A look into Viv Albertine's influence in the destigmatisation of asexuality

Viv Albertine, guitarist for 1970s all-woman punk band, The Slits, has described herself as asexual. She stated in a 2018 interview with NPR, “I think of myself as asexual, actually, and I think I possibly always have been, which is someone who actually is – hasn't got very much of a sex drive. And it wasn't really allowed when I was young to be that, and it's lovely to have a word for it, actually.” Albertine was raised in North London and joined The Slits at age 22. Having no prior knowledge of the guitar and it being uncommon for women to be in bands, Albertine taught herself how to play the instrument, in line with punk’s DIY ethic.

Albertine has expressed joy in the destigmatisation of asexuality and the influence of greater knowledge about various gender and sexual identities. In the NPR interview, she continued, “You know, I was considered a freak. But, again, I think that's what's so good about young people now talking about gender fluidity and gender identity – that you're not considered a freak even amongst your friends for, you know, not having that kind of sex drive.”  

In her 2014 memoir, Albertine describes fashion as a form of self-expression with which she could experiment with colors, fabrics, and the emotional reactions different clothes evoked.  Through its lyrics and fashions, the feminist punk scene emphasized non-conformity, raising awareness of gender inequality, and subverting gender and sexual expectations – an ethos to which Albertine greatly contributed.

Albertine’s embodiment of feminist punk values extends to activism as well. When the British Library omitted women from its text panels in its 2016 exhibition on punk, she went in, scratched out mentions of male bands, and replaced them with women-led bands alongside her signature and a question: “What about the women!!” Through her music, writing, and discussion of asexuality, Albertine continues to challenge norms, exploring and celebrating different ways of expressing gender and sexuality. 

References

• Punk Legend and Memoirist Viv Albertine on a Lifetime of Fighting the Patriarchy
• Albertine, Viv. Clothes, Clothes, Clothes, Music, Music, Music, Boys, Boys, Boys, London: Faber And Faber, 2014.

Image Credit

• Image on the left shows Viv Albertine playing at a gig in Manchester, 1977. © Credit: Kevin Cummins 
• Image on the right shows Viv Albertine writing in the names of women-led punk bands The Slits, X-Ray-Spex, and Siouxsie and the Banshees over mentions of male-led bands at the British Library’s 2016 exhibition, “Punk 1976-78.” © Credit: The Quietus