#like the narrative doesn't judge her or even treat it as a big deal

[cheeseanonioncrisps]

Hey, so I was rereading The Stepford Wives (1972) a few months ago, and…

[For screenreaders: Sylvia called to apologize – she had been passed up for a promotion she damn well knew she deserved-and Charmaine called to say they'd had a great time and to postpone a tentative Tuesday tennis date. "Ed's got a bee in his bonnet," she said. "He's taking a few days off, we're putting Merrill with the DaCostas-you don't know them, lucky you-and he and I are going to 'rediscover each other.' That means he chases me around the bed. And my period's not till next week, God damn it."

"Why not let him catch you?" Joanna said.

"Oh God," Charmaine said. "Look, I just don't enjoy having a big cock shoved into me, that's all. Never have and never will. And I'm not a lez either, because I tried it and that's no big deal. I'm just not interested in sex. I don't think any woman is, really, not even Pisces women. Are you?"

"Well I'm not a nympho," Joanna said, "but I'm interested in it, sure I am."]

[For screenreaders: 'Really, or do you just feel you're supposed to be?"

"Really."

"Well, to each his own," Charmaine said.

"Let's make it Thursday, all right? He's got a conference he can't get out of, thank God."

"Okay, Thursday, unless something comes up."

"Don't let anything."

"It's getting cold."

"We'll wear sweaters."]

That's… that's a canonically asexual character.

A pretty accurate one as well— if you hang out in the ace community today, you'll find loads of stories from people who spent time assuming that they must be gay ("because if I'm not attracted to the opposite gender, then what else is there?"), or coming to the conclusion that nobody really feels sexual attraction and everybody's just pretending to do so to fit in.

And it's clearly intentional representation, since the author goes to the trouble of clarifying in the text that this isn't just gay coding, or an example of the 'women just don't enjoy sex' stereotype.

It's canon ace rep. In 1972. In the form of a female character who is confident, social, sexually experienced and basically the opposite of all aphobic stereotypes you'll find.

Yep. We've always existed.

#asexuality #lgbt+ #ace #actuallyasexual #aroace #the stepford wives #ira levin #asexual history #history #representation #ace rep #lgbt+ history #homophobic language #though tbh although the language used isn't brilliant #it is pretty cool that charmaine literally mentions that she had sex with another woman #and joanna honestly couldn't care less #like the narrative doesn't judge her or even treat it as a big deal #which is impressive considering that this is only about three years after stonewall