250. Why Do We Have Sex? Asexuality with Angela Chen

We Can Do Hard Things

Glennon Doyle & Audacy

Society & Culture, Relationships, Education, Self-improvement

4.8 • 41.1K Ratings

🗓️ 17 October 2023

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today, Angela Chen teaches us how understanding asexuality helps us understand ourselves and the true meaning of sex. Angela describes: The misconception that blocks us from fully understanding our own sexuality; Why your sexuality is a relationship between YOU and YOU; How there are MANY reasons people have sex. (Glennon says sexual attraction only accounts for 5% of her sexual experiences.); and The shame underlying compulsory sexuality – and how to stop apologizing for not wanting sex. And a question for anyone seeing themselves in asexuality: What would this label free you from? About Angela: Angela Chen is a journalist and editor. She is the author of Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex, which was named one of the best books of 2020 by NPR, Electric Literature, and Them. Her reporting and essays have also appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, The Guardian, National Geographic, Paris Review, and more. TW: @chengela IG: @angelaetcetera To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	You've stopped asking directions, some places they've never been.
0:12.5	Hello, Pied Squad, welcome back to We Can Do Hard Things.
0:17.6	We are delighted to tell you that today we have Angela Chen with us.
0:22.8	Angela Chen is a journalist and editor.
0:25.3	She is the author of Ace, What A Sexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning
0:32.4	of Sex, which was named one of the best books of 2020.
0:37.1	This is not surprising, it's so damn good.
0:39.8	By NPR, Electric Literature, and Them, her reporting and essays have also appeared in
0:45.6	The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, The Guardian, National Geographic,
0:51.3	Paris Review, and more.
0:52.8	And I will tell you that I did start reading her work to understand A Sexuality Better,
0:58.0	and what happened is that I began to understand myself and everyone that I know better, and
1:03.8	what sexuality is in general better, and it just kind of opened up a whole new world.
1:09.2	Angela, thank you so much for being here with us and for all of your work.
1:14.0	Thank you so much for inviting me, and I'm glad that the subtitle did not lie because I
1:17.7	do think A Sexuality is about desire and society and the meaning of sex, and not just
1:22.8	no one specific experience.
1:24.2	So good to hear you know, thank you shout out to my marketing team.
1:26.7	Yes, they nailed it.
1:28.6	They nailed it, they nailed it.
1:30.0	Angela, can we start off with your experience of growing up and having crushes,
1:35.0	and never ever considering that you might be Ace, and take us to the moment in your early
	...

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