‘The eww holds power’: why disgust shapes how we see nature, queerness and each other

The Eww Holds Power: Disgust, Nature and Queerness

Wanderstayfinder.com – The eww holds power. It was a warm afternoon in Hyde Park during the summer of 2021 when I stood among London tourists, attempting to convince strangers that insects deserve admiration rather than alarm. My campaign focused on building public appreciation for invertebrates, and despite my genuine love for these creatures, I was learning how profoundly different people’s relationships with bugs could be. A mother and her young daughter paused in their stroll to listen. Seizing a moment of rest, the woman glanced at her phone while her child trailed after me toward a fallen log nearby. The eww holds power in that simple reaction—it is the sound of boundaries being drawn.

We lifted the timber together and uncovered one of the most impressive earthworms I had encountered in my career. I asked the girl if she wanted to examine it more closely, and her expression brightened with enthusiasm as she nodded eagerly. As I carefully placed the worm into her open palm and began describing which end constituted its head, her mother suddenly looked up and let out a startled scream. The child responded immediately to her mother’s reaction, shrieking in surprise, dropping the creature, and pulling back in alarm. In that brief moment, I witnessed something being firmly established in a young mind: the instinctive fear and revulsion that many people feel toward creatures like worms. The eww holds power because it teaches us what to fear.

The Biology and Culture of Disgust

We often speak about disgust as though it operates purely as an automatic bodily response—a fundamental truth that signals to us when something is dirty, dangerous, or morally wrong. Certainly, disgust serves a protective function. It evolved to help our ancestors avoid spoiled food and harmful pathogens. Yet what actually provokes this reaction is shaped just as powerfully by culture, personal experience, and the people around us. Children learn remarkably early which things deserve a wrinkled nose and which do not. This simple “eww” carries enormous social weight. The eww holds power because it is learned, not innate.

The creatures we label as disgusting are typically those we understand least. Once something earns the designation of “pest,” we cease asking what it requires or whether it possesses inherent value; instead, we transform it into a frightening “other.” Throughout human history, marginalized groups have been compared to swarms, vermin, parasites, and infestations. Disgust creates distance. It converts a living being into a contaminant and makes avoidance, exclusion, or even eradication feel entirely justified. The eww holds power in how it shapes our collective understanding of belonging.

Queerness and the Language of Contamination

I describe myself as a purveyor of disgust: I work professionally with insects and I am queer, two identities that have each received more than their fair share of revulsion. Queerness has long been framed through the language of contamination—something that spreads or corrupts an imagined “natural” order. We can observe similar linguistic patterns in debates surrounding the Aids crisis, same-sex marriage, and, more recently, trans-inclusive school education. The eww holds power in the way it polices bodies and relationships.

Yet there is no inherent “other” in nature. Worms, parasites, pollinators, and humans all participate in the same living systems. Animals reproduce, form relationships, and navigate the world in countless ways, with same-sex pairing and sexual fluidity consistently appearing across most branches of the tree of life. Difference is not outside nature; it is what nature is fundamentally made of. The boundary between “normal” and “other” is one that we create, not one that exists independently in the world. The eww holds power because it can be challenged.

Learning to Hold the Worm

I am not suggesting that we should force everyone to hold a worm. You are entirely allowed to dislike things. But there exists a meaningful difference between discomfort and condemnation; between saying “that’s not for me” and deciding “that should not exist.” The girl in Hyde Park did not arrive afraid of the worm. She held it with fascination. Then she learned to recoil from it. The eww holds power in the lessons we pass down.

The hopeful part is that disgust can be unlearned. Until I was fourteen years old, I was genuinely revolted by worms. Then, on a fishing trip, a friend dropped a handful of them into my palm as we walked toward our fishing spot. Too embarrassed to admit my disgust, I pushed through. Within minutes, I realized they were not as bad as I had imagined. Familiarity matters. The more opportunities we have to encounter people and worms without being told to fear or reject them, the less threatening they can become. Prejudice is sustained by distance, while understanding grows through contact, curiosity, and conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the eww hold power in society? The eww holds power because it is a learned response that creates social boundaries. It teaches us what to accept and what to reject, shaping our attitudes toward nature, identity, and each other.

How can we unlearn disgust? Disgust can be unlearned through exposure and familiarity. By encountering people and creatures without being told to fear them, we reduce the automatic “eww” response and build understanding.

What is the connection between disgust and queerness? Queerness has historically been framed through the language of contamination—something that spreads or corrupts an imagined “natural” order. The eww holds power in how it polices bodies and relationships.

Where can I vote for invertebrate of the year? Voting is open for invertebrate of the year and will close at midnight BST on Sunday 16 August; vote here.

We can lift the log again. We can look more closely. We can ask who taught us that a creature, a body, or a way of living was repulsive—and who benefits when we believe them. The eww holds power, but so does the courage to hold the worm.