A OK Podcast

23: Have I Ever Had Sex for Me?

Melanie (she/her) is the world’s best cat mom who identifies as heteroromantic asexual. She discusses discovering the word “asexual” in her late thirties and how her life has changed since.

 

Content Warning: swearing and aphobia

 

Melanie's Photography: Instagram @melmaephoto

 

Special Thanks:

Editor/Producer: Sofi LaLonde (www.sofilalonde.com); 

Visual Artist: Tanner Groehler (www.ratsandchildren.co); 

Music: A OK by ÜberKicK is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

And thank you to our wonderful patrons at https://www.patreon.com/AOKpod!

22: Jessica Rabbit is an Ace Icon

ChasTitty Barre (she/her) is a dancer and burlesque artist who identifies as grey ace and biromantic. ChasTitty talks about her experience in burlesque and reveals how Jessica Rabbit is an ace icon. 

 

Content Warning: Swearing

 

Special Thanks: 

Editor/Producer: Sofi LaLonde (www.sofilalonde.com); 

Visual Artist: Tanner Groehler (www.ratsandchildren.co); 

Music: A OK by ÜberKicK is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

And thank you to our wonderful patrons at https://www.patreon.com/AOKpod!

21: Under the Ace Umbrella

Mars (she/they) is a cat mom and library graduate student who identifies as biromantic and grey-asexual (and possibly grey-romantic). They describe how being Asian and assigned female at birth intersect with sexuality, as well as aro/ace visibility and their wonderful, beautiful cat.

 

Content Warnings: mentions of racism, mentions of sexism

 

Special Thanks: 

Editor/Producer: Sofi LaLonde (www.sofilalonde.com); 

Visual Artist: Tanner Groehler (www.ratsandchildren.co); 

Music: A OK by ÜberKicK is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

And thank you to our wonderful patrons at https://www.patreon.com/AOKpod!

20: I Assumed I was Hetero

Sandra (she/her) is a yoga and pilates instructor who identifies as asexual and aromantic. Sandra describes her experience discovering the word "asexual" in her fifties, as well as the struggles of life before the label.

 

Special Thanks: 

Editor/Producer: Sofi LaLonde (www.sofilalonde.com); 

Visual Artist: Tanner Groehler (www.ratsandchildren.co); 

Music: A OK by ÜberKicK is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

And thank you to our wonderful patrons at https://www.patreon.com/AOKpod!

19: Everyone Else Didn’t Feel This Way?!

Sky (they/them) is a dog mom and Simpsons enthusiast who identifies as sapphic-leaning grey-asexual and grey-aromantic. Sky talks about how being grey aro/ace intersects with sex work, their experience growing up queer in the Bible Belt, and how hypersexuality can be linked to mental health.

 

Content Warnings: swearing, religion, mentions of bipolar disorder, BPD, anxiety and depression, mentions of homophobia and transphobia, and mentions of stalking.

 

Special Thanks: 

Editor/Producer: Sofi LaLonde (www.sofilalonde.com); 

Visual Artist: Tanner Groehler (www.ratsandchildren.co); 

Music: A OK by ÜberKicK is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

And thank you to our wonderful patrons at https://www.patreon.com/AOKpod!

18: Something in the Water at Liverpool

Ro (she/her & they/them) is a psychology graduate who identifies as asexual and aromantic. Ro wrote their master's dissertation on ace and aro representation. They discuss their own experiences, their beautiful friends, and how lack of representation can influence mental health.

 

Content Warnings: Swearing

 

Special Thanks: 

Editor/Producer: Sofi LaLonde (www.sofilalonde.com); 

Visual Artist: Tanner Groehler (www.ratsandchildren.co); 

Music: A OK by ÜberKicK is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

17: Pants On, Please!

Ry Irene (ze/zir) is a drag king and spoken word poet who identifies as panromantic and grey asexual/demisexual/autochorisexual. Ry talks about mixed orientations, how someone's level of comfort for physical affection can fluctuate, and the intersection of asexuality and the drag world.

 

Queerdo: https://www.queerdompls.com/

 

Content Warnings: Sexual assault mention

 

Special Thanks: 

Editor/Producer: Sofi LaLonde (www.sofilalonde.com); 

Visual Artist: Tanner Groehler (www.ratsandchildren.co); 

Music: A OK by ÜberKicK is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

16: Sex and the Bible

Aleta (they/them) is a bike courier and illustrator who identifies as asexual, bi-arospec, and nonbinary. Aleta talks about their experience being raised in an Evangelical Christian environment, and explains their methods and motivation as an artist.

 

Content Warnings: Swearing, religious discussion

 

Find Aleta at aletaillustration.com or @afiregender

 

Special Thanks: 

Editor/Producer: Sofi LaLonde (www.sofilalonde.com); 

Visual Artist: Tanner Groehler (www.ratsandchildren.co); 

Music: A OK by ÜberKicK is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

15: I'm Ace, Not Blind!

Angie (she/her) is a social worker and historical dressmaking enthusiast who identifies as asexual and gay romantic. She describes her experience being gay in the military, emphasizes the importance of sex education, and joins Courtney in recounting their shared ace-panic reactions to being asked out.

 

Content Warnings: Swearing, homophobia, mentions of sexual assault.

 

Sexplanations with Dr. Doe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkxMlA7rt-mnIc1AjbyAsPw

 

Special Thanks: 

Editor/Producer: Sofi LaLonde (www.sofilalonde.com); 

Visual Artist: Tanner Groehler (www.ratsandchildren.co); 

Music: A OK by ÜberKicK is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

 

14: Kissing is Just Two Mouths Touching

Bridget (she/her) is a barista and writer who identifies as grey-ace or demisexual, and panromantic. Bridget goes into the differences between grey-ace and demi, and reflects on the difficulties of describing asexuality to potential allosexual partners. Bridget and Courtney also rant about the weirdness of kissing for a long, long time.

 

Content Warnings: Swearing

 

Special Thanks: 

Editor/Producer: Sofi LaLonde (www.sofilalonde.com); 

Visual Artist: Tanner Groehler (www.ratsandchildren.co); 

Music: A OK by ÜberKicK is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

13: I Will Be Your Wingman Until We Die

Soap Curtis (she/her) is a costume designer who identifies as asexual and heteroromantic. Soap shares some dating fears, discusses her relationship with mental illness, and gives a word of advice to allosexual people.

 

Content Warnings: swearing, gendered language, genitals mention, sexual acts mention, abuse mention, depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, medication mention, suicidal ideation mention

 

Special Thanks: 

Editor/Producer: Sofi LaLonde (www.sofilalonde.com); 

Visual Artist: Tanner Groehler (www.ratsandchildren.co); 

Music: A OK by ÜberKicK is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

12: Queerplatonic

Emery (they/them) is a social worker who identifies as asexual, quoiromantic, and queer. Emery tells us how they came out to an accepting family, and how boundaries for physical affection can vary from person to person. Courtney and Emery then bond over their love of elephants and “found family” stories!

 

Content Warnings: swearing, mentions of sexual assault, mentions of misgendering

 

Special Thanks: 

Editor/Producer: Sofi LaLonde (www.sofilalonde.com); 

Visual Artist: Tanner Groehler (www.ratsandchildren.co); 

Music: A OK by ÜberKicK is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

11: Bang!

Yu-Chi (agender) is a board game researcher who identifies as asexual, androromantic, skolioromantic, and demiromantic. Yu-Chi shares past stories that make a lot more sense now after discovering asexuality. Yu-Chi also sheds light on how being agender influences daily life, and the issues with binary language.

 

Content Warnings: swearing, references to sex, references to misgendering

 

Special Thanks: 

Editor/Producer: Sofi LaLonde (www.sofilalonde.com); 

Visual Artist: Tanner Groehler (www.ratsandchildren.co); 

Music: A OK by ÜberKicK is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

10: Everyone! Should! Communicate!

Liv (they/them) is a professional muralist who identifies as ace-spec and pansexual. Liv describes their experience as a “super romantic” asexual, and we delve into the importance of talking about expectations and boundaries in relationships.

 

Liv’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liv.novotny 

 

Special Thanks: 

Editor/Producer: Sofi LaLonde (www.sofilalonde.com); 

Visual Artist: Tanner Groehler (www.ratsandchildren.co); 

Music: A OK by ÜberKicK is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

9: Key Honeymoon Time

This week's guest is Nik Hampshire (he/him), a model, photographer, influencer, and content creator who identifies as aromantic and heterosexual. Nik and Courtney discuss the importance of people taking their time to figure out what they want from relationships, while challenging "the rules" when it comes to romantic love and sexuality. Nik also picks our host Courtney's brain about her struggles in a hyper-romantic world while the pair bond over their shared aromantic journeys.

 

Nik Hampshire's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikhampshire

 

Special Thanks:

Editor/Producer: Sofi LaLonde (www.sofilalonde.com);

Visual Artist: Tanner Groehler (www.ratsandchildren.co);

Music: A OK by ÜberKicK is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

8: I'll Never Be Ashamed About Laughing Loud

Mara Emmons (she/her) is an intersectional feminist who watches movies, does improv, and identifies as pansexual and aromantic. Join Mara and Courtney as they talk about high school experiences, romance-free movies, and the danger of assumptions in the world of improv and comedy.

 

Content Warnings: Swearing

 

Special Thanks:

Editor/Producer: Sofi LaLonde (www.sofilalonde.com);

Visual Artist: Tanner Groehler (www.ratsandchildren.co);

Music: A OK by ÜberKicK is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

7: I Just Wanna Be Your Friend, Like Super Hardcore

Meet Kiera (she/her), a photographer who identifies as asexual and aromantic. Today, we counter the stereotypes regarding people on the aro/ace spectrums and dating, clarifying that it's about attraction, not action. Courtney and Kiera revel in the realm of Dungeons and Dragons and discuss what allosexual people can do to make the world more inclusive for those on the aro/ace spectrums.

 

Content Warnings: Swearing

 

Special Thanks:

Editor/Producer: Sofi Lalonde (www.sofilalonde.com)

Visual Artist: Tanner Groehler (www.ratsandchildren.co)

Music: A OK by ÜberKicK is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

6: Big on Labels

Join us this week on A OK as we talk with KM (they/them, ze/zir), a chemistry teacher and aerialist who identifies as quoiromantic and gray ace/nonbinary lesbian. We affirm how important teachers are in providing a safe space for students. We also talk about aerial circus acrobatics and KM’s journey exploring labels and building a new foundation for a relationship with their family.

 

Content Warnings: Swearing

 

Alate Circus Arts: https://www.facebook.com/AlateCircusArts/

 

Special Thanks:

Editor/Producer: Sofi LaLonde (www.sofilalonde.com)

Visual Artist: Tanner Groehler (www.ratsandchildren.co)

Music: A OK by ÜberKicK is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

5: Less Complicated Than You Think

In today's episode of A OK, we meet with Alex (she/her), a writer and Twitch streamer who identifies as demisexual and demiromatic/lesbian. Alex shares how demisexual differs from the other forms of sexuality, her experiences being queer while on the Autism spectrum, and our shared experiences of winding up on accidental dates!

 

Content Warnings: Fictional Abuse Mention

 

Alex's Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/ozmainthedark

 

Special Thanks:

Editor/Producer: Sofi LaLonde (www.sofilalonde.com)

Visual Artist: Tanner Groehler (www.ratsandchildren.co)

Music: A OK by ÜberKicK is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

4: The Sexual Side of Fanfiction

Today we talk with Linnea Peterson (she/her, they/them), a communications professional and aspiring novelist who identifies as grey asexual and bi-romantic. Linnea talks with us about labels, the wonderful world of fanfiction, and the forced romantic plots in the entertainment industry.

 

Content Warnings: Swearing

 

Special Thanks:

Editor/Producer: Sofi LaLonde (www.sofilalonde.com)

Visual Artist: Tanner Groehler (www.ratsandchildren.co)

Music: A OK by ÜberKicK is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

3: Think Before You Gatekeep

Nick (he/him) joins us for the third episode of A OK! Nick is a visual artist and advocate who identifies as asexual and arospec/bi. We discuss how transitioning with hormones could affect one's sexual identity, how low sex-drive is presumed a medical problem across healthcare providers, the difference between being sex indifferent and sex repulsed, and how great dogs are.

 

*Updated episode to fix an issue! Sorry!* 

 

Link to Asexual Outreach: https://asexualoutreach.org/

 

Special Thanks:

Editor/Producer: Sofi LaLonde (www.sofilalonde.com)

Visual Artist: Tanner Groehler (www.ratsandchildren.co)

Music: A OK by ÜberKicK is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

2: Hard to Prove a Negative

In this episode, we talk with playwright, performer, and theater artist Beth Ann Powers (she/her) about asexuality and aromanticism. We discuss the relationship between Christianity and sexuality, highlighting the difference between celibacy by choice and coming out as ace, and we celebrate the importance of platonic relationships and confront their lackluster portrayal in the media.

 

Content Warnings: Religion, Christianity, Invalidation

 

Slap Happy Studios: www.slaphappystudios.org

 

Special Thanks:

Editor/Producer: Sofi LaLonde (www.sofilalonde.com)

Visual Artist: Tanner Groehler (www.ratsandchildren.net)

Music: A OK by ÜberKicK is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

1: Power in Talking About It

In our first ever episode of A OK, we talk with poet and visual artist Jasper Hardin (they/them) about asexuality, bi-romanticism, and polyamory. Jasper tells us how being an asexual partner in romantic relationships influences intimacy, the spectrum of platonic relationships, and how polyamory fits into it all. We also expose how rape-culture affects asexuals specifically while exploring the assumptions of trauma and its affect on sexuality.

 

Content Warning: Mentions of rape-culture and sexual experiences

 

Explicit Literary Journal: https://explicitliteraryjournal.com

 

Special Thanks:

Editor/Producer: Sofi LaLonde (www.sofilalonde.com)

Visual Artist: Tanner Groehler (www.ratsandchildren.co)

Music: A OK by ÜberKicK is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Introducing: A OK

A OK is a brand-new podcast about everything ace and aro! Join Courtney each week as she interviews guests on the aromantic and asexual spectrums. Remove all that pressure to "prove" something unprovable, and instead listen to really cool people discuss coming out, fandoms, their hobbies and passions, and more!