Gender & Identity,Sex, Relationships & Love

Asexuality, Simply a Lack of Sexual Attraction? Nah.: Identities (Part I)

Make sure you check out part II of this list here.

There are so many different things we need to know about sexual identities, sometimes they exist on a spectrum within a spectrum. This is totally the case with Asexuality. Within the ace (or asexual) community people  identify in many different ways and there are lots of terms it helps to be familiar with. 

But the first and most important one is…

Asexual: Someone who does not experience sexual attraction towards anyone. Asexual folx – also known as “Ace” or “Aces” – may have little interest in having sex, even though most desire emotionally intimate relationships.

Within the realm of asexuality are many related identities. Here’s a list :

Abroromantic / aro flux: Someone who fluctuates between experiencing romantic attraction and not experiencing it, and/or experiencing romantic attraction to different strengths.

Abrosexual / ace flux: Someone whose experiences of sexual attraction fluctuate; they may go through periods of asexuality and periods of experiencing sexual attraction. The strength of their attraction could also fluctuate, going through phases of weakness and intensity.

Ace: An abbreviated term for asexual.

Akoiromantic/lithromantic: A person who experiences romantic attraction but has no desire or need to have their feelings reciprocated. Sometimes an akoiromantic person’s attraction may fade if a romantic relationship is established.

Akoisexual/lith(o)sexual: Someone who experiences sexual attraction to people but has no desire to have those feelings reciprocated. For some, if the attraction is reciprocated, their feelings may fade and they will no longer be attracted to that person. 

Note: Lithsexual is also sometimes used to describe someone who does not like to receive sexual contact but may be happy to give it.  

Alloromantic/zedromantic: Someone who does experience romantic attraction. An alloromantic person may be allosexual as well, but not necessarily.

Allosexual/zedsexual: Someone who does experience sexual attraction, and is therefore not on the ace spectrum.

Apothisexual: Someone who is asexual and sex-repulsed.

Aro: An abbreviated term for aromantic.

Aromantic: Someone who does not experience romantic attraction.

Asexual: Someone who does not experience sexual attraction.

Autochorissexual/aegosexual: Someone who is aroused by sex that does not involve them; it is a disconnection between oneself and the sexual object/activity. Someone who is autochorissexal might have sexual fantasies, or enjoy reading erotica or watching porn, but will have no desire to be involved in the activities themselves. 

Note: This identity didn’t arise from the ace community and isn’t necessarily an ace identity.

Cupioromantic: Someone who does not experience romantic attraction but has a desire to be in a romantic relationship.

Cupiosexual: Someone who desires a sexual relationship, but does not experience sexual attraction.

Demi: An abbreviation for demisexuality and demiromanticism.

Demiromantic: Someone who only experiences romantic attraction after establishing a strong emotional connection to someone.

Demisexual: Someone who only experiences sexual attraction after establishing a close emotional and/or romantic connection with another person/persons.

Frayromantic: Someone who experiences romantic attraction, but this attraction fades after getting to know the object of their attraction.

Fraysexual: Someone who initially experiences sexual attraction upon meeting someone, but this attraction fades after getting to know them.

Grey-(a)romantic: Someone who occasionally, or rarely experiences romantic attraction. The attraction they experience may be weak, or it might be infrequent. Also used as an umbrella term for all romantic orientations that fall between alloromantic and aromantic.

Grey-(a)sexual: Someone who occasionally, or rarely experiences sexual attraction. The attraction they experience may be weak, or it might be infrequent. Greysexuality describes any sexual orientation that falls somewhere between asexual and allosexual. It is often used as an umbrella term to encompass other identities on the grey area of the spectrum, including demisexuals, lithsexuals, ace flux, etc.

Perioriented: Describes a person whose romantic and sexual orientations align, for example, a homoromantic homosexual person, or an asexual aromantic person (basically how you view sex and romance matches up). 

Varioriented: Describes a person whose romantic and sexual orientations don’t align, for example, a homoromantic pansexual person, or a homosexual demiromantic person.

Quoiromantic/WTF-romantic: someone who finds romantic attraction confusing, or cannot differentiate between platonic and romantic attraction, or is unsure of whether they experience romantic attraction.
Quoisexual: Someone who is unsure whether they experience sexual attraction, or is unsure about what sexual attraction is.

For part II of this list, all about attractions and relationships check out here.

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