ‘Here’s What It’s Like To Identify As An Asexual Person’, BuzzFeed News, 2019, URL: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/gabrielsanchez/heres-what-its-like-to-identify-as-asexual [accessed 12 August 2024].
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