Celibacy is commonly associated with cloistered religious groups, or more recently with extremist incels. Yet in a world where 'Yes' to desire has dominated narratives of sexual liberation, Lisabeth During invites us to reconsider the radical potential of 'No' and examine how celibacy challenges norms and offers unique avenues for political dissent.
“We must not think that by saying yes to sex, one says no to power...It is the agency of sex that we must break away from.” - Michel Foucault
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Cee Gesange 2 September 2023
This article claims Joan of Arc and medieval nuns were "rebels" who took vows of celibacy to avoid marriage; but they actually did so for religious reasons that had nothing to do with "rebellion" and everything to do with obedience to the moral precepts of their religion. Joan of Arc said the saints in her visions ordered her to "maintain my virginity as long as it pleases God", which is pretty much the opposite of rebellion.
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