Aromantic Spectrum

The aromantic spectrum flag

Alternate aromantic spectrum flag by @Hancar4 on Twitter

The Aromantic Spectrum or Aromantic Umbrella is a group of romantic orientations that all fall under the umbrella term of aromantic. Individuals on the aromantic spectrum may lack romantic attraction or feel it so little that they relate more to the aromantic experience. The common link between those on the aromantic spectrum is that they do not feel the "standard" amount of romantic attraction or they don't feel it in the "standard" way, that alloromantic individuals do.

Individuals on the aromantic spectrum are often referred to as "aro-spec" for short. Aro-spec individuals can have any sexual orientation, including ace-spec or allosexual identities. One who is both asexual aromantic may identify as aroace, and one who is both allosexual aromantic may identify as alloaro.

Those on the aromantic spectrum may engage in queerplatonic relationships, and experience alterous attraction.

Aro-spec individuals may additionally experience tertiary attraction, which are attractions outside of sexual and romantic, to specify their aromanticism. Examples include aesthetic attraction, platonic attraction, or sensual attraction.

Aro-Spec Identities

Mind You This Is Not A Complete List.

• Arofluid
• Aegoromantic
• Apothiromantic
• Aro-jump
• Aroflux
• Aromantic
• Arospike
• Bellusromantic
• Cupioromantic
• Demiromantic
• Electio Aroace
• Fictoromantic
• Frayromantic
• Greyromantic
• Keepromantic
• Lithromantic
• Loveless Aromantic
• Loveloose
• Nebularomantic
• Orchidromantic
• Quoiromantic
• Reciproromantic
• Romance-Ambivalent
• Romance-Averse
• Romance-Drained
• Romance-Favorable
• Romance-Indifferent
• Romance-Oscillating
• Romance-Repulsed

Flags

Although the aromantic flag can be used to represent the aromantic spectrum, many flags have been created to represent all aro-spec individuals, not just focusing on those who are purely aromantic.

The first proposed aromantic/aromantic spectrum flag was published by the National Coalition for Aromantic Visibility in the early 2010s after a vote from a small number of users, including the mods of Tumblr blog lithromantic and their friends. The flag had four stripes:

• Green, symbolizing aromanticism because it's the opposite of red, the most commonly associated romance color.
• Yellow, symbolizing platonic love because yellow roses represent friendship.
• Orange, symbolizing lithromanticism because it's in between red and yellow.
• Black, representing a variety of people who fall within a grey-aromantic range; those who experience romantic attraction but reject normative romantic culture; and those who experience romantic attraction in non-normative ways.

According to the creator, other flags were circulating as well, and there was not yet an "official" flag.

The most well-known flag was created by Tumblr user theflagarchive on August 6, 2020. The flag's color meanings are as follows: Dark green represents aromanticism in all forms. This includes full-aromanticism, demiromanticism, greyromanticism, and so on. Light green represents diversity in attraction and experiences, recognition of the aro-spectrum, and of other experiences within the community. Light yellow represents the aromantic community and it’s history. A yellow stripe has been a staple of many aro flags, such as some older aro flags, the alloaro flag, and the aroace flag, so it’s been in the community for a very long time. Furthermore, yellow flowers are often a symbol of non-romantic love. Teal represents pride in one's identity, self acceptance and acceptance of others, and solidarity, with both other aros and with other aspecs. Dark teal represents recognition that aro-specs are they own separate identity, not just part of asexuality. They are not a modifier, and are a fully independent identity that can be used with other labels, or used entirely on it’s own.