This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn more

Rainbow Role Model: Yasmin Benoit, Model & Award-Winning Asexual Activist

Interviews

Diversity and inclusion LGBTQ+ professional

Rainbow role model and LGBTQ+  writer, model and campaigner Yasmin Benoit provides an insight into her work as an asexual activist, as well as a glimpse into her social life.



 



myGwork: Can you share a little about yourself? Why did you want to be a writer, model, activist and speaker? 

 

Yasmin: I started my career as a model because I wanted to increase diversity in that area and provide representation for Black women with alternative styles. The first topics I wrote about were my experiences as an alternative Black woman in the industry, but I noticed a lack of asexual representation the more time I spent on social media. That was when I decided to use my platform to raise awareness about asexuality, and also aromanticism. Things snowballed from there, and I've had the opportunity to speak at incredible institutions, write for amazing publications, appear in documentaries and magazines like Vogue and Cosmopolitan, and speak at a range of different corporations, events and conferences – even at TEDx.

 

myGwork: What are your topics of interest as a writer? Do you have a particular niche? 

 

Yasmin: I largely write about asexuality and aromanticism, interweaving discussions about Blackness, feminism and injustice from my own perspective. So I go into compulsory sexuality, the concept of romance and amatonormativity, racism, public image and hypersexualisation in context to my experiences - and other aces' experiences. I cover it because not a lot of people are. it's true to my own experience and it's a deep area with so much to discuss.

 

myGwork: On what type of social problems do you write/speak about? Why do you think these problems exist? 

 

Yasmin: My work concerns asexuality and aromanticism, as I've already mentioned. I aim to raise awareness around those orientations and issues facing those communities. These issues largely come from the way we're taught to conceptualise 'normal' sexuality and romantic relationships, which lead to a hierarchal structure, a lack of awareness and also the stigmatisation of asexual and aromantic people.

 

myGwork: How important is LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace for you personally?

 

Yasmin: I don't have a fixed workplace so it doesn't make an impact on my work experiences personally. But I know that it makes a big difference for many others who spend a large amount of their time in the workplace, particularly members of my community. So it impacts me in that sense and I do whatever I can to make workplaces inclusive environments, especially for asexual people who are less likely than other orientations to be out in the workplace.

 

myGwork: What's the biggest highlight of your career to date and why?

 

Yasmin: Launching the UK's first asexual rights initiative was my biggest career highlight. I've teamed up with Stonewall to produce a report on asexual discrimination in the UK, which will be used to inform legislation, policy-makers, organisations, businesses and charities on how to better support asexual people.

 

myGwork: What was the last book you read? Any interesting take-aways and would you recommend it to fellow leaders? 

 

Yasmin: The last book I read was Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. I have a preference for more classic literature and historical fiction. Everything I read is either set almost a hundred years ago or was written around a hundred years ago! This one was quite a challenging read because I don't usually read books that are so non-linear, but I'm glad I stuck it out because it was worth it in the end.

 

I wouldn't just recommend it because it's a still-relevant classic, but also because Heller really found a way to communicate absurdity and a dark subject matter in a character-centred, humorous and almost surreal way. It's a great example of how you can get creative when communicating a serious narrative and use humour to emphasise the ridiculousness of certain aspects, which can actually make them easier to empathise with.

 

myGwork: What was your last holiday destination and where do you plan to visit next?

 

Yasmin: My last holiday destination was Rasnov in Romania for a Christening, with a few stops to Brasov to go skiing and to speak at a university, and Bucharest for some sightseeing. It was my first trip since the pandemic started and my second time there. It's one of my favourite places to visit. I love the atmosphere in Romania. The hospitable people and the food is incredible. I have recently, returned from Serbia, as I was invited to speak at International Human Rights Conference in Belgrade.

 

myGwork: What do you do to relax at the end of a hard-working day?

 

Yasmin: The most relaxing thing for me is some escapism. If I want the more thoughtful type of escapism, I'll probably read another historical book and become someone in a completely different era, living a completely different life. If I want the brainless, entertaining type of escapism, I'm probably playing Sims 4... and I've racked up a lot of hours playing that game!


A new report by LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall and Yasmin Benoit has revealed the shocking discrimination and experiences faced by Ace people at work and when accessing healthcare. Click here to read more.


You can find more about Yasmin and connect with her here.

 



Check out some of myGwork's other recent interviews, including:


 

Share this

myGwork
myGwork is best used with the app
Not now Install Open