ASAW (A_romantic Spectrum Awareness Week) has been held annually since 2014 – for the first time November 10-17, 2014 under the name “A_romantic Awareness Week”. In 2015 it was decided to move the week to the end of February and change the name to A_romantic Spectrum Awareness Week to address all Arospec identities.
ASAW starts a full week after Valentine’s Day ( starting on Sunday). It follows directly after this romantic holiday to give the a_romantic community a place to celebrate their identity and share their own experiences.
Within this week, the awareness and acceptance of identities of the a_romantic spectrum, as well as their discrimination, should be brought to attention.
The term “a_romantic” is formed from the prefix “a” meaning “none” or “without” and refers to no romantic attraction to others, little romantic attraction to others, or romantic attraction that occurs only under certain circumstances. Individuals show little to no desire for a romantic relationship and sometimes even feel repelled by it. Nevertheless, this does not preclude a_romantic individuals from feeling romantic attraction or being in a non-purely platonic relationship. Some – for various reasons – are interested in romantic relationships with other people, while others are not.
A_romantic people state that they find it difficult to “fall in love.” In doing so, they sometimes choose to have non-traditional relationships or refrain from relationships alltogether. Refusal to engage in romantic acts may differ among a_romantic people from person to person. (For example, some prefer only hugs but reject kisses.)
A_romanticism is not necessarily related to a_sexuality. There are people who identify as both a_sexual and a_romantic, but it is not a compelling connection. The opposite of a_romanticism is alloromanticism (people who are romantically attracted to other people).
In the a_sexual and a_romantic community, a distinction is made between sexual and romantic attraction. Therefore, different combinations of sexuality and romantic attraction are possible (e.g. homosexual and a_romantic). This is called the “split attraction model“. A_romanticism is seen as a spectrum that also includes people who do not identify as “completely a_romantic”.
The a_romantic spectrum can be divided into several subgroups:
– Greyromantic (romantic attraction is felt only rarely or weakly).
– Demiromantic (romantic attraction only after trust has been established)
– Lithromantic (attraction towards other people without the desire for these feelings to be reciprocated)
– Quoiromantic (people who have difficulty distinguishing between romantic and platonic attraction)
any many more.
The symbolism behind the colors of the a_romantic flag:
- Dark green represents a_romanticism (green is the opposite of red, which often represents romantic love).
- Light green indicates the a_romantic spectrum
- White represents forms of non-romantic attraction (such as platonic, aesthetic, and queerplatonic relationships)
- Grey represents “grey-romantic and demi-romantic individuals”
- Black indicates the “spectrum of sexuality”
A_romanticism can be defined individually, so this article is to inform you about the topic and to give you a basic overview. Use the week to learn more about the topic because – you never stop learning!