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The term aromantic was first coined in an AVEN thread titled 'Relationship Definitions' in June 2005.<ref>https://www.asexuality.org/en/topic/9433-relationship-definitions/</ref>. While this is not the first use of the [[Split Attraction Model (SAM)|split attraction model]] it is one of the first mentions of the term aromanticAromantic. After this there is very little mention of aromanticismAromanticism until 2010, when aromanticismAromanticism begin to gain a community on AVEN.
== Aromantic Flag and Symbols ==
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[[Category:Orientation]]
[[Category:AspecRomantic Orientation]]
[[Category:ArospecAspec]]
Protected "Aromantic": Preventative measure in the wake of the Staff announcement. ([Edit=Allow only administrators] (indefinite) [Move=Allow only administrators] (indefinite)) [cascading]
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{{Copied|original=LGBTA Wiki, fix the flag section (add info and more flags, research the creation dates), add discrimination section + conflation of aromanticism with asexuality and how it affected aphobia and erases non-ace aros}}
{{Orientation|image1=[[File:Aromantic.png|The Aromantic Flag]]|type=Amative, Aspec, Arospec|exclusivity=|coined_by=|coining_date=}}
While there is some misconception of Aromantics being "loveless" and "heartless", a person being Aromantic does not necessarily say if the person is capable, or incapable, of love. Some Aros may widen the meaning of love and embrace it in other ways, like platonic friendships, familial relationships, and etc. Others may embrace the identity of loveless to declare that love is not necessary for one to be happy, rejecting the notion that love is needed for one to be human.<ref>https://aroworlds.wordpress.com/2019/07/16/i-am-not-voldemort-an-essay-on-love-and-amatonormativity/</ref>
Because Aromanticism revolves around romance specifically, Aros may still feel other non-romantic attraction. Aros who experience [[Platonic Attraction|platonic attraction]] may describe their "platonic crushes" as a "squish". While those who do not experience platonic attraction may call themself [[Aplatonic]]. ▼
Aside from platonic attraction, some Aromantic people may also experience other [[Tertiary Attraction|tertiary attractions]], which are attractions outside of sexual and romantic, and may use specific labels to describe this attraction. Examples of tertiary attractions include [[Aesthetic Attraction|aesthetic]], [[Platonic Attraction|platonic]], and [[Sensual Attraction|sensual]] attraction. ▼
Some Aromantics desire romantic relationships, while others dont. For those who don't, they may find intimate companionship in their non-romantic relationships, like [[Queerplatonic|queerplatonic relationships]], platonic life partners, and [[Tertiary Attraction|others]]. They may also be content with themself, and don't need, or don't want, an intimate relationship at all, in which case they may call themself [[Nonamy|Nonamorous]]. ▼
An Aromantic person can have any [[Sexual Orientation|sexual orientation]], including [[Allosexual]] (in which case they also may identify with [[Alloaro]]) and [[Asexual]] (in which case they may also identify as [[Aroace]]). Aros may identify with a sexual orientation in addition to the label of Aromantic to specify who they're interested in sexually, if anyone. For example, a [[Heterosexual]] Aromantic person is sexually attracted to people of a different gender, but is not romantically attracted to them. Not all Aromantics identify with a sexual orientation, some may identify primarily or only as Aromantic ([[Non-SAM Aro]]/[[Aro Neu]]). ▼
Romantic dispositions among Aromantic people can vary. Some Aromantics enjoy and may seek out a romantic relationship despite not feeling the romantic attraction ([[Cupioromantic]]), while thers may be repulsed by the concept of romance, either as a concept applicable to themselves or in general. Terms like [[Romance-Repulsed]], [[Romance-Averse]], [[Romance-Indifferent]], [[Romance-Favorable]], or [[Romance-Ambivalent]] are commonly used to describe these feelings. ▼
The term "Aromantic" may also be used as an umbrella term, referring to anyone on the [[Arospec|Aro Spectrum]].
This can make it difficult to identify when one is aromantic, especially when one has trouble distinguishing between romantic feelings and platonic feelings. If this is the case one might identify as [[platoniromantic]], [[idemromantic]], [[nebularomantic]], [[sensualarian]] or [[quoiromantic]].
== Other forms of attraction ==
▲Because Aromanticism revolves around romance specifically, Aros may still feel other non-romantic attraction. Aros who experience [[Platonic Attraction|platonic attraction]] may describe their "platonic crushes" as a "squish". While those who do not experience platonic attraction may call themself [[Aplatonic]].
▲Aside from platonic attraction, some Aromantic people may also experience other [[Tertiary Attraction|tertiary attractions]], which are attractions outside of sexual and romantic, and may use specific labels to describe this attraction. Examples of tertiary attractions include [[Aesthetic Attraction|aesthetic]], [[Platonic Attraction|platonic]], and [[Sensual Attraction|sensual]] attraction.
▲Some Aromantics desire romantic relationships, while others dont. For those who don't, they may find intimate companionship in their non-romantic relationships, like [[Queerplatonic|queerplatonic relationships]], platonic life partners, and [[Tertiary Attraction|others]]. They may also be content with themself, and don't need, or don't want, an intimate relationship at all, in which case they may call themself [[Nonamy|Nonamorous]].
▲An Aromantic person can have any [[Sexual Orientation|sexual orientation]], including [[Allosexual]] (in which case they also may identify with [[Alloaro]]) and [[Asexual]] (in which case they may also identify as [[Aroace]]). Aros may identify with a sexual orientation in addition to the label of Aromantic to specify who they're interested in sexually, if anyone. For example, a [[Heterosexual]] Aromantic person is sexually attracted to people of a different gender, but is not romantically attracted to them. Not all Aromantics identify with a sexual orientation, some may identify primarily or only as Aromantic ([[Non-SAM Aro]]/[[Aro Neu]]).
▲Romantic dispositions among Aromantic people can vary. Some Aromantics enjoy and may seek out a romantic relationship despite not feeling the romantic attraction ([[Cupioromantic]]), while thers may be repulsed by the concept of romance, either as a concept applicable to themselves or in general. Terms like [[Romance-Repulsed]], [[Romance-Averse]], [[Romance-Indifferent]], [[Romance-Favorable]], or [[Romance-Ambivalent]] are commonly used to describe these feelings.
== History ==
==Gallery==
=== Flags ===
<gallery>
Aromantic.png | The most widely used Aromantic flag, a redesign. (CameronWhimsy, August 2014)
Another aromantic flag was coined by [[User:Cryptocrew|Cryptocrew]] at [[User:Hayden000|Hayden000s]] request on January 16, 2021 and was first published on a post one day later. The yellow flower represents platonic love or [[Alterous Attraction|alterous]]/queerplatonic and desires, dark green represents lack of romantic attraction, light green represents the greyromantic spectrum, the black represents a disconnect or disinterest in romantic acts, the upside-down white hearts represent community and how aromantic people can love, just not how people expect them to.
===Symbols===
There are several other symbols used to represent aromantics and aromantic love. One is an arrow, due to aromantic often being shortened to aro, which is pronounced the same way. Like asexuals, aromantics also use the symbol of the spades to represent themselves, and [[aroace]] people especially use the ace of spades. Also similar to asexuals, some aromantic people wear a white ring on the middle finger of their left hand (the opposite hand of the black asexual ring). Aromantics have also started using the symbol of a green heart, representing non-romantic love. An older, lesser used, symbol is an aardvark which seems to have originated from a meme.
== Resources ==
[[Category:Arospec]]