Romantic orientation

**Romantic orientation** is a term which describes people's identities in relation to the way they experience romantic attraction. One's romantic orientation may or may not align with one's sexual or nonromantic orientation. People whose orientations align may identify as perioriented, whereas those whose orientations do not align may identify as varioriented.

The romantic attraction (or lack thereof) that a person experiences is typically the primary factor in their romantic orientation. This often refers to the gender(s) one experiences, or does not experience, romantic attraction to. For example, a straight person experiences attraction to the 'opposite' gender, or genders different from their own.[*source?*] This is sometimes referred to as affinitive orientation. It may also refer to the conditions in which it is possible for a person to experience attraction. For example, a demiromantic person cannot experience romantic attraction unless a strong bond is formed.[*source?*] However, there may sometimes be other factors as well. For example, a cupioromantic person's orientation not only takes into account the way they experience romantic attraction, but their romantic activity stance as well.[*source?*] Both of the former examples may be referred to as amative orientations.

Romantic orientations which specify the gender of the person experiencing attraction, as well as the gender(s) they're attracted to, are sometimes referred to as juvelic orientations. Examples of juvelic orientations include lesbian, vincian, and terraric.

## Examples of romantic orientations

*This section of the article is under construction. Come back later!*

## Distinction

### Romantic attraction

**Romantic attraction** is a term which describes the feeling of being romantically drawn towards someone in particular, having romantic feelings sparked by a specific person, finding someone romantically appealing, or wanting to be in a romantic relationship with someone in particular. While romantic attraction is often a primary factor in one's romantic orientation, the two are not necessarily synonymous. Attraction refers to a feeling or experience, while orientation refers to identities often related to those feelings and experiences. One's romantic orientation also does not necessarily have to center around the way in which a person experiences romantic attraction, such as in the case of pomoromantic people. Similarly, a person may prefer to describe their romantic attraction without labeling their orientation at all, such as in the case of unlabeled people. One can also have a romantic orientation without experiencing romantic attraction, such as in the case of aromantic people.

### Romantic activity stance

**Romantic activity stance** is the personal stance a person takes on romantic activity and romantic relationships. This is also sometimes referred to as desire, though the term "desire" can also be interchangeable with "libido", which is not necessarily related to activity stance. People may have an activity stance often associated with a specific romantic orientation despite not experiencing that romantic orientation. For example, one may be interested in romantic relationships, or have a general desire for romance, while being aromantic. The opposite can also be true; one may be alloromantic without wanting to be in a romantic relationship. While activity stance can be a factor in one's romantic orientation, such as in the case of cupioromantic, apothiromantic, or icularomantic people, it is often considered separately, and may not influence the person's romantic orientation label.

## References

1. ↑ Romantic Orientations (English). The Asexual Visibility and Education Network. Archived from the original on December 4, 2021.
2. ↑ Split Attraction Model (SAM) (English). The Trans Language Primer. Archived from the original on December 8, 2021.
3. ↑ Asexual Spectrum. Asexual India.
4. ↑ Sarran Webster, Emma. This New Color Scale Can Show You Where You Sexually Identify (English). Teen Vogue.
5. ↑ perioriented and varioriented (17-02-2014).
6. ↑ Ferguson, Sian (01-07-2016). Here’s What It Means When Your Romantic and Sexual Orientations Are Different (English). everydayfeminism.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Neolabels (2019-01-11). Orientation Umbrella Terms. Archived from the original on February 24, 2022.
8. ↑ here & queer & tired (2018-08-13).