aroapl

[aroapl]

Aplatonic blinkies from a request!

[aroapl]

Loveless flags! Because I think it would be nice to have a loveless flag for everyone, not just loveless aromantics

White, grey, and black to represent the attraction+anattraction spectrum and cyan to represent lovelessness.

I thought of a heart as a symbol to represent how loveless people don't need to let people in their hearts but I wasn't sure about having a heart to represent loveless people, especially considering those who identify as heartless (like me!). I do like the circle though! Maybe some people will think of it as an empty circle that implies that loveless people are missing something in themselves but I think it's fine the way it is. Maybe the number 0 could be an alternative? Of course, though, I will take suggestions for improvement! I wonder how people will like these :)

Also, an apothiamorous/love-repulsed flag.

Feel free to repost these anywhere, credit isn't needed but is appreciated!

[aroapl]

Pride Flag Series 2025: Bright Pastel Morning

Inspired by the cupioromantic pride flag

[aroapl]

It can be, but it's not a universal thing. Using myself as an example, I'm aplatonic and not traumatized (in any way relating to friendship/relationships or in general). I've also never had any kind of significant negative experience with friendship or any other close relationship. I'm just built like this and always have been.

Gang is being aplatonic a trauma response or are you just born like that

Just saw someone call it a trauma response and everyone was like noooo you can’t say that

But like, being constantly bullied and ostracized and your closest friends secretly hating you will do that to a guy.

[aroapl]

I usually say I'm nonpartnering.

Hi, i always feel uncomfortable with the word/saying “i’m single”. To me “single” or “not in a relationship” implies there is a opposite ie “partnered” and that somewhen in the future i’ll be “not single”. Has the ace community got a word for that. Like i’m not “single” because i’ll never be “not single” i’m just me on my own for ever.

Sorry of this is confusing.

you are definitely not the first person to bring this up. i remember years ago there was post talking about how aspec people didn't have a word for being single but not interested in dating, and likewise polyamory people didn't have a word for being taken but still interested in finding partners. i believe the closest we got to a solution was this graph someone added to the post

(a recreation)

if anyone knows that words HAVE been coined for this, please let me know. if not, feel free to be the one to step up to the plate and rescue us from this dilemma once and for all

~Mod Q

[aroapl]

I know i'm a loveless apl. But I'm also an extrovert who likes doing so many friend-group activities.

I may not miss my "friends" that much nor have a devoted care as much as an average person who cherished friendships either.

But I like taking photos with people. I like selfies and photobooths. And I like framing/sticking them onto my wall whether I know them well or not. And often I glance at the pictures of me with these different people. And I get happy. I like seeing myself amongst people.

I don't need 'close' friendships or any platonormativite expectations around friendships. I don't need to love them in such a way.

I just like being around people.

[aroapl]

Silly thing—obviously there’s not a lot of fictional characters who come across as aplatonic, so when I realize that one really does, it’s so exciting =P The point is: Mycroft Holmes (both in the books and some of the adaptations). Aplatonic icon, has “no wish for the company of [his] fellows”, one of the founders of the Diogenes Club where such people go to read in quiet proximity of each other, absolutely based.

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[aroapl]

if you can understand that sex and romance aren’t essential to the human experience, you can understand that friends and platonic feelings aren’t either.

[aroapl]

My fellow Aros let's stick together during this Pride!! 💚🤍🩶🖤

These are all available on my RedBubble page!

[aroapl]

my rather specific aplatonic experience is regularly guiding random new players around in videogames so they get a good experience and because its fun :D and then they ask to be friends D: and i just gotta smile and nod and accept the friend request and log off until theyre gone and hope they forget i exist.

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[aroapl]

If you feel that your asexuality, aromanticism, aplatonic identity, or any other label, is connected to your disability, you are valid and I wish you a fantastic disability pride month.

[aroapl]

✧Requested by @a-jagged-nightmare✧

✧ID’s under the cut✧

A blue user box that says “This user is aplatonic, stop trying to be their friend” with an image of two people being left behind by a third person wearing a backpack, the two people being colored yellow and the backpack person colored in with the colors of the aplatonic flag

A blue user box that says “This user has SP attachments, not friends” with an image of two people high-fiving, the left one colored in with the colors of the aplatonic flag and the right one colored in with the colors of the special person flag)

A purple user box that says “This user is aplatonic” with an image of an apple, colored in with the colors of the aplatonic flag 

A purple user box that says “This user is aplatonic because of their PD(s)” with an image of an apple, colored in with the colors of the PDAPL flag.

A purple user box that says “This user is aplatonic because of their ASPD” with an image of an apple, colored in with the colors of the ASPDAPL flag.

A purple user box that says “This user is aplatonic because of their AVPD” with an image of an apple, colored in with the colors of the AVPDAPL flag.

A purple user box that says “This user is aplatonic because of their BPD” with an image of an apple, colored in with the colors of the BPDAPL flag.

A purple user box that says “This user is aplatonic because of their DPD” with an image of an apple, colored in with the colors of the DPDAPL flag.

A purple user box that says “This user is aplatonic because of their HPD” with an image of an apple, colored in with the colors of the HPDAPL flag.

A purple user box that says “This user is aplatonic because of their OCPD” with an image of an apple, colored in with the colors of the OCPDAPL flag.

A purple user box that says “This user is aplatonic because of their PPD” with an image of an apple, colored in with the colors of the PPDAPL flag.

A purple user box that says “This user is aplatonic because of their SZPD” with an image of an apple, colored in with the colors of the SZPDAPL flag.

A purple user box that says “This user is aplatonic because of their STPD” with an image of an apple, colored in with the colors of the STPDAPL flag.

A purple user box that says “This user is aplatonic because of their NPD” with an image of an apple, colored in with the colors of the NPDAPL flag.

[aroapl]

Kinky aroallos and polyam aros are cool and based btw. There is no one “correct” way to have sex. With or without romance, vanilla or kinky, with one partner or multiple — all of these are perfectly normal and beautiful expressions of sexuality! Aromantic liberation requires not only that we dismantle the notion that sex is shameful, but also that we dismantle the notion that there’s only one correct way to enjoy sex.

[aroapl]

Free (mostly academic) aro theory resources

On Amatonormativity

Amatonormativity, Aromanticism, and What Defines a Relationship - Rilee Granger

Amatonormativity in the Law: An Introduction - Silver Flight

"Allonormativity and Compulsory Sexuality" (chapter 6 of Encyclopedia of Queer Studies in Education) - Stephanie Anne Shelton

'I Dont Want To be a Playa No More': An Exploration of the Denigrating effects of 'Player' as a Stereotype Against African American Polyamorous Men - Justin L. Clardy

On Relationship Anarchy

The short instructional manifesto for relationship anarchy - Andie Nordgren

The Relationship Anarchy website

Thinking Relationship Anarchy from a Queer Feminist Approach - Roma De las Heras Gómez

Beyond romantic love – an analysis of how the dilemma of closeness vs. autonomy is handled in relationship anarchy discourse - Ricardo Guillén

The Ethics of Relationship Anarchy - Ole Martin Moen

On community

Examining aromantic and asexual inclusion in queer-serving organizations - based on Lauren Lichty's work

Exploring Aromanticism Through an Online Qualitative Investigation With the Aromantic Community: “Freeing, Alienating, and Utterly Fantastic” - James Fowler et al.

Community Listening Sessions with Aromantic People: Summary and Recommendations Report

Aurea Aro Census

Sexuality, romantic orientation, and masculinity: Men as underrepresented in asexual and aromantic communities - Hannah Tessler

On QueerPlatonic Relationships

Queerplatonic Zucchinis: A Short Primer - Omnes and Nihil (unsure)

Queering the Nuclear Family - Katie Linder

Queer(ing) consensual nonmonogamies, queering therapy: queer intimacy, kinship, and experiences of CNM in LGBTQIA+ lives - Christian Klesse et al.

On intersectionality

Intimacy and Desire Through the Lens of an Aro-Ace Woman of Color

Being Aroflux & Black - Kimberley Butler

Transitioning into Aromanticism as a Trans Student - Amethyst

Existing and Defying Stereotypes as an A-spec Disabled Person - Sapphire Crimson Claw

A Reflection on the March Carnival of Aros (several testimonies by aros of color and non-cis/non-het aros are linked in this article)

Other aro-related interesting reads

New Dimensions, New Directions: Asexualities and Aromanticism in the 21st Century - Megan Carroll et al.

Enriching the Story: Asexuality and Aromanticism in Literature - Adrienne Whisman

The Importance of Representation for Lesser-Known Sexual Identities on the Example of Asexuality and Aromanticism - Jasmin Kiechle

Experiences of Italian Asexual and Aromantic Individuals in Healthcare Settings: from Explicitly Aggressive to Affirming Interactions

Other lists of aro-related ressources (not all sources listed in these are free though)

by Aurea

The Asexuality and Aromanticism Bibliography

If you know of any other free ressource about aromanticism please consider adding to this list

[aroapl]

Being aplatonic is lonely and sad sometimes. But it's who I am, and when I remember how good it feels to not worry about maintaining relationships with people, I feel happy being aplatonic.

[aroapl]

Love is not indicative of morality or worth. How much you love or are loved does not inherently say anything about how good of a person you are or how worthy and successful you are in life.

[aroapl]

Demiplatonic culture is simultaneously loving the "loner character slowly makes a friend" trope because "haha it's me" and also getting really frustrated with how it's portrayed as inevitable and necessary for the character to be happy. I just wish I could see a character who is fine by themselves and isn't lonely, who just happens to make a friend in their own time, not someone treated as incomplete and pressured into friendships by other characters because it'll fix them or something. If they find a meaningful friendship, great, but one where they don't have to be "convinced" and dragged into it, where it's acknowledged that they just need time because that's who they are and that's okay.

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