Free From Desire

Aline Laurent-Mayard•shows.acast.com

1 podcast, 2 versions:

🇺🇸 Aline, 34, has never been attracted to anyone - neither sexually nor romantically. They retrace their steps through the trials and tribulations of an adolescence steeped in supercharged pop culture messaging and explore how accepting their asexuality and aromantism allowed them to redefine what love, relationship and family mean to them.

🇫🇷 Pendant des années, Aline s'est dit « ça finira bien par arriver ». Elle s'est même mise dans des situations inconfortables pour forcer le destin. Ca n'a jamais fonctionné.

Elle se sentait isolée, exclue et honteuse. Qu'est-ce que la vie sans l'expérience du désir sexuel ou romantique - de l'aventure d'un soir à la relation de couple ?

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« En explorant sa propre absence de désir, elle pousse chacun et chacune à interroger le sien : pas besoin d’être asexuel pour apprécier de réinvestir l’amitié, désacraliser le couple, et s’écouter soi-même », Télérama

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“This compelling personal story has lessons and insights for anyone with a body”, Tribeca Festival

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"Though Free From Desire provides plenty of answers, its success isn’t rooted in being educational—accompanying Aline as they pursue agency and happiness, regardless of who understands it, fuels the show’s magic", The Atlantic

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Free from Desire is a podcast originally published in France, where it made the cover of magazines.

It has been Tribeca Festival's best Audio Storytelling and Signal Awards' best Diversity, Equity & Inclusion podcast in 2023, and was one of the 25 best podcasts of 2023 for The Atlantic.

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Follow Aline on Instagram @YallahAline!

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Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

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Episodes

L’appétit ne vient pas toujours en mangeant

[ This season is in French. Check out season 1 for the English version] À 22 ans, Aline finit par avoir des rapports sexuels, à la fois pour être comme tout le monde et parce qu'elle veut être une “femme libérée”. Dans cet épisode, elle revient sur sa première fois, et toutes celles qui ont suivi, et décrypte les mécanismes de ces violences sexuelles auto-infligées. Avec : Aurore Vincenti, une linguiste formée en sexologie Kate Wood, une militante asexuelle au sein de l’association ACT Aces Gabr...

Jun 30, 2025•28 min•Season 2Ep. 2

Trop coincée, trop exigeante, trop prude

[ This season is in French. Check out season 1 for the English version] Aline est une ado qui n'a aucun intérêt pour les garçons et le sexe, ça l'exclue de beaucoup de discussions. Plus tard, en école de commerce, sa virginité et son absence d'envie suscitent carrément de la sidération ou des conseils déplacés. Dans cet épisode, elle tente de comprendre pourquoi les histoires de sexe accaparent les discussions dès le collège et ce que cache cette contrainte à la sexualité. Avec Gabrielle Richard...

Jun 30, 2025•28 min•Season 2Ep. 1

Free From Desire revient !

[This season is in French. Check out season 1 for the English version] Pendant des années, Aline s'est dit « ça finira bien par arriver ». Elle s'est même mise dans des situations inconfortables pour forcer le destin. Ca n'a jamais fonctionné. Elle se sentait isolée, exclue et honteuse. Qu'est-ce que la vie sans l'expérience du désir sexuel ou romantique - de l'aventure d'un soir à la relation de couple ? À 20 ans, elle a enfin commencé à trouver des réponses. ✨ « En explorant sa propre absence ...

Jun 03, 2025•1 min

🇺🇸 Behold, Unto Us a Child Is Born

[Retrouvez la version française en saison 2] Aline always knew they wanted a child. As a teenager, they imagined adopting, having a child with friends, and being a single parent — as if their subconscious already knew that married life was not for them. But, getting a sperm donation in France as a single parent was illegal at the time. Aline had to get “creative” and find the right doctor. While pregnant, Aline contemplate the idea of raising a kid in a hyper-sexualized and hyper-gendered world....

Jul 19, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 7

🇺🇸 Single, Asexual, Parent?

[Retrouvez la version française en saison 2] In this episode, Aline realizes they are aromantic, which brings another big revelation — they don’t want to wait for a romantic partner to start a family. Aline explores different kinds of families and co-parenting options, only to realize that romance plays a role in almost all of them. With this in mind, Aline decides they’ll become a parent on their own. --- 👉 Follow Aline on Instagram @YallahAline ! ✨ “This compelling personal story has lessons ...

Jul 12, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 6

🇺🇸 The Sex Life of Asexuals

[Retrouvez la version française en saison 2] In this episode, Aline talks to us about the sex life of asexual people (including their own!). Since accepting their asexuality, they have had to rethink their relationship with intimacy and sexual attraction. Aline questions the way coupled relationships are normally perceived by talking to other asexual people and listening to their stories. Special thanks to Fiona Conneely, Seth Rosner, and Sydney Klinghoffer whose voices you'd heard throughout th...

Jul 05, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 5

🇺🇸 a·sex·u·al·i·ty — noun

[Retrouvez la version française en saison 2] When Aline discovers the concept of asexuality, they are relieved...and scared. They experience phases of doubt and denial before they can truly understand this term and make it their own. In this episode, they look back on the birth of the concept and of the asexual community, thanks to the AVEN website created by David Jay. --- 👉 Follow Aline on Instagram @YallahAline ! ✨ “This compelling personal story has lessons and insights for anyone with a bo...

Jun 28, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 4

🇺🇸 Can I Be Cured?

[Retrouvez la version française en saison 2] Aline is afraid of failing in a relationship, so they go to a therapist to make sure they’re not repressing any trauma that “blocks” their sexuality. Aline explores the misconstruction of asexuality by medical and therapeutic communities and how it affects the mental and physical health of asexual people. With: Angela Chen, author of Ace Kate Wood, Australian asexual activist David Jay, the legendary asexual activist --- 👉 Follow Aline on Instagram @...

Jun 21, 2023•17 min•Season 1Ep. 3

🇺🇸 Practice Doesn't Always Make Perfect

[Cette saison est en anglais. Retrouvez la version française en saison 2] Aline has sex, in an effort to be like everyone else and because they want to be “liberated." In this episode, Aline tries to understand why they forced themself into sexual encounters. With: Megan Carroll, a sociology professor Kate Wood, Australian asexual activist --- 👉 Follow Aline on Instagram @YallahAline ! ✨ “This compelling personal story has lessons and insights for anyone with a body”, Tribeca Festival ✨ "Though...

Jun 14, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 2

🇺🇸 What Is Wrong With Me?

[Cette saison est en anglais. Retrouvez la version française en saison 2] Aline thinks back to their childhood and teenage years and remembers how their lack of interest in boys and sex made them an outcast. Aline reflects on “compulsory sexuality" and why it’s so prevalent in society. With: Megan Carroll, a sociology professor Angela Chen, author of "Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex,” --- 👉 Follow Aline on Instagram @YallahAline ! ✨ “This compelling pe...

Jun 07, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 1

🇺🇸 Trailer Free from Desire

[Cette saison est en anglais. Retrouvez la version française en saison 2] For years, Aline thought “it will eventually come.” They'd even put themselves in uncomfortable situations to try and force it to happen. It never did. They felt isolated, excluded, and ashamed. What is life without experiencing sexual or romantic desire — from a one-night stand to a coupled relationship? At 20, they finally started to find answers. ✨ “This compelling personal story has lessons and insights for anyone with...

Apr 25, 2023•2 min

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