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Tag: ace

  • Exclusive Interview: Ashley Cooke Has Another ace Up Her Sleeve 

    CMT’s breakout star Ashley Cooke isn’t just playing her cards right—with ace, her bold new nine-track project, she’s straight-up dealing from the top of the deck. Produced by sonic sorcerer Dann Huff (you know, the mastermind behind Taylor Swift and Keith Urban’s bangers), ace is Ashley’s wildcard: honest, unfiltered, and totally unbothered by those 3 a.m. “u up?”, boy-troubling texts that really should’ve stayed in the drafts. Across the past two and a half years, Ashley’s been shuffling through some real-life plot twists—from heavy family health scares to heart-on-sleeve boy drama—and somehow turning it all into melodies that hit like a hug and a slap at the same time. ace drops right on the heels of her debut shot in the dark, where she teamed up with the queen of feel-good, Colbie Caillat (yes, Miss ‘Bubbly’ herself), and country’s tattooed crooner Brett Young. But make no mistake: ace isn’t just a follow-up, it’s a full-on glow-up. A melodic diary soaked in grit, grace, and growth—proof that Ashley’s not bluffing. She’s all in. 

    We caught up with Ashley to chat about working with Dann, the three BookTok reads that perfectly sum up ace (spoiler: one’s now gorgeously signed), and all the behind-the-music tea.

    Hi Ashley! The last time we talked was around the release of ‘the f word,’ which is now landing on your ace project—a song about swapping in “forever” with a wink and a sigh. Four months later came its sister single ‘swear words.’ How do those two songs sit beside each other for you now?
    Both ‘the f word’ and ‘swear words’ sit in a storyline apart of the ace project and are very real chapters for me. ‘the f word’ is the honeymoon phase – a real moment when I accidentally blurted out that I wanted to marry someone to his mom our first time meeting. Then you get further down the story to swear words, when you start to fall apart a bit and realize words won’t fix it.

    The ‘swear words’ visualizer is so stunning—that scene with the muse packing boxes while you sing in the corner feels like public heartbreak meets closure. The fading silhouette moment? Genius. How did that concept come to life?
    Thank you! The team at Big Loud, Brayln Smith and Caleb Donato, really crushed the concept. It takes a team that really gets the music and deep dives into it to create beautiful visual art, too. I’m so proud of it. And it was so fun getting to work with my friend John Sansone on it!

    We have to talk about that Ne-Yo moment at the Spotify event—you went from covering ‘So Sick’ on tour to singing it with him. What was that full-circle experience like?
    Oh, it was so incredible. I met him earlier in the week when he was side stage for my Riverfront Stage performance. I got off stage, sweaty and on a post-show high, and stumbled into Ne-Yo and immediately was like “there’s no way.” We became friends, and he popped up with me later that week! Wild. I still cover ‘So Sick’ occasionally, and it has a whole new meaning now!

    You’ve been on tour since August, and your merch always feels like a love letter—even when it’s something fans buy at a show, not straight from your hands. How do you keep that personal energy in every piece, from the handwriting details to the design choices?
    Ya know, after doing this for a few years, I’ve realized all we really have as artists are personal touches. Whether that be in lyrical honesty or handwriting on merch.. It’s something little that I want people to feel like they’re a part of, and that I really put in the effort to make it special. They’re spending hard-earned money to not only come to the show but to buy merch. It means a lot to me, and I want them to know that.

    Speaking of personal touches, your Instagram dump gave us a peek at a new tattoo of an ace playing card (which we’re obsessed with). What’s the story behind it? And if you had to tattoo one lyric from the ace project just below it, which would you pick?
    It might be my favorite tattoo yet, minus my dad’s hand in the 🤟 sign. I’m a big dad’s girl. Growing up, one of the nicknames my dad gave me was “ace.” I really don’t know if it was because it’s kinda my initials or if it’s his love of blackjack, but it meant a lot to me – enough to want a tattoo of it. Lyric-wise… I’d probably tattoo “tell me when the sunshine and roses show up…” from ‘gettin’ old.’

    You also scored a signed copy of Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom, so we know you’re a certified book girlie. If you could curate a three-book reading list for this ace era, what’s on it?
    For this ace era… great question. 

    I’d say:

    1. Tuesday’s With Morrie (life lessons, bittersweet, leaves you reminiscing)
    2. Untamed by Glennon Doyle (each chapter tells a different story from the same voice, similar to the tracks on ace)
    3. Anything Colleen Hoover (ace has a big undertone of the story of a relationship from start to finish – the honeymoon phase, the falling apart, the rendezvous after the breakup, the spiral of seeing him with someone new, the “I’m gonna be alone forever” thought… CoHo books are great with those stories.)

    Now let’s talk fashion—you recently attended The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in Là Fuori and Jenny Bird (we’re not jealous, just in awe). What was that whole experience like from your perspective?
    It was magic. Not only did I have a custom dress in my favorite color, but I got to sit front row and see the show up close.. I’ve been a VS fan forever, and it’s always an honor to get to attend.

    ‘tin foil hat’ is such a fun and cheeky nod to the way we spiral over love—and that music video with the full red-string board moment? Peak detective energy. You mentioned before that you’re a Pinterest girlie—what’s your most chaotic or inspiring board right now?
    I love Pinterest. Truly, it helps me make sense of the chaos in my brain, haha. I have well over 15 boards that I keep adding to; it’s the best tool to brainstorm. It’s been helping me make sense of album 2 👀

    You worked with Dann Huff on this project, who’s basically a legend, with credits from Taylor Swift’s Red to Michael Jackson and Rascal Flatts. What do you feel he brought out in your sound this time around?
    Dan truly is a legend, and even more so because he doesn’t think so, haha. He’s the most humble, wonderful person and has a true gift. He just gets it. He can read my mind and the room simultaneously. and to be able to do that for so many artists again and again – it’s truly a divine gift and I’m so, so honored to have his hands and ears on my next chapter of music

    Finally, ‘(my worst fear)’ closes the project on such a vulnerable note—it’s that anthem for overachievers who secretly just want to be loved. How did this song come together, and why did you choose it as the closing chapter of ace?
    This was a really vulnerable song to write with some of my favorite writers/close friends. I got honest about my deepest fears, most of which boil down to “ending up alone” – and I don’t mean just not having people around me, that’s a given almost every day, I mean being deeply, soulfully unknown. This career is an absolute blast, and most days I feel on cloud 9, but it comes with a lot of sacrifice and missing big moments with your closest people, and you start to drift if you’re not careful. This song is written from a POV that (thankfully) I haven’t experienced, but it’s how I think I’d feel in the future if my worst fear became my reality. It felt like the perfect last song because it’s the fear that crossed my mind the most after losing important people to me over the last 2.5 years, and that’s shaped this era quite a bit.

    Just like any good card player keeps their ace close, which tracks from ace are you keeping tucked tight to your chest? Tell us your top picks over on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook—we’re watching. And don’t think we missed that little “album 2 👀” wink from Ashley…because bestie, we definitely caught it. The deck’s not done dealing yet. ♠️✨

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ASHLEY COOKE:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | X | YOUTUBE

    Rachel Finucane

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  • Ace Frehley, Kiss’ Original Lead Guitarist And Founding Member, Dies At 74 – KXL

    Kiss guitarist Paul Stanley, right, guitarist Ace Frehley, center, and bassist Gene Simmons play during the band’s farewell concert in the Detroit area, Thursday, May 25, 2000, at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Mich., (AP Photo/Paul Warner, File)

    Ace Frehley, the original lead guitarist and founding member of the glam rock band Kiss who captivated audiences with his elaborate makeup and smoke-filled guitar, died Thursday. He was 74.

    Frehley died peacefully surrounded by family in Morristown, New Jersey, following a recent fall, according to his agent.

    Family members said in a statement that they are “completely devastated and heartbroken” but will cherish his laughter and celebrate the kindness he bestowed upon others.

    Kiss, whose hits included “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “I Was Made for Lovin’ You,” was known for its theatrical stage shows, with fireworks, smoking instruments and fake blood spewing from the mouths of band members in body armor, platform boots, wigs and signature black-and-white face paint.

    Kiss’ original lineup included Frehley, singer-guitarist Paul Stanley, tongue-wagging bassist Gene Simmons and drummer Peter Criss. Band members took on the personas of comic book-style characters — Frehley was known as “Space Ace” and the “Spaceman.” The New York-born entertainer often experimented with pyrotechnics, making his guitars glow, emit smoke and shoot rockets from the headstock.

    “We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley,” Simmons and Stanley said in a joint statement. “He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history. He is and will always be a part of KISS’s legacy.”

    Frehley and his band mates were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

    As the Kennedy Center’s new chairman, President Donald Trump named Kiss as one of this year’s honorees.

    Frehley’s is the first death among the four founding members.

    The band was extremely popular, especially in the mid-1970s, selling tens of millions of albums and licensing its iconic look to sell numerous products. “Beth” was its biggest commercial hit in the U.S., peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1976.

    Frehley left the band in 1982, skipping the years when they took off the makeup and had mixed success. He performed both as a solo artist and with his band, Frehley’s Comet.

    But he rejoined Kiss in the mid-1990s for a triumphant reunion and restoration of their original style that came after bands including Nirvana, Weezer and the Melvins had expressed their affection for the band and paid them musical tributes.

    More about:

    Jordan Vawter

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  • ACE Partners With New York Affiliate of American Organization for Nursing Leadership

    NYONL members are now eligible for reduced tuition toward an ACE nursing program


    INDIANAPOLIS, IN, October 8, 2025 (Newswire.com)
    –
    American College of Education® (ACE) recently established a partnership with the New York Organization for Nursing Leadership (NYONL), an affiliate of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership. The collaboration makes NYONL members eligible for reduced tuition toward an ACE nursing program, furthering both organizations’ missions to equip nursing leaders.

    ACE is committed to offering accessible education that aids industries facing critical staff shortages, like nursing. The college offers fully online nursing programs at industry-low tuition rates that equip registered nurses (RNs) with the advanced skills, knowledge and technology needed to advance into leadership and educator roles.

    Programs include an RN to BSN, RN to MSN, BSN to MSN, Ed.S. in Nursing Education and Ed.D. in Nursing Education, along with the nation’s first and only travel nursing certificate.

    “Partnering with NYONL enhances the widespread influence of accessible nursing education,” ACE President and CEO Geordie Hyland said. “Once the pandemic hit, higher education saw a rising need for online nursing programs, and we’re proud to offer our healthcare heroes the flexibility they deserve. We also ensure they’re effectively equipped with evidence-based, innovative and quality learning they can apply immediately to their daily practices.”

    NYONL members include nurse leaders at all levels in practice and academia, including aspiring, retired and student leaders, and affiliate members – all committed to the organization’s mission of advancing the practice of nursing and ensuring access to care for all New Yorkers.

    “We’re thrilled to offer our members access to affordable, career-oriented education,” NYONL President Robert Church, RN, MS, MBA, NE-BC, FACHE, Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President, SBH Health System, St. Barnabas Hospital. “It’s great to partner with an institution of higher learning that values the daily efforts of our members by ensuring they have opportunities for career advancement. We look forward to the future impact of our collaboration and how New York’s nurse leaders will shape the future of healthcare in New York and beyond!”

    Explore the nursing programs offered at ACE and learn more about their partnership with NYONL

    About American College of Education

    American College of Education (ACE) is an accredited, fully online private college specializing in high-quality, affordable programs in education, business, healthcare and nursing. Headquartered in Indianapolis, ACE offers more than 60 innovative and engaging programs for adult students to pursue a doctorate, specialist, master’s or bachelor’s degree, along with graduate-level certificate programs.

    About the NYONL

    The New York Organization for Nursing Leadership (NYONL) represents over 600 nurse leaders across New York State, united in advancing nursing leadership and shaping the future of healthcare. Through education, advocacy, and strategic partnerships, NYONL promotes evidence-based leadership and works to strengthen the nursing workforce, eliminate health disparities, and influence healthcare policy. Learn more at https://nyonl.nursingnetwork.com.

    Source: American College of Education

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  • As Much of U.S. Higher Education Struggles, American College of Education Thrives

    ACE’s unique operational model and student-centric focus allow it to add staff, programs, partnerships and scholarships even as financial uncertainty forces layoffs and tuition hikes throughout higher education.  


    INDIANAPOLIS, September 30, 2025 (Newswire.com)
    –
    As U.S. colleges and universities cut staff, eliminate programs and hike tuition in response to political and economic uncertainty, American College of Education (ACE) is expanding. ACE is investing in people, programs, and technology, demonstrating that its mission-aligned, efficiency-driven model can thrive even as most of the higher education sector struggles.

    “At ACE, we constantly work to keep costs down while developing academic programs that generate real economic value in the workplace for our graduates,” said Geordie Hyland, president and CEO of ACE.

    Founded in 2005, ACE is a national innovator providing quality, affordable and accredited online undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees. ACE is the third-highest conferrer of education master’s degrees in the United States1, and its low tuition enables nearly nine out of 10 students to graduate debt-free2.

    Most U.S. higher education institutions accept federal Title IV student loans, which makes them vulnerable to changes in federal funding. ACE is virtually unique in that it does not accept federal Title IV student loans, avoiding the high overhead and bureaucratic expenses of administering the program.

    That also allows the college to avoid uncertainty around federal spending that is forcing cutbacks and price increases across the sector: Renowned institutions including Cornell University and Duke University have announced layoffs, while public universities in Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska and Oklahoma have increased tuition significantly.

    Instead, ACE can focus on maintaining low tuition and creating degree and certificate programs that appeal to students seeking career advancement.

    “We are absolutely committed to transparency about how much an ACE degree will cost, which allows students to make the best decision for their future,” Hyland said. “With student debt approaching $2 trillion, our growth reflects a broader shift toward accessible, value-driven education.”

    To support its growing student base, ACE is investing in the tools and infrastructure required for high-quality online learning. Upgrades in technology, platforms, and user experience are helping the college deliver a seamless and scalable educational model tailored for adult learners. In forgoing the costs associated with dormitories and athletic facilities, ACE can deliver essential academic services while passing the savings along to its students.

    Those investments pay off in student success. ACE has an 85% graduation rate for all degree programs combined, significantly exceeding the national six-year completion rate of 62%. ACE students also receive a strong return on investment (ROI): According to a study by the consulting firm Lightcast, ACE students gain $19.20 in future earnings for every dollar of tuition, for a 120.7% annual return.

    This performance and growth underscores ACE’s resilience and adaptability during a time of sector-wide instability. The college’s operating model, focus on transparency, and mission-driven approach continue to differentiate it from traditional institutions facing deep financial and operational strains.

    For more information, please visit http://ace.edu/.

    1 nces.ed.gov/IPEDS/datacenter

    2 ACE internal research, March 2025

    About American College of Education

    American College of Education (ACE) is an accredited, fully online college specializing in high-quality, affordable programs in education, business, leadership, healthcare and nursing. Headquartered in Indianapolis, ACE offers more than 60 innovative and engaging programs for adult students to pursue a doctorate, specialist, master’s or bachelor’s degree, along with graduate-level certificate programs. In addition to being a leader in online education, ACE is a Certified B Corporation and part of a global movement to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.

    Source: American College of Education

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  • American College of Education Doctoral Graduate Emerges as a Leading Voice on AI in Classrooms


    INDIANAPOLIS, August 27, 2025 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Accomplished educator Dr. Nneka J. McGee turned her professional research in artificial intelligence into a doctoral degree at American College of Education (ACE), establishing her as a national leader in implementing AI in K-12 classrooms – just as a new presidential executive order calls for more AI education in K-12 schools.

    ACE, founded in 2005 and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, is a national innovator in providing quality, affordable and online graduate degrees, and is the third-highest conferrer of education master’s degrees in the United States.1

    For her doctoral dissertation, McGee conducted original research into K-12 teachers’ experiences learning about AI and attempting to implement it in their classrooms. She completed her program in December 2023 and graduated from ACE in 2024.

    She chose to pursue her degree at ACE because of her concerns about the high tuition and student loan debt at most graduate programs. She also wanted the flexibility of online education so she could continue her career – something difficult or impossible if she attended a traditional bricks-and-mortar university.

    ACE’s doctoral tuition is under $25,0002 and among the lowest in the United States. It has not raised tuition in eight years3 and the college forgoes federal student loan programs, which helps keep costs low. As a result, McGee was able to graduate from ACE without accruing any student loans.

    “That was really a determining factor for me, and ACE also has the accreditation that is necessary,” McGee said. “Because of that and the flexibility of the program, I was able to keep working and, during my program, I rose from director to executive director to chief academic officer.”

    When McGee began her research, she was working as a director of advanced academics in a Dallas-area school district and building the framework for launching an AI initiative aimed at helping students learn more about the technology. ChatGPT was still years from becoming a household word, and she realized there were few studies on the use of AI in the United States’ K-12 schools.

    “I noticed there is this thing, AI, that is going to transform education, and I thought not enough people are talking about it or looking at the implications. That was the genesis for my research,” McGee said.

    Through a questionnaire and follow-up interviews, she gathered information from a slate of K-12 teachers nationwide on their efforts to learn about AI educational tools and to bring them into the classroom.

    McGee found that teachers were using AI-powered tools to save time on tasks, and that they saw increased student engagement when AI was incorporated into learning environments. However, teachers also faced significant challenges in attaining those outcomes.

    “One of the biggest findings is that teachers don’t have enough access to quality professional development in this space,” she said. While AI is a hot topic of discussion, teachers have limited access to people with enough expertise to implement it. Teachers had to seek out the few options for professional development on their own.

    She also found that when teachers did find a way to access AI training, they often faced the challenge of having limited time to pursue the professional development side, let alone implement it in their classrooms.

    Doctoral students often face similar challenges as they study and write their dissertations. McGee said ACE’s online classes are more effective than traditional on-campus lectures because “you actually have more time to sit and really process the information, because it is flexible, on your own time, when you’re in the best condition to learn.”

    ACE uses a chapter-by-chapter dissertation model, where students work on their dissertation progressively throughout their doctoral program, rather than waiting until the end. In addition, dedicated faculty members guide students through each phase of the dissertation, including topic selection, literature review, research methodology, data analysis and the final defense.   

    Professors also offered invaluable support when she felt challenged while writing her dissertation. “One of my professors kept checking in on me – he may have noticed it in my emails or responses – and he said, ‘OK, we need to talk like, so call me and let’s talk,’” McGee said. “That call really changed everything. He said, ‘Let’s look at this, how are you feeling, why are you feeling this way?’ And I realized what I needed to do, and that weekend I finished everything up. So it was a pivotal moment.”

    The dissertation, now available online, recommends that school districts invest in professional development and resources that promote responsible AI implementation – an idea echoed months later in April’s presidential executive order.

    McGee’s work has caught the attention of many organizations developing policies and uses for AI, allowing her to serve as a panelist for the U.S. Department of Education and Carnegie Mellon University. She has also collaborated on projects with Digital Promise and the Stanford Accelerator for Learning at Stanford University. McGee has been in high demand as a keynote or featured speaker on AI in education at multiple conferences.

    She credits much of her success to ACE’s program and the quality and personal attention of its faculty. “My dissertation work came out when ChatGPT exploded,” McGee said. “People saw me as a teacher with campus experience, district leadership and administration experience, and I had a doctoral degree. That just wouldn’t have been possible without ACE’s program, and the care and consideration of my teachers.”

    ACE President and CEO Geordie Hyland said the college was proud of McGee’s career success.

    “Dr. McGee’s commitment to pursuing her doctorate on AI’s role in education is a perfect example of our students’ dedication to learning and mastering the latest advances in their field,” Hyland said. “Students like Dr. McGee are the reason ACE is committed to building programs that teach current, relevant skills, and why we continually refine those programs while relentlessly focusing on keeping our degrees accessible and affordable.”

    1nces.ed.gov/IPEDS/datacenter

    2This is an estimated value of the cost for tuition and fees. Amounts may vary depending on number of transfer credits applied to the selected program hours, the pace and satisfactory completion of the selected program, receipt of institutional scholarship and/or grant amounts, or adjustments to tuition or fees as described in the Catalog Right to Modify Tuition section. State sales and use tax will apply where required by law.

    3Excludes RN to BSN

    About American College of Education

    American College of Education (ACE) is an accredited, fully online college specializing in high-quality, affordable programs in education, business, leadership, healthcare and nursing. Headquartered in Indianapolis, ACE offers more than 60 innovative and engaging programs for adult students to pursue a doctorate, specialist, master’s or bachelor’s degree, along with graduate-level certificate programs. In addition to being a leader in online education, ACE is a Certified B Corporation and part of a global movement to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.

    Source: American College of Education

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  • Doctor Who’s Anniversary Anthology Is Returning for a Mystery New Episode

    Doctor Who’s Anniversary Anthology Is Returning for a Mystery New Episode

    Last year, one of the best aspects of celebrating Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary—aside from the pretty great specials themselves—was Tales of the TARDIS, the special anthology-format retelling of classic Doctor Who episodes with newly recorded interstitials from classic Doctors and companions. Now, the series is coming back: with a twist and a pretty big clue as to what to expect from Doctor Who’s current season.

    Sonos First Ever Headphones Are Too Expensive For What They Offer

    The BBC has confirmed (via the Radio Times) that Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson will appear as the 15th Doctor and Ruby Sunday in a special Tales of the TARDIS episode set to broadcast in the UK on both BBC Four and the iPlayer streaming service on Thursday, June 20—the day before the final episode of the current season of Doctor Who, titled “The Empire of Death,” will air. No further details about the broadcast have been announced beyond Gatwa and Gibson’s appearance in newly created material.

    However, there is a lot to speculate about thanks to the announcement. So far, Tales of the TARDIS has been used to broadcast cut-down versions of classic Doctor Who serials, winnowing multi-episode stories into a more digestible omnibus format through the interstitial material. And considering this time the interstitials will feature the 15th Doctor and Ruby rather than a classic Doctor and companion, why else would this new Tales episode exist if their story in the current season of Doctor Who didn’t have links to a classic storyline from years past?

    There’s been a persistent rumor running up to this season that the classic Who villain Sutekh—the dog-like member of the alien race known as the Osirans that, in Doctor Who, would inspire the gods of Ancient Egyptian mythology—would return as a major antagonist. Sutekh has only previously appeared in one Doctor Who story, the 1975 4th Doctor and Sarah-Jane Smith story “Pyramids of Mars,” but has been fleshed out several times since in audio dramas by Big Finish. If Sutekh was indeed somehow going to play a role in the final episode, a Tales of the TARDIS dedicated to “Pyramids of Mars” that essentially acts as the Doctor filling in Ruby on his history with the insidious Osiran would make sense, especially to give audiences who’ve jumped aboard with the new era of the show some extra background info, too.

    But that could apply to any classic villain or character that could appear in the new season—after all, in “The Devil’s Chord” the Doctor already mentioned his past life living in London as the First Doctor, with his granddaughter Susan, to Ruby. Does that mean a long-rumored Carole Ann Ford return is on the cards? Not necessarily.

    Whatever it all means, we won’t have long to find out: Tales of the TARDIS returns on June 20.

    Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel and Star Wars releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

    James Whitbrook

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  • Sharing This Breath: What Sex Looks Like for Me as a Graydemisexual Ace

    Sharing This Breath: What Sex Looks Like for Me as a Graydemisexual Ace

    Hi! My name is Grace, and I am a graydemi ace. I’m what I’ve previously called an “IAMsexual” who has a lot of sex, just not likely the kind you’re imagining. Re-imagining sex as acts that de-center the mainstream idea of sex feels important to understanding how I navigate my relational world. Let me provide you with a scene of what my “IAMsexual” world of sex looks like.

    We are walking on the shoreline of a vast body of clear turquoise water under the warming rays of the sun and gentle whispering of humid winds.

    [We breathe.]

    It is the early part of the evening just before sunset. We walk inside a bubble of quietude, not saying much of substance. We are just taking it in, arriving together.

    [We breathe.]

    We are enraptured by kairos time, the time that is measured in moments rather than in seconds, minutes, or hours. In kairos time, it’s time to take a seat and settle into the sunset with some light sweet snacks. Time to enjoy the kind of snacks that fill our bellies and our hearts.

    [We breathe.]

    The sweetness of our food yields audible sounds of pleasure and reverence. In between silent bites, we meet each other through our moans, sighs, deep breaths, and “thank you”s, all because of our awe at the sunset paired with the deliciousness of taking this sweetness into our spiritual, emotional, and physical bodies. We are present. We have arrived.

    We exchange reflections on the experiences in our bodies invited by this time of day. We share about what sensations are invited into our bodies — by the setting of the sun and the rising of the moon and how we track that in this moment and in moments beyond this one. I love being with this time of day near big waters.

    [I breathe.]

    You offer me your breath. Shotgunning, you call it. I’m impressed by your boldness and am ready to lean in. Your offered breath smells enticing, with hints of clove. I take your offering in. It goes down smooth.

    [We breathe.]

    Sharing this breath is intimate, even more intimate than kissing for me.

    The sun is down and the moon has risen. We are enjoying alone-together time. Alone with our own breaths and the sensations of our shared breaths. We are together in the pulsing. I ask about what you are experiencing in your body. You give me delicious details and I’m aroused by your attention to word choice and your facility at describing sensation. We giggle at nerding out about what feels like such a simple question inside of a simple experience.

    [We breathe and giggle some more.]

    I share my own sensations and, in a bold move, make a request to experience a new one. I ask you to rub your hands over my two-day-old shaved head to the rhythms of the waves. You joyfully, enthusiastically, affirmatively consent and oblige. It’s electric and so, so good.

    More Radical Reads: Stop Assuming Everyone Wants A Partner: 5 Ways You’re Erasing Asexual and Aromantic People and What To Do Instead

    Night has fallen. It’s time to go. We reground by dipping our toes into the water, thanking each other, thanking the water and thanking our respective ancestors.

    [We breathe.]

    We depart, separately and wholly.

    Hot sex, am I right?! That was a sexy time and yet, for many folks, this would either be considered incomplete, a missed opportunity or simply foreplay for the “actual” sex. For me, it’s all sex — delicious, nuanced, and multitudinous sex in its individual acts and in its totality.

    I wish to normalise customising sex language inside of relationships so that we may be in shared understanding and curiosity about what is pleasurable and sexy for each another. Sharing this excavation process inside the question of “What is sex for you?” unlocks an intimacy that itself borders on sex for me.

    This is where folks often ask me some version of,  “If everything can be sex to you, then how is sex sacred or meaningful or distinguishable from the mundane?” To that I respond with a “thank you for your curiosity” and proceed with my spiel: I practice sex from a place of inquiry that explores the question, “What if everything is sacred and/or meaningful?” From that place of inquiry, all acts of coming together meaningfully become open to being experienced as sexual acts for me.

    More Radical Reads: At the Intersection of Asexuality and Queerness

    It is a practice of seeing even the mundane as magnificent. It is the place of abundance where I am defined by my fullness rather than a lack. It is the place in which everything gets to be whole onto itself. I get to be whole, unto myself, so that when I’m in a meaningful coming together with another person, it’s out of desire for the experience of wholeness that comes from wholeness, not a desire for wholeness that comes from a lack of being my own whole.

    I know this isn’t how everyone experiences it. But it is how I experience sex, and since this is about me right now and my IAMsexuality, it stands to reason that this is but one of many ways to be a graydemisexual ace.

    No moralizing, no judgment, just my Black (Gr)ACE. 

    [Feature image: Photo of Grace B. Freedom, a Black non-binary person with short dark hair, facial hair, and pierced ears. They’re wearing a dark hooded jacket with a reddish patterned scarf and are standing in a clearing in an autumnal forest, golden brown leaves scattered at their feet as they stare up at the magnificence of the yellow-leaved trees, a reverent smile on their face. The sky is grey and chilly. Source: A. De La Cruz.]

    Grace B Freedom (all pronouns combined with they/them pronouns) is a Black Genderfluid Queer creator of the Black Love and Care (BLaC) Ethic . She is supported by a grant from the Effing Foundation to write the My Black (Gr)Ace series. They have been described as a penetrative and inescapable force, but mostly they want to be in deep conversations that are guided by mutual tenderness and curiosity that center a BLaC ethic . You can find them asking a lot of questions and sharing their freedom practices on Instagram @madquestionasker and you can follow her writing on patreon @madquestionasker.

    TBINAA is an independent, queer, Black woman run digital media and education organization promoting radical self love as the foundation for a more just, equitable and compassionate world. If you believe in our mission, please contribute to this necessary work at PRESSPATRON.com/TBINAA 

    We can’t do this work without you!

    As a thank you gift, supporters who contribute $10+ (monthly) will receive a copy of our ebook, Shed Every Lie: Black and Brown Femmes on Healing As Liberation. Supporters contributing $20+ (monthly) will receive a copy of founder Sonya Renee Taylor’s book, The Body is Not An Apology: The Power of Radical Self Love delivered to your home. 

    Need some help growing into your own self love? Sign up for our 10 Tools for Radical Self Love Intensive!

    Shannon Weber

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  • Rejecting Fetishization and Lack: Claiming the Fullness of My Black Demisexuality

    Rejecting Fetishization and Lack: Claiming the Fullness of My Black Demisexuality

    By Grace B. Freedom

    My name is Grace and I am a gray demisexual ace.

    Rewind: gray doesn’t really suit me. It doesn’t feel vibrant enough. I can be a gray demisexual as it pertains to generic understandings of asexuality, but I want to formally declare that I want a new color. Perhaps I will be a gold-flecked cyan demisexual with rich metallic hints and deep blues that flow into green, in honor of my watery, fluid, and balanced life-blooming nature. For the sake of ease, I’ll stick with gray demi ace (but now you know what my real color would be).

    Much of mainstream ace talk is all about what we are not and what we don’t experience and that is not my ace experience. It seems strange to be defined by the absence of something, no? In so many online mainstream ace spaces (read: white), I am reminded of the lack that defines whiteness and the inherent delusions of supremacy therein- the consistent speaking in the negative, violently erasing power dynamics inside of sexuality and asexuality while engaging in unexamined fetishization of Black bodies.

    I actively resist, dare I say, REBUKE that way of defining my existence. I AM on the asexual spectrum, a gray demi ace — a person who only rarely experiences sexual attraction (as a primary experience) and when it is present it is brought to the fore by deep emotional connection (demi). I am not without sexuality as much as I am without the consistent expression of sexuality in the form of sexual attraction.

    More Radical Reads: How White LGBT Spaces Erase Queer People of Colour

    I often discuss my nuanced experiences of the erotic, pleasure, and sex with a friend who is very allosexual. She is fascinated by all the ways I experience sex and sexuality inside of my asexuality that have nothing to do with my or anyone else’s genitals. She affectionately calls these experiences “Gracesex”. Gracesex describes the pathway to my marvelous propensity for sensuous multi-orgasmic life experiences, most of which do not require genitals or even nudity. I am a big proponent for asking for what I want and deep, sensual, intimate connections are at the top of that list. This is what it means for me to be a sex-positive gray demi ace. We outchea, y’all; as my Caribbean community might say, “Tell dem we reach.”

    More Radical Reads: How I Realized I’m Demisexual In A Sexual World

    My gray demi asexuality is not about what I am without but more like where I am full. I feel full of attractions — they are deep, juicy, complex, and fluid. My asexuality is embodied. My gray demi aceness is Black AF, is nonbinary AF and queer AF. Sometimes my attractions are hard to parse out from each other, but they include sexual attraction. They just do not center sexual attraction as my primary attraction. My gray demisexuality is aesthetic, spiritual/emotional, and sensual attraction forward and exists inside of the immeasurable yearning to be present to unplumbed emotional connections. It shows up as interdependence and curiosity inside of intimate connections that are reciprocal, where I can practice the vulnerability of my wholeness.

    My (a)sexuality has agency and is powerful. Inside of this cyan, gold-flecked, metallic-hinted, deep-blue-into-green exists a glorious being. I AM verdant, I AM fecund, I AM whole, I AM full, I AM vast, and I belong wholly to myself and my (a)sexuality.

    I am sexual in the infinite ways I know myself and seek to know myself. My (a)sexuality exists inside of my I AM. While the seat of my erotic does not rest on the legs of white supremacist cis heteropatriarchal allosexuality, there is indeed an erotic seat and it is indeed hot.

    My name is Grace. I am a gray demi ace and my Black (Gr)ACE is “IAMsexual”.

    [Feature image: Photo of Grace B. Freedom, a Black non-binary person with short dark hair, facial hair, pierced ears, and a nose ring. They’re wearing a navy hooded jacket with a reddish patterned scarf and are standing in front of a blurred rural autumn landscape of yellow and brown trees and brush. A few industrial tower structures rise up to the grey sky in the background. Grace greets the viewer with a contagious grin on their face, a smile that is also present in their eyes. Source: A. De La Cruz.]

    Grace B Freedom (all pronouns combined with they/them pronouns) is a Black Genderfluid Queer creator of the Black Love and Care (BLaC) Ethic . She is supported by a grant from the Effing Foundation to write the My Black (Gr)Ace series. They have been described as a penetrative and inescapable force, but mostly they want to be in deep conversations that are guided by mutual tenderness and curiosity that center a BLaC ethic . You can find them asking a lot of questions and sharing their freedom practices on Instagram @madquestionasker and you can follow her writing on patreon @madquestionasker.

    TBINAA is an independent, queer, Black woman run digital media and education organization promoting radical self love as the foundation for a more just, equitable and compassionate world. If you believe in our mission, please contribute to this necessary work at PRESSPATRON.com/TBINAA 

    We can’t do this work without you!

    As a thank you gift, supporters who contribute $10+ (monthly) will receive a copy of our ebook, Shed Every Lie: Black and Brown Femmes on Healing As Liberation. Supporters contributing $20+ (monthly) will receive a copy of founder Sonya Renee Taylor’s book, The Body is Not An Apology: The Power of Radical Self Love delivered to your home. 

    Need some help growing into your own self love? Sign up for our 10 Tools for Radical Self Love Intensive!

    Sonya Renee Taylor

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