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.

## Etymology

The prefix 'demi-' derives from the Latin *dimidium*, meaning "divided in half"; its usage in relation to romantic/sexual orientations means "half" or "partial".

## Community

Demiromantic individuals, as well as those who identify with other areas of the aromantic spectrum, can wear a simple white ring on the middle finger of their left hand in order to show subtly in public that they belong to the spectrum. Hashtags like *#Demiromantic*, *#DemiromanticPride*, and *#Demiromantics* on social media could be a great place to find others who are also demiromantic to interact with.

### History

It is unknown when the term was first used, but a page on The Asexual Visibility & Education Network (AVEN) was created for 'demiromantic' in August 2011 under the lexicon section of the website.

### Flag

The origins of the flag are also unknown, but those within the demiromantic community speculate that it is based off the aromantic flag and AVEN logo. While people often have different takes on the significance for each of the colors used, possible interpretations could be the following:

* **Black:** The sexuality spectrum as a whole
* **Gray:** Grayaromanticism and demiromanticism
* **White:** Platonic and aesthetic attraction, queer/quasi platonic relationships, or being outside the straight-gay and male-female binaries
* **Green:** Demiromanticism, or the aromantic spectrum

### Distinction

The sexual counterpart to demiromantic is demisexual, which refers to individuals who only feel sexual attraction after forming an emotional connection with another person. There are also similarities between being demiromantic and grayromantic, although the latter describes people who rarely experience romantic attraction.

### Perceptions and Discrimination

A common misconception is that being demiromantic means a person cannot feel sexual attraction, or does not enjoy physical affection, but these notions ultimately depend on the individual and their personal preferences. Demiromantic people may enjoy cuddling, hugging, and having sex, even if they are not romantically interested in someone. Some enjoy physical affection, while others do not.

## Media

There are few clear depictions of demiromanticism or demisexuality in media. It is hard to know whether to interpret a fictional character as being demiromantic, since it is not always mentioned or represented explicitly within the stories being told.

### Literature

* Hasryan - *City of Strife*
* Jenny Strings - *Chameleon Moon* series

## References

1. ↑ AUREA: "All Aromantic Terms". *AUREA - Aromantic-spectrum Union for Recognition, Education, and Advocacy*. (Archived on January 29, 2022).
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Hardell, Ash. *The Gay BC's of LGBT+: An Accompaniment to The ABC's of LGBT+*. Mango Media Inc., 2017-11-09. (web archive)
3. ↑ Holleb, Morgan Lev Edward. *The A-Z of Gender and Sexuality: From Ace to Ze*. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2019. ISBN 9781784506636.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Demiromantic Definition - What Does It Mean to be Demiromantic - Cosmopolitan
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Pride Flags - University of Northern Colorado
6. ↑ What Does Demiromantic Mean? - WebMD
7. ↑ *City of Strife* - Queer Books for Teens
8. ↑ Jenny Strings - The AroAce Database