Asexual means “a person who experiences no sexual feelings or desires, or who is not sexually attracted to anyone”. It is therefore pefectly possibly to be as masculine and macho as as you like (or as feminine as takes your fancy) and yet feel no sexual attraction to anybody.
Asexuality is a sexuality, not a gender identity – though of course, asexual people have genders too, whether that aligns with what they were assigned at birth or not
Some asexual people find their body’s arousal responses uncomfortable or even dysphoric, particularly those who also experience gender-related discomfort. This might explain why we find a large number of asexuals in the eunuch and nullo community.
It’s also important to note that just because somebody is asexual does not mean that the are also aromantic, they may be interested in relationships. The attraction will almost certainly be nonsexual.
In this post, I’m looking at a few famous asexual people
David Jay
He founded AVEN (the Asexual Visibility and Education Network) and has been the quiet powerhouse behind global ace activism ever since. David Jay doesn’t strut – he stands. His masculinity is composed, calm, and deeply relational. He is the boy next door who wants to understand you, not seduce you. In a culture that equates masculinity with sex, David’s existence is a gentle rebellion – a reminder that intimacy and manhood aren’t the same thing.
Tim Gunn
Impeccably dressed, unfailingly polite, and famously celibate, Tim Gunn brings a kind of old-school gentlemanliness to the world of fashion. He’s spoken openly about choosing celibacy and not being interested in sex – which, in his world of glamour and excess, makes him a unicorn. Tim’s masculinity is elegant, exacting, and a bit severe – the kind that comes with a tailored suit and a “Make it work!” catchphrase. He’s proof that you don’t need desire to have presence.
Todd Chavez (fictional)
In BoJack Horseman, Todd starts off as a goofy slacker. But over time, he becomes one of TV’s first openly asexual characters – and a quietly radical figure. His masculinity is weird, earnest, creative, and not driven by lust or dominance. He reminds us that ace masculinity can be silly, emotionally available, and totally unconcerned with what others expect. Todd is a reminder that representation matters – especially when it wears a beanie and builds a theme park for clowns.
Edward Gorey
Victorian gothic meets New England eccentricity – Edward Gorey was never quite one thing or another. He dressed in full-length fur coats, collected oddities, and drew deadpan macabre cartoons of doomed children and long-suffering men. Though he never labelled his sexuality, many now read him as queer and possibly asexual. His masculinity was cerebral, spooky, and solitary – the kind that says, “I’d rather be sketching tragic orphans than flirting with you.” Honestly, mood.
Morrissey
Ah, Morrissey — the wilting flower of indie rock. For years he identified as celibate or asexual, and his lyrics were drenched in yearning, not sex. His masculinity is literary, brooding, vaguely Victorian. While later interviews muddled the picture, his early stance — and iconic presence — shaped many ace-spectrum fans’ sense of self. Morrissey’s masculinity is performative, pained, and allergic to conventional romance. He’s the saint of sad boys who just want to feel things.
Why it matters
In a culture that equates masculinity with sex – with conquest, virility, dominance – asexual men and mascs are quietly radical. They show us that being a man doesn’t have to mean wanting sex, having sex, or performing desire for others’ approval. Their existence challenges the hypersexual norms that shame men for being soft, slow, solitary, or uninterested.
Asexual masculinity matters because it expands what manhood can mean. It makes space for gentleness, self-containment, emotional intimacy, and unhurried connection. And it reminds everyone – ace or not – that your value isn’t measured by how much you want or how much you’re wanted. You’re allowed to just be.
Eunuchorn 
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