This is a list of notable people on the spectrum of aromanticism who have been open about their romantic orientation. The number of notable aromantic individuals is likely to be several times higher than the number of individuals who appear on this list due to fact that many famous people have hidden their romantic orientations.
Aromanticism is a romantic orientation characterized by experiencing little to no romantic attraction. [1] [2] The term "aromantic", colloquially shortened to "aro", refers to a person who identifies their romantic orientation as aromanticism. [3] [4]
Many people on the aromantic spectrum may also identify with other labels such as different sexual orientation or sexual identity, such as asexual, heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual or queer.
Name | Lifespan | Nationality | Notable as | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Yasmin Benoit | born 1996 | English | Model, activist, and writer | [5] [6] [7] [8] |
Michaela Coel | born 1987 | English | Screenwriter, actress | [9] |
Sarah Costello | American | Author, podcast host | [10] | |
Julie Sondra Decker (swankivy) | born 1978 | American | Writer, YouTuber, and activist | [11] |
Jaiden Dittfach (Jaiden Animations) | born 1997 | American | YouTuber and animator | [12] [13] [14] |
Connie Glynn | born 1994 | English | YouTuber, author | [15] [16] |
Keri Hulme | 1947–2021 | New Zealander | Novelist, poet and short-story writer | [17] |
Aline Laurent-Mayard | French | Journalist, podcast host | [18] | |
Alice Oseman | born 1994 | English | Author | [19] [20] |
Jacob Rabon IV (Alpharad) | born 1995 | American | YouTuber, esports personality, and musician | [21] |
Robin Daniel Skinner (Cavetown) | born 1998 | English | Singer-songwriter, record producer, and YouTuber | [22] [23] |
Merc Fenn Wolfmoor | born 1986 | American | Author of speculative fiction | [24] |
A person's romantic orientation, also called affectional orientation, is the classification of the sex or gender which a person experiences romantic attraction towards or is likely to have a romantic relationship with. The term is used alongside the term "sexual orientation", as well as being used alternatively to it, based upon the perspective that sexual attraction is only a single component of a larger concept.
Asexuality is the lack of sexual attraction to others, or low or absent interest in or desire for sexual activity. It may be considered a sexual orientation or the lack thereof. It may also be categorized more widely, to include a broad spectrum of asexual sub-identities.
Over the course of its history, the LGBT community has adopted certain symbols for self-identification to demonstrate unity, pride, shared values, and allegiance to one another. These symbols communicate ideas, concepts, and identity both within their communities and to mainstream culture. The two symbols most recognized internationally are the pink triangle and the rainbow flag.
Demisexuality is a sexual orientation in which an individual does not experience primary sexual attraction – the type of attraction that is based on immediately observable characteristics such as appearance or smell and is experienced immediately after a first encounter. A demisexual person can only experience secondary sexual attraction – the type of attraction that occurs after the development of an emotional bond. The amount of time that a demisexual individual needs to know another person before developing sexual attraction towards them varies from person to person. Demisexuality is generally categorized on the asexuality spectrum.
Aromanticism is a romantic orientation characterized by experiencing little to no romantic attraction. The term "aromantic", colloquially shortened to "aro", refers to a person whose romantic orientation is aromanticism.
Gray asexuality, grey asexuality, or gray-sexuality is the spectrum between asexuality and allosexuality. Individuals who identify with gray asexuality are referred to as being gray-A, gray ace, and make up what is referred to as the "ace umbrella". Within this spectrum are terms such as demisexual, semisexual, asexual-ish and sexual-ish.
Alice May Oseman is an English author of young adult fiction. She secured her first publishing deal at 19 and had her first novel Solitaire published in 2014. Her novels include Radio Silence, I Was Born for This, and Loveless. She wrote and illustrated the webcomic Heartstopper, which has been published as multiple graphic novels and which she adapted into a TV series, earning her a BAFTA TV Award nomination and two Children's and Family Emmy Awards as both a writer and producer. Her novels focus on contemporary teenage life in the UK and have received the Inky Awards.
This is a timeline of asexual history worldwide. The briefness of this timeline can be attributed to the fact that acceptance of asexuality as a sexual orientation and field of scientific research is still relatively new.
Jaiden Dittfach, known online as Jaiden Animations, is an American YouTuber and animator, known for her story-time animations. Her videos explore a variety of topics, spanning from her experiences to personal stories. She now primarily creates videos centered around video game stories.
Merc Fenn Wolfmoor is a prolific American author of speculative fiction short stories, active in the field since 2007. Their works have been published in a number of magazines and anthologies, including various collections of the year's best stories, and have been finalists for the Otherwise, Locus, and Nebula Awards. Some of their early work was published under the name Merc Rustad. They changed their name to Merc Fenn Wolfmoor in 2019.
Sounds Fake but Okay is a weekly comedy podcast that focuses on asexuality and aromanticism. The podcast is hosted by University of Michigan alumni Sarah Costello and Kayla Kaszyca. Each Sunday, Costello and Kaszyca "talk about all things to do with love, relationships, sexuality, and pretty much anything else they just don't understand."
The portrayals of asexuality in the media reflect societal attitudes towards asexuality, reflected in the existing media portrayals. Throughout history, asexual characters have appeared in television series, animated series, literature, comics, video games, music, and film.
Queerplatonic relationships (QPR) and queerplatonic partnerships (QPP) are committed intimate relationships which are not romantic in nature. They may differ from usual close friendships by having more explicit commitment, validation, status, structure, and norms, similar to a conventional romantic relationship. The concept originates in aromantic and asexual spaces in the LGBT community. Like romantic relationships, queerplatonic relationships are sometimes said to involve a deeper and more profound emotional connection than typical friendship.
The split attraction model (SAM) is a model in psychology that distinguishes between a person's romantic and sexual attraction, allowing the two to be different from each other.
Aze is a literary magazine for asexual, aromantic, and agender people that was created in 2016 and publishes issues online. It was formerly known as The Asexual until 2019 when it expanded to include aromantic and agender people. The magazine publishes visual art, poetry, and personal and academic essays on the subjects of asexuality, aromanticism, and agender experiences and their various intersections. It was founded by Michael Paramo.
Loveless is a novel written by Alice Oseman. Published by HarperCollins Children's Books on 9 July 2020, the novel follows Georgia as she begins university. Depicting her journey of self-discovery as an asexual and aromantic individual, the novel received positive reception from literary reviewers and media outlets.