Gabriel Guertin-Pasquier does not like sex. And he feels much better since he announced and assumed it publicly. Her asexuality is at the heart of her new play, The asexuality of bees, presented at the Phénomena festival on October 8. The title is inspired by a species of bee, the Cape bee, in South Africa. “The workers of this species of bee are able to self-reproduce with their own DNA”, explains the young theater man in an interview.
In fact, Gabriel Guertin-Pasquier defines himself rather as homoromantic, that is to say that he wishes to live a romantic relationship with a man based rather on kisses, hugs and long-term projects. Ideally, without sexuality… Without being strictly autobiographical, the play The asexuality of bees is largely based on his experience, and it takes place in a sperm donation clinic.
“It’s the story of a homoromantic, gay man from Montreal who wants to have a child. And to this child, who will be born after the donation, he decides to tell all his old relationships, his journey, the fact of being asexual, especially what happens during the dating, meetings. It’s hard to come to terms with being asexual, especially in the male gay community and in hypersexualized society. It’s hard to find yourself, to have role models,” he said in an interview.
Often extremely uncomfortable in the context of dating agencies or on the dance floor of a bar, Gabriel Guertin-Pasquier himself decided to become a model for asexuals, shortly after making his coming out on the reality show If we loved each other, broadcast on TVA. “It was beneficial. I was able to talk about it and make people discover this orientation, he continues. I received many messages from people of all ages, of all genders, who identified with this statement and this orientation. »
On Saturday, Gabriel Guertin-Pasquier’s play will be presented during an evening also entirely devoted to sexuality, at the Phénomena festival. James Knott from the queer community will present The Apocalypse in Your Bedroom, a rock show, with original music, choreography and stage props, probing queer identity. Then, at 10 p.m., the Collectif NU.ES offers The immodest cabaret, an experience of exploration of various eroticisms, with scenes of nudity in the key.
However, nudity is indeed present in the theatrical universe of Gabriel Guertin-Pasquier, who specifies that his show “is not for children”.
“In a way, my show is about sexuality, it’s a vision of sexuality,” he says.
A variety of approaches
Even among asexuals, the ways of experiencing sexuality vary greatly. Demisexuals are said to be people who aren’t interested in sex in general, but may be in a relationship in particular. “A demisexual can possibly have sexual attraction for someone else, depending on the situation, depending on the trust with the partner, etc., continues Gabriel Guertin-Pasquier. He is open to some form of sexuality with his partner. It stays on the spectrum of asexuality. For my part, I am open, but it is rather to please him. »
Even madly in love, Gabriel Guertin-Pasquier would be satisfied very well with one sexual relationship per year. And he says he could give up all sexuality altogether. Nothing to do, in any case, with the current injunction to have sex three times a week to maintain a healthy couple.
Fraysexuals, on the other hand, are people who may experience sexual attraction at the beginning of a relationship, but this experience disappears when they develop a romantic relationship. The apothisexuals experience a pure and simple distaste for sexual relations. And fictosexuals only feel desire for fictional characters.
According to the playwright, we are not talking here about a phase in the life of a person who would experience a drop in libido, for example, nor even a kind of sexual dormancy that would affect a formerly sexualized couple after a few years. He defines asexuality as a sexual orientation, as a lack of desire to share sexuality with another person. Some asexuals can express their libido through masturbation.
Overall, asexuality affects 1% of the population. However, it is a phenomenon that remains unknown throughout the world. Here, in 2015, Isabelle Stephen founded the Montreal Asexual Community. Gabriel Guertin-Pasquier, for his part, found several answers to his questions on the Asexuals of Quebec Facebook page.