#aromantic positivity

[merely-a-caricature]

Normalize super close friendships instead of assuming there must be a romantic and/or sexual factor—friends are a wonderful treasure!

[our-aro-experience]

“love is what makes us human—”

WRONG!!

[lgbtqtext]

[ihhfhonao3]

I feel like a lotta people don’t understand this but <2 is NOT just a “platonic heart.” It’s used by the aspec (mostly aro) community to signify a love that differs and is divergent from the norm and what is typically seen as “love.” It is also used by loveless aros to signify their lack of feeling love, but presence of another emotion like compassion or appreciation.

Please don’t simplify it down to being a “platonic heart.” It’s so much more than that.

[aaa-battery-not-rechargeable]

about a month ago, my uncle asked if I had a significant other. I appreciate his gender inclusivity, of course.

I'm used to the question. it's not like it's something outrageous that he's asking. so I simply said no, that's not for me.

he looked at me and said "well, someday." not someday maybe, just.... someday.

of course I'm not quick to anger, but there's a part of me that's a little more defensive about my aroace identity. so I jumped to my defense.

my uncle isn't a bad guy, he's quite nice and tries his best to be respectful in the current political shit storm by supporting queer people. but apparently that does exclude me, an aroace.

I reiterated that I'm just not interested in a romantic or sexual partnership, and I really do not ever see that changing.

and he said something to the effect of "it's okay if you don't want that now."

and I said, "no, it's just okay that I don't want that."

and he said that I was pessimistic. as if I was secretly searching for a relationship or a partner, but was rejecting love because I could not find one.

I calmly (with all the rage in my veins) told him "no, a life without love or sex is something optimistic for me."

he had the gall to look horrified.

I'm sick of aroace people not being seen as normal human people when they don't want the outcome of their life to look like everyone else's. I'm sick of the white picket fence, I'm sick of the assumption that everyone has another half out there.

I'm whole on my own.

[abhainn35]

I was going through my health textbook and someone wrote "fuck that" under the lines about ending friendships because dating is more important and if that is not the most aromantic/aroace thing ever, I don't know what is.

[i-like-swiss-cheese]

OK GUYS

SO

THE ASEXUALS HAVE GARLIC BREAD

BUT WHAT DO WE AROMANTICS HAVE?

I SAY THAT WE MAKE THE ARO FOOD BE SWISS CHEESE

DONT LOOK AT MY BLOG TITLE I AM TOTALLY NOT BIASED WHATSOEVER

TRUST

[emo-sunshine42]

Reminder that it's not your fault if someone gets a crush on you. It's not your fault that they like you like that. Especially if you don't like them back, are aromantic, asexual, or any other reason- even if you don't have a reason!

You aren't in the wrong for not liking them back

I promise

[textk4kira]

I love you aro men, i love you aro transmascs, i love you aro sapphics, i love you aro enbies, i love you heterosexual aros, i love you cishet aros, i love you aro fems, i love you butch aros, i love you gray-aros, i love you demi-aros, i love you aros who have treated as predators by the rest of the queer community, i love you aroallos, i love you aromantic people 💗

[stacydenovo]

happy pride month to asexuals and aromantics and everything in between. i want each and everyone of you to know that you are loved and cherished by the community even though there are some who try to diminish us. you are a valued, important, and valid part of the lgbtqia+ community. thank you for simply existing this pride 🏳️‍🌈🖤🤍💜🖤🤍💚

[monstrousparalysis]

Fuck it, on this Valentine's Day, here's a post devoted to every single aromantic who fits the negative stereotypes!

Every aroallo, no matter what other labels they use!

Loveless aromantics, especially ones who are loud about not feeling love and refuse to listen to the countless "but what about"s!

Aromantics who don't feel other, even more "universal" attractions, like platonic or familial ones!

Aromantics who lack empathy, who are "cold", who prefer logic over emotion!

Nonhuman aromantics, especially the loveless ones, for whom "Love is what makes us human" is a dismissal in both directions!

Aromantics with trauma, trust issues, or fears of intimacy!

And of course: the aromantics with personality disorders, especially the narcissistic or antisocial aromantics!

If you meet one or more of the above criteria, you are entitled to keep being who the fuck you are and to do so with pride!

Arophobia is not our fault, it is the fault of the arophobes who use our image to justify attacking others. We are hurting nobody just by existing as we are.

No matter what you want in terms of relationships, be that friends with benefits, queerplatonic partners, multiple partners, or no partners at all, ever, I hope you get it!

[qwerty-queer]

Trying to verbalize my feelings about being aromantic right now. I'm just so pleased with this community

[our-aro-experience]

“we need more ‘weird’ queers!”

you can’t even handle aroallos

[lgbtqtext]

[puppyoclock]

happy pride month to the aros, the aplatonics, the loveless aros, everyone who is sick of hearing about love from everyone else. i see you and i appreciate you. your queerness is just as important and welcome and wonderful as everyone else's

[aaa-battery-not-rechargeable]

a very fucking special shout-out to aros who have been the token "weird queer" friend amongst a queer friend group, only to have the novelty lost and find yourself left when they all decide their romantic relationships matter more than you, or your aromantic worldview becomes off-putting because they don't (and don't try to) understand what amatonormativity means.

i have many qualms. this happens to a lot of aros, and it just speaks to the infantilization of aro folks (and ace too!) when all we're seen as is the weird one who doesn't feel love, there for the amusement of "normal queers" and then cast out when they find something more interesting.

if your friend group did/does this, it may mean they weren't truly seeing you, or doing their best to be actual allies to aro and aspec people.

it's the gay best friend trope all over again. everybody loves the gay best friend because it's trendy to have one and not treat them like a person outside the stereotype.

and it fucking sucks. ive been there.

it's not your fault you're not "palatable". let them choke.