Romantic orientation

**Romantic orientation** is a term that originates with asexual communities. It is related to a person's romantic attractions or desires, whereas sexual orientation is associated with sexual attractions. Romantic orientation is generally expressed in terms of which gender or genders a person is attracted to in relation to the person's own. These terms usually end in the suffix "-romantic".

Romantic orientations are most often referred to in asexual communities, but they are not exclusive to asexual people. Although a person's sexual and romantic attractions are usually implied by the same word used for their sexual orientation, a person's romantic and sexual orientation may differ. The Split Attraction Model is sometimes used to convey these differences.

## Examples of romantic orientations

### Abroromantic

Main article: Abroromantic
Romantic orientation is an emerging term.Romantic orientation is a term that has recently emerged. Although the term may be growing in usage, and is significant and well-sourced enough to warrant inclusion on this wiki, it may still be relatively unknown outside of the platform or community where it originated. The exact definition and name may not have stabilized, and may change significantly as more people identify with it.
**Abroromantic** individuals experience their **romantic orientation** as fluid and/or changing over time. Although other kinds of fluidity may involve changes in the genders one is attracted to, abroromanticism involves one's entire orientation changing over time. The intensity of their attractions may change as well.

### Aromantic

Main article: Aromantic

**Aromantic**, often shortened to **aro**, describes people who do not experience romantic attraction, or experience little-to-no romantic attraction. One of the meanings of the **A** in LGBTQIA+ is **A**romantic. Aromanticism is a **romantic orientation** and may involve forms of attraction that are not necessarily romantic, or interests in relationships that are intimate in other ways. There is no singular experience of aromanticism.

The aromantic spectrum, also known as "aro-spec", ranges from aromantic to alloromantic, referring to people who regularly and consistently experience romantic attraction. People within the aromantic spectrum are part of a community that has much in common. They may use the label aromantic as a close fit for their experiences or use other labels that further describe them.

### Androromantic

Main article: Androsexual

**Androromantic** is a label used to denote romantic attraction to men, males, and/or masculinity. However, note that androsexual can also be used to mean both sexual and romantic attraction to men, males, and/or masculinity, while androromantic is specifically for romantic attraction by itself. Masromantic is an alternate term to androromantic.

### Biromantic

Main article: Biromantic

**Biromantic** is a term used to describe people who are capable of feeling a romantic connection to people of any two or more specific and distinct gender identities. Biromantics want to date and form a romantic connection with more than one gender—including cisgender men, women, and other non-rigid identities like transgender and non-binary people.

### Ceteroromantic

Main article: Ceteroromantic

**Ceteroromantic**, also sometimes referred to as **skolioromantic**, is a **romantic orientation** where a person is romantically attracted to non-binary genders.

### Demiromantic

Main article: Demiromantic

**Demiromantic** describes people who do not experience romantic attraction until they have formed a deep emotional connection with someone, according to the most common definition. Other definitions of this **romantic orientation** are only experiencing limited romantic attraction, or falling somewhere on a spectrum between aromantic and romantic; the latter definition overlaps with one for grayromantic.

### Gyneromantic

Main article: Gynesexual

**Gyneromantic** is a label that is used to describe having romantic attraction to women, females, and/or femininity. Gynesexual can also used to mean both sexual and romantic attraction to women, females, and/or femininity, but gyneromantic is the label specifically for romantic attraction. Gynoromantic and womaromantic are alternate terms for gyneromantic.

### Heteroromantic

**Heteroromantic** describes individuals who feel romantic attraction to people of a gender different than their own. Within the Split Attraction Model, its sexual orientation equivalent is heterosexual.

### Homoromantic

**Homoromantic** refers to individuals who feel romantic attraction to people of the same or similar gender as their own. Within the Split Attraction Model, its sexual equivalent is homosexual.

### Omniromantic

Main article: Omniromantic

**Omniromantic** is a **romantic orientation** where a person is attracted to all genders, sometimes with a preference for certain genders. It is often grouped with other romantic orientations that involve attraction to multiple genders, such as biromantic, polyromantic, and panromantic.

### Panromantic

Main article: Panromantic

**Panromantic** is a term used to describe people who are capable of feeling a romantic attraction toward people regardless of their sex or gender identity. The sexual equivalent of this is pansexual.

### Polyromantic

Main article: Polyromantic
**Polyromantic**, refers to someone who is romantically attracted to many, but not all, genders, and not necessarily involving sexual attraction.

## See also

* Gender identity
* Sexual orientation

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Asexual Visibility and Education Network: "Romantic Orientations". *The Asexual Visibility and Education Network*. (Archived on December 4, 2021).
2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Hardell, Ash. *The ABC's of LGBT+*. Mango Media Inc., 2016. ISBN 9781633534087.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "About Aromanticism". *Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week*. (Archived on February 20, 2022).
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Serrano, Daniel: "Learn the Basics: Romantic Orientation" (18-09-2015). sites.psu.edu. Pennsylvania State University. (Archived on November 26, 2021).
5. ↑ "What Does Androromantic Mean? + Other Androromantic Information to Help You Be A Better Ally!". queerintheworld.com. Queer in the World. (Archived on September 1, 2022).
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "GLAAD Media Reference Guide 11th Edition - LGBTQ Terms". glaad.org. GLAAD. (Archived on August 6, 2022).
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "LGBTQ-Terminology". wou.edu. Western Oregon University Safe Zone. (Archived on August 16, 2022).
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "47 Terms That Describe Sexual Attraction, Behavior, and Orientation". healthline.com. Healthline. (Archived on June 28, 2022).
9. ↑ Killermann, Sam: "Comprehensive\* List of LGBTQ+ Vocabulary Definitions". itspronouncedmetrosexual.com. (Archived on June 6, 2022).
10. ↑ WebMD Editorial Contributors: "What Does Biromantic Mean?". *https://www.webmd.com*. (Archived on December 12, 2021).
11. ↑ Laderer, Ashley: "Being biromantic and bisexual aren't the same — here's what it means to be biromantic" (2012-09-24). *https://www.insider.com*. (Archived on January 14, 2022).
12. ↑ Julie Sondra Decker. *The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction to Asexuality*. Skyhorse Publishing, 2015-08-13. ISBN 1634502434.
13. ↑ "Genderqueer and Non-Binary Identities & Terminology" (2011-05-17). safezones.sdsu.edu. Safe Zones @ San Diego State University. (Archived on May 19, 2022).
14. ↑ AUREA: "All Aromantic Terms". *AUREA - Aromantic-spectrum Union for Recognition, Education, and Advocacy*. (Archived on January 29, 2022).
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Hardell, Ash. *The Gay BC's of LGBT+: An Accompaniment to The ABC's of LGBT+*. Mango Media Inc., 2017-11-09. (web archive)
16. ↑ Holleb, Morgan Lev Edward. *The A-Z of Gender and Sexuality: From Ace to Ze*. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2019. ISBN 9781784506636.
17. ↑ "What Does Gynoromantic Mean? + Other Gynoromantic Information To Help You Be A Better Ally!". queerintheworld.com. Queer in the World. (Archived on September 1, 2022).
18. ↑ "Understanding Identities". unh.edu. (Archived on August 3, 2022).
19. ↑ Pravar Mukkala, Justin Dobski, and Amelia Jarrett: "LGBTQIA+ terminology explained" (2021-01-06). waghostwriter.com. WA Ghostwriter. (Archived on June 24, 2022).
20. ↑ "LGBTQ+ encyclopedia" (2020-14-06). scratch.mit.edu. (Archived on August 3, 2022).
21. ↑ Nikki Hayfield & Karolína Křížová (2021) It’s Like Bisexuality, but It Isn’t: Pansexual and Panromantic People’s Understandings of Their Identities and Experiences of Becoming Educated about Gender and Sexuality, Journal of Bisexuality, 21:2, 167-193, DOI: 10.1080/15299716.2021.1911015
22. ↑ "What Is Panromantic?". webmd.com. WebMD.
23. ↑ Admin Silverchip: "What it Means to be Pansexual or Panromantic" (2019-05-21). lgbt.foundation.
24. ↑ "Exploring identities". lgbtq.unc.edu. (Archived on November 26, 2021).
25. ↑ "I Am A Polyromantic". optimistminds.com. (Archived on December 9, 2021).