What does it mean to be Aromantic?

According to the volunteer-run organization, Aromantic-Spectrum Union for Recognition, Education, and Advocacy, the term "aromantic" is typically used to describe someone who has little to no romantic attraction. Physical displays of romantic affection may include holding hands, cuddling, or kissing and it varies from person to person. On a broader scale, romantic attraction can be thought of as being more emotion-based when compared to sexual attraction. Aromanticism exists across a spectrum and has different meanings for different people.

1. A grayromantic or graysexual is someone who occasionally feels romantic attraction but occasionally does so as well. This orientation can be thought of as falling in between sexual and asexual, as well as romantic and aromantic.

2. Demisexuals and demi-romantics are individuals who only feel attracted to one another after developing strong emotional bonds.

3. Lithromantic or akoiromantic folks are those who have romantic sentiments for someone else but do not want those feelings reciprocated. If such emotions are shared, the attraction subsides.

4. Recipromantic or reciprosexual people are those who only feel attracted to someone romantically or sexually if they are aware that the other person feels the same way.

5. Aroflux is those people who experience changes in their romantic attraction over time.

How does an aromantic relationship appear?

Aromanticism does not imply a lack of interest in lifelong relationships. Numerous aromantic individuals have committed relationships. Aromantic relationships resemble other committed relationships even though they may not appear or feel like traditional partnerships. Depending on the aromantic person and what their particular boundaries are, an aromantic relationship may involve varying degrees of sex, connection, intimacy, and more. These relationships may include things like:

1. Queerplatonic

2. Cohabitation

3. May or may not involve sexual activity

4. Raising a child together

Myths debunked about Aromanticism:

• Every aromantic person is not an asexual.

• Not all aromantic people despise relationships

• Aromantic people can be dedicated friends

• Not all aromantic people avoid physical touch and hugs

• Aromantic people are not emotionless

• Aromantic people do love and want to be loved.

• They are not cold-hearted people

How to be an ally for aromantic people?

• Communicate with them without an ounce of judgment.

• Don’t shy from using the term, “aromantic”. Use it often so as to become more inclusive

• Don’t generalize aromantic feelings as everyone feels differently

• Do not use the phrases like “you have not met the right person yet”

How to know if you are aromantic?

There is no one common experience that all aromantics share, and the characteristics that define an individual's aromanticism may be very different from those of another. Here are a few things that, if you're aromantic, you might be able to relate to:

• You probably don't spend much time fantasizing about your current or potential relationships, or you probably don't feel like you're "missing out" on anything by being single.

• Finding a romantic partner seems more like a duty than something you're genuinely excited to do.

• You might have been asked out, but you may have felt uninterested or even apprehensive about it.

• If you don't 'love' or have strong feelings for your partner, you've felt guilty about it.

• You rarely or never had crushes on anyone.

• If you've ever been on a date, it's possible that you didn't particularly enjoy it and that there wasn't anything all that exciting about it.

• Romantic gestures appear to be governed more by an artificial routine you're expected to follow than by intuition.

• Perhaps you find romantic plot twists in books and movies to be underwhelming, or perhaps you enjoy or don't mind them but don't want anything similar for yourself.

• Whether you love sex or loathe it, you simply don't understand what romance is.

• You can understand the term "aromanticism," and you are aware of what it means.

There is no one way to be aromantic. Everyone has a different experience and every experience is valid. You don’t need to fit into a set of characteristics to feel appropriate about your feelings. If you want to talk about your feelings or want to connect with other people who might be going through similar situations, you should join First.Contact.LGBT is a metaverse where people are not judged just because their experiences are different from the cishet people and where people grow both personally and professionally.