A Brief History of Asexuality

In order to truly understand the problems the asexual community has faced, one needs to know 

the history of asexuality.

By the end of this post, you will have a basic understanding of how asexuality, as a term and identity, 

came to be. With the sexual orientation still underrepresented in both academia and society, it is 

difficult to distinguish what past studies discuss what we now call “asexuality.” I say this because, 

although I have an overall description of how asexuality developed, it is most definitely not all of the 

story. 

Additionally, I will be recounting prominent figures and movements that helped construct the 

term and sexual identity “asexuality,” not the whole history of the term.

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Take a moment to think about your understanding of asexuality. What is the first person or event 

that comes to mind? When does this take place? Was it during the early 2000s? Most people start 

thinking about asexuality with the creation of the internet and online forums, but that’s far from the 

beginning of asexuality.

1800s

Records of asexuality in relation to sexual identity started to pop-up as early as the 1800s! In the mid 

1800s, Karl-Maria Kertbeny used the word "monosexuals" to refer to people who only masturbate 

(in a pamphlet he created that advocates against Prussian sodomy law). By being specifically used as 

a term separate from homosexual and heterosexual, this instance becomes one of the first documented 

events of asexuality being recognized as a sexual orientation.

Another person in the 1800s that mentions asexuality is Magnus Hirschfeld, who used the term 

“automonosexualism” to reflect internally on one’s sexual interests for the purpose of prove 

“that the asexual individual may be attracted to themselves” (Brotto, 2017). Although this recount

has less to do with confirming asexuality as the orientation we see it as today, it does recognize it as 

a sexual identity one can have. 

1900s

Although the 1800s has only scarcely documented encounters of the identity, the 1900s has a plethora

of foundational events and concepts that helped create contemporary asexuality.

Source: https://steemit.com/life/@calaber24p/alfred-kinsey-s-contributions-to-sex-research 

One of the most important scientific findings was Alfred Kinsey’s seven point scale of sexual orientation 

during the 1940s to 1950s. Even though this scale asserts a spectrum based on hetero-homo attraction, it 

did have an asexual category. People who Kinsey found had “no socio-sexual contacts or relations” and 

“[did] not respond erotically to either heterosexual or homosexual stimuli” (Przybylo, 2019) were placed 

in their own, unrelated category called Group X. Comprised of 2% of the studies’ males and “a goodly 

number of [studied] females” (Przybylo, 2019), this is the first scientifically documented case of the asexual 

community. Although asexuals are placed outside of sexual orientation in this experiment and practice, 

which leads to the pathologization and invalidation of the community, it is important because it is one of 

the first times the sexual orientation is acknowledged through scientific research and evidence.

 

Source: Barker, Meg-John. 2016. Queer: A Graphic History. London: Icon Books Ltd. Accessed April 5, 2021. 

ProQuest Ebook Central.

Another important event to mention during the 1940s was the introduction of Jughead in Archie comics. 

Although media and science seem like opposite ends of a spectrum, they both served the same purpose, to 

bring awareness and validation of asexuality in society during the mid 1900s. 

Source: https://comicfind.net/shop-comics/jughead-1-archie-comics-august-1987-nm/

In the 1960s, asexuality started to show up in the feminist movement. Used as a form of “radical refusal” 

to promote women’s sexual availability and body autonomy, in this context, asexuality was used to 

challenge the system of heteropatriarchy. Although the 1900s feminist version of asexuality is solely 

based on choice, making it a radical form of celibacy rather than asexuality, it does bring about 

recognition of and support for people who identify as asexual. So, even though it is convoluted with 

invalidating stereotypes, it is an important part of asexual history because it demonstrates the possibility 

to organize around the desire to not have sex and for people to identify with not having sexual desire. 

In fact, feminist Lisa Orland, wrote a document in the 1970s called “The Asexual Manifesto,” outlining 

the freeing possibilities asexuality had for female identifying people during the movement and how it 

could combat the sexism and oppression felt during the feminist movement. During this time, many 

asexuals bonded and gathered through self-published work and zines. One example is in 1977, when 

Myra T. Johnson legitimizes and validated the concept of asexuality as a sexual orientation in her essay 

“The Sexually Oppressed.” She also was known to analyse the letters to the editors of women’s zines 

during the 1970s to showcase asexual women who felt failed by the feminist sexual revolution.

The Beginning of “The Asexual Manifesto”

Source: https://syncopationstation.blogspot.com/2020/09/manifestos.html

Another publication important to mention was published in 1969 by Anton Szandor LaVey. In his book  

The Satanic Bible, he directly refers to asexuality when discussing Satanism. Specifically, LaVey includes 

asexuality under his list of sexual activities of “ heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or even asexual desire" 

(LaVey, 1969). This is one of the first accounts of asexuality being discussed through a religious lens. 

With the feminist movement (and soon the gay rights movement) advocating for equity and inclusion of 

queer individuals, the acknowledgment of asexuality in the church and other homophobic, influential 

religious is a key turning point in the freedoms and power the queer community possess in western society. 

This shift in power structures and societal understanding of sex and sexuality is an contextual and vital 

part of how asexuality became the identity it is today.

The 1970s to 1990s sparks an era of scientific discovery and explanation of asexuality, both harmful and

beneficial. In the 1970s, scientists Michael Storm reconceptualized Kinsey’s scale, into a quadrant grid 

that includes bisexuality and asexuality. This changed the scientific mindset of asexuality, making it a 

component of sexuality rather than a complete lack of sexuality. Other scientists at the time that studied 

asexuality, although rare, are Paula Nurius (in 1983), William Masters (1986), and Braden Berkey (1990) 

through cases that either directly name or register asexuality. However, an important trend to note is, 

although now seen in relation to sexuality, it is never recognized as its own orientation. Further, some 

negative scientific findings were by scientists Nurius and Masters, which linked asexuality to pathological 

traits by connecting it to “clinical dysfunctions” like depression, low self-esteem, and low sexual satisfaction. 

While suggested as a ‘sexual orientation’ in the late 1970s to 1980s, asexuality was only mentioned 

sporadically and never explored in depth.

Michael Storm’s Sexuality Scale

Source: https://writingfromfactorx.tumblr.com/post/78024370801/why-i-dont-believe-in-the-asexual-spectrum 

2000s

By the 2000s, scientific literature around asexuality expanded, promoting and validating it as a sexual 

orientation. Psychologists Anthony Bogaert (2004 to 2008) and Lori Brotto (2010 and 2011) discussed 

asexuality in several different case studies. Anthony Bogaert’s first scientific article about asexuality 

“Asexuality: Prevalence and Associated Factors in a National Probability Sample'' gave credibility and 

legitimized asexuality as a sexual orientation while another one of this studies argued against the 

pathologization of asexuality. Neurologist Nichole Prause and Psychologist Cynthia Graham also fought 

for the depathologization of asexuality by asserting how damaging assigning a pathological status to a 

newly forming sexual identity could be. In 2009, Sociologist Crystal Bedley advocated for a shift away 

from the discourse of sexual versus asexual and instead toward one that places asexuality “within the 

domain of asexuality,” (Owen 2014) moving away from the binary definitions of behaviors. And even 

more recently, in the 2010s, Lori Brotto used “qualitative, quantitative, and physiological methods'' 

(Przybylo 2013) in two of her studies to depathologize asexuality. 

Image of Anthony Bogaert

Source: https://brocku.ca/brock-news/2012/08/prof-pens-new-book-about-asexuality/ 

Aside from scientific breakthroughs in the support and validation of asexuality, the creation of online 

forums, like AVEN in 2001, and the inclusion of asexual characters in media started to promote and 

educate society on the existence of asexuals, even if not all the information was accurate. Talk shows 

like “The View” started to bring on asexuals, although most interview ended up ridiculing and insulting 

the asexual community, they did provide people with information about asexuality and how to learn more 

about it. 

There is a lot more information to cover from the 2010s to 2021, but most of the information has been 

covered in previous blog posts, so go read those if you haven’t already!

After reading this timeline, what other historical events or movements do you think could relate to 

asexuality? How did this change your understanding of asexuality? 

🖤🤍♡💜Thank you so much for reading! Now go show the world what you know! 🖤🤍♡💜

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References:

Bogaert, Anthony F. Understanding Asexuality. Lanham, [Md.]: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

Brotto, Lori A., and Morag Yule. "Asexuality: Sexual orientation, paraphilia, sexual dysfunction, or none 

of the above?." Archives of Sexual Behavior 46, no. 3 (2017): 619-627

Chen, Angela. “Explanation Via Negativa” Chapter. In Ace: What Asexuality Reveals about Desire, Society, 

and the Meaning of Sex. Boston: Beacon Press, 2020.

Féray, Jean-Claude, Manfred Herzer, and Glen W. Peppel. "Homosexual studies and politics in the 19th 

century: Karl Maria Kertbeny." Journal of homosexuality 19, no. 1 (1990): 23-48.

Milks, Megan. 2014. “Studented Growth: Asexual Politics and the Rhetoric of Sexual Liberation” 

Chapter. In Asexualities: Feminist and Queer Perspectives. Vol. 40. New York, NY: Routledge.

Orlando, Lisa. 1972. "The Asexual Manifesto" (PDF). Asexual Caucus/New York Radical Feminists.  

University of Waterloo.

Owen, Ianna. 2014. “On the Racialization of Asexuality” Chapter. In Asexualities: Feminist and Queer 

Perspectives. Vol. 40. New York, NY: Routledge.

Przybylo, Ela. Asexual Erotics: Intimate Readings of Compulsory Sexuality. Abnormativities: 

Queer/Gender/Embodiment. Columbus: The Ohio State University Press, 2019.

Przybylo, E., and D. Cooper. “Asexual Resonances: Tracing a Queerly Asexual Archive.” GLQ: A 

Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies 20, no. 3 (January 1, 2014): 297–318.  

https://doi.org/10.1215/10642684-2422683.

Przybylo, Ela. “Producing Facts: Empirical Asexuality and the Scientific Study of Sex.” Feminism & 

Psychology 23, no. 2 (May 2013): 224–42. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959353512443668.

“Timeline of Asexual History.” In Wikipedia, February 23, 2021.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Timeline_of_asexual_history&oldid=1008504734

More info:

Cerankowski, KJ and Megan Milks. 2014. Asexualities: Feminist and Queer Perspectives. Vol. 40. 

New York, NY: Routledge.

Johnson, Myra T. "Asexual and autoerotic women: Two invisible groups." The sexually oppressed 96 (1977).

“Prevalance of Homosexuality Study.” Accessed April 2, 2021. 

 https://kinseyinstitute.org/research/publications/kinsey-scale.php.

Sciatrix. “Asexual Journal Club: Johnson 1977.” The Asexual Agenda (blog), May 17, 2013. 

https://asexualagenda.wordpress.com/2013/05/16/asexual-journal-club-johnson-1977/.

the Guardian. “Among the Asexuals,” February 26, 2012. 

 http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/feb/26/among-the-asexuals.