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.

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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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Aline thinks back to their childhood and teenage years and remembers how their lack of interest in boys and sex made them an outcast. By the time they were in business school, their absence of sexual desire was astonishing to others, with coworkers giving them unwarranted advice on how to lose their virginity. With the help of Megan Carroll, a sociology professor who realized she was asexual at the age of 30, and Angela Chen, author of "Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex,” Aline reflects on this “compulsory sexuality" and why it’s so prevalent in society.

This episode features excerpts from the movies: American Pie produced by Universal Pictures, Casablanca produced by Warner Brothers, and Moulin Rouge produced by Bazmark Productions and 20th Century Fox. From TV shows: Conan produced by Conanco and Warner Brothers Television, Dawson’s Creek produced by Columbia Tristar Television, Netflix’s Emily in Paris produced by Darren Star Productions, Jacks Media, and MTV entertainment studios, The Ellen Show produced by A Very Good Production, Telepictures Productions, and Warner Brothers Television. And from the Netflix is a Joke YouTube channel produced by Netflix, as well as from the French radio show, Loving Fun, produced by Fun Radio.

Aline loses their virginity, in an effort to be like everyone else and because they want to be “liberated." In this episode, Aline looks back on that first time, and all the subsequent times. They try to understand why they forced themself into sexual encounters when they didn’t desire sex. With the help of Kate Wood, Australian asexual activist and Megan Carroll, Aline tries to dissect the mechanisms behind this self-inflicted violence. 

This episode features excerpts from the movies Cruel Intentions produced by Columbia Pictures and Newmarket Films and Those Happy Days produced by Quad Productions. It also features an excerpt from the website OMGYes.