the-quiver-of-aros

[the-quiver-of-aros]

my personal aromantic experience is knowing exactly what kind of more-than-just-platonic relationship would work for me but knowing there’s no way anyone would be interested in a relationship like that with me of all people

[the-quiver-of-aros]

I made a new friend over the past year. He started working as a paraprofessional in the same class I was a para in. We clicked so fast, both of us got very comfortable like we were meant to be friends for a really long time. He didn’t care that I was over a foot shorter than him or that I am over 20 years his junior. The one time we hung out outside of school we ended up on his girlfriend’s living room floor trying to figure out how to play Magic the Gathering from YouTube videos.

Anyway the point of my story! Sometime last year, we were having a conversation and he said something along the lines of , “You’re not straight, are you?”

While I identify as trans, it isn’t something that I work towards passing anymore, but I don’t alter the way I act. He didn’t mean anything by it at all just pure curiosity. I told him that I wasn’t and I explained my aromanticism and a mention of the fact I’m pansexual and left it at that. He responded to this new information like, “Man, that’s cool. Woman are hot though, huh?” To which I had to agree.

Right after the school year ended, I was told that he considers me a Homie, which from him is the highest of levels of friendship. I’ve never been more happy to be called a homie.

He got a terminal diagnosis a few days ago and went on short term disability before the school year started. We didn’t know each other for as long as we should have but I’ll always be proud of being his homie.

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"am i still aromantic if-" learn how to be secure in your own identity without constantly seeking validation from strangers online every step of the way. There is no rulebook being written by some sort of aromantic elite, opinions vary from person to person. The only clear cut definition of aromanticism that we have which the majority of us agree upon is "little to no romantic attraction to others" and there's way too much variation under that to list every single "valid" way to be aromantic.

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aro culture is always being the logical/realistic one in any group (maybe?)

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“Imagine having a child that refuses to hug you or even look you in the eyes”

Imagine being shamed, as a child, for not showing affection in a way that is unnatural or even painful for you. Imagine being forced, as a child, to show affection in a way that is unnatural or even painful for you. Imagine being told, as a child, that your ways of expressing affection weren’t good enough. Imagine being taught, as a child, to associate physical affection with pain and coercion.

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My best friend, very excitedly: I’M A NON-STICK PAN. TELL THE TUMBLRS AROMANTIC PANSEXUALS ARE NON-STICK PANS

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the white-green gradient of a freshly chopped spring onion…. c'est magnifique

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I WILL NEVER SHUT UP ABOUT THIS

NASA SUPPORTS THE AROS 😭😭😭😭😭

THERE IS NO GREATER ARO WIN FOR THIS ARO ACE PHYSICIST

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A very large aro flag.

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i always thought romantic love was the plague and i was a plague doctor.

so here's an aro-colored plague doctor

me oversharing beneath the cut about how amatonormativity has screwed me up in ways I have never been screwed up before.

(rant beneath the cut is full of negativity, triggering, but perhaps relatable. idk. read at your own risk)

okay so let's have a mini story telling time about how romance plagued every aspect of my life until now.

My bestfriend in high school treated me of less value after she gets her boyfriend. This experience was what drove me into drawing plague doctors during valentines. These doodles were captioned with "Plague is in the air", because my friends in my circle told me to not hang out with her on that day because it's valentines day. So cool, I thought I should avoid them like they were the plague.

For the first half of college, I've been a wingman for way too many of my friends for my only female and best friend.

It has gotten to a point where the meaning of my companionship with my male friends had become solely for providing a connection to a girl they want to date.

In the long run, my bestfriend, who my 'friends' were pining for, actually has been pining for me. She asked if we could be a thing, I said yes because I thought that, romance isn't probably as disgusting as I think of it.

To protect tradition and to protect the feelings of the men she rejected (who I also wingmanned), we kept it hidden.

For the entire time, she emphasized how I was dense and oblivious about romance. For the entire time I was confused, disoriented, and even repulsed. I didn't know how to reciprocate and I certainly did not have THOSE feelings either at all.

Of course it didn't end well.

After that failed attempt at romance, I have been involved in three more encounters after that. Men suddenly started talking to me out of nowhere. Initially, I thought that they were just trying to make new friends. I didn't realize they were hitting on me but when I did, I cold-shouldered them out of my life.

The last one was the most traumatic. I have explicitly stated that he shouldn't attempt to romance me because I've admitted that I'm way too tired of dealing with it, but he was stubborn. He has also gone as far as sexualizing me against my will.

So yeah.

Amatonormativity made me lose faith in the meaning of my friendships.

It made me realize how friendship is easily overshadowed by romantic relationships.

It made me worry that my kindness is misread as a romantic gesture.

It made me constantly hate how friendship is only seen as a stepping stone for a romantic relationship.

And because amatonormativity has rendered all my significant connections meaningless, I'll spend every second of my life hating amatonormativity. I will always be repulsed at the concept that destroyed every goddamned friendship that I had. Nothing has ever made me feel THS sick. I will always think of it as the plague.

[the-quiver-of-aros]

PRE-ORDER: Only available until June 30, 2024! Shipping from the United States and Europe to: US 🇺🇸, EU 🇪🇺, UK 🇬🇧, Canada 🇨🇦, Australia 🇦🇺, and New Zealand 🇳🇿 Thank you everyone for voting on the polls and helping shape these pride sword pins together. It is been so much fun making these! You can get yours here:

prideknights.com⚔️🌈

[the-quiver-of-aros]

[Start ID: A digital drawing of a bouquet of flowers on a solid light green background. The flowers are in the colours of the aromantic pride flag, with some extra green leaves as decoration. Above the bouquet it says "LET WONDER RESTORE YOU" in black text. At the bottom of the bouquet is OPs signature that says "CJD 2024". End ID]

Fern, for magic

Eucalyptus, for protection

White camellia, for steadfastness

Silver sage, for esteem

Black tulip, for power

AroAce Version

Ace Version

[the-quiver-of-aros]

reblog if you support:

• pre- or non-hrt trans people

• genderfluid/non-binary people who want hrt

• genderfluid/non-binary people who don't want hrt

• pre- or non-op trans people

• tall transfems

• short transmascs

• fat/plus size trans people

• fem trans men

• masc trans women

• transmascs who don't/can't/won't bind

• transfems who don't/can't/won't tuck

• transfems with wide shoulders

• transmascs with wide hips

• genderfluid/non-binary people with facial hair or tits

• genderfluid people whose presentation is static but their gender is not

• non-binary people whose desired presentation is how society says their agab should present

• transmascs who bind but still have a visible chest

• non- conventionally-attractive trans people

• non-conforming trans people

• non-"passing" trans people

• non-stereotypical trans people

We don't all fit into cisnormative society's bullshit stereotypes!

I'm trying to prove a point to some transphobic relatives. Back me up tumblr.

[the-quiver-of-aros]

PRE-ORDER: Only available until June 30, 2024! Shipping from the United States and Europe to: US 🇺🇸, EU 🇪🇺, UK 🇬🇧, Canada 🇨🇦, Australia 🇦🇺, and New Zealand 🇳🇿 Thank you everyone for voting on the polls and helping shape these pride dragon pins together. It is been so much fun making these! You can get yours here:

prideknights.com⚔️🌈

[the-quiver-of-aros]

pride bunnies popcorning together ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

[the-quiver-of-aros]

Pride cats part 2: there’s more of them now.

[Part one here!]