Romantic attraction is a type of emotional attraction where someone may want to engage in romantic interactions with a particular person. This can include experiences like infatuation, physical closeness, using affectionate language, living together, wanting to start a family, sharing belongings and experiences, making lifelong commitments, valuing the relationship above others, providing mutual protection, and offering emotional, financial, and physical support. Romantic relationships are largely defined by intent; any relationship or activity can be romantic when done with romantic intent, and conversely, non-romantic if done without it.
Alex has recently felt romantic attraction toward someone they met through a mutual friend. They feel excited at the thought of getting to know this person better, sharing moments of affection, and perhaps building a relationship. One day, Alex decides to invite this person on a date, hoping to deepen their bond and see if there’s potential for a lasting connection. Throughout the evening, Alex feels the joy of discovering shared interests and laughing together, feeling a strong emotional pull. For Alex, romantic attraction means building a bond that feels meaningful and intimate, seeking someone they can share life with and create special memories together. This attraction makes Alex feel connected and cared for, driving them to nurture their relationship.
An individual’s pattern of romantic attraction toward certain genders often helps shape their romantic orientation. Romantic orientations are commonly identified by the “-romantic” suffix, such as heteroromantic or biromantic.
A person who frequently feels romantic attraction is considered alloromantic. Those who don’t typically experience it may identify as aromantic or fall somewhere on the aro-spec spectrum. A romantic desire toward someone may be referred to as a “crush.”
Romantic attraction can be difficult to define, as it overlaps with other forms of emotional attraction. This can be especially confusing for some neurodivergent individuals, who may identify as nebularomantic if they find it challenging to distinguish romantic feelings from other emotional connections. Romantic attraction shares qualities with attractions like platonic or queerplatonic. The main difference is often a desire for a lifelong partnership, with the end of a romantic relationship typically being more distressing than the loss of a friendship. While familial attraction shares similar protective and bonding feelings, romantic attraction can also involve sensual acts inappropriate for family connections.
History
The concept of romantic orientation has roots dating back over a century. In 1879, Karl Heinrich Ulrichs introduced the idea of two types of bisexuality: conjunctive and disjunctive. Conjunctive bisexuality involved both “tender” and “passionate” feelings for both genders, while disjunctive bisexuality involved “tender” feelings for the same gender but “passionate” feelings for the opposite gender.
In 1979, psychologist Dorothy Tennov published Love and Limerence: The Experience of Being in Love, introducing “limerence,” or being “in love,” as a distinct concept from sexuality. The term “affectional orientation” began circulating more widely in the 1980s, though its exact origins are unclear. J.W. Wells used it in 1989, though it was also referenced by the American Bar Association in 1959.
The idea of romantic orientation as it’s understood today was popularized by the online asexual community in the early 2000s. Asexual individuals began using terms like gay, bi, or straight to indicate partnership preferences, and “aromantic” gained traction in these spaces around 2005.
Flags and Symbols
Flags representing romantic orientations often feature love hearts as symbols, though other designs are also used.
Bronnen
- American Bar Association. Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities. “Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities Newsletter.” Books.Google.com, 1959. Link
- Boom, Kesiena. “What Is Romantic Attraction? 6 Signs You’re Experiencing It.” MBG Relationships, November 5, 2022. Link
- ithaca. “The Aromantic Threads Index.” The AVEN, April 27, 2012. Link
- Jeb_CC. “Types of Attraction.” Types of Attraction.Link
- Kennedy, Hubert. “Karl Heinrich Ulrichs: First Theorist of Homosexuality.” AngelFire, 1997. Link
- Romantic attraction and romantic orientations.aces & aros. Accessed February 24, 2023. Link
- Tennov, Dorothy.Love and Limerence: The Experience of Being in Love. Review by Danny Yee, 1999. Link
- Wells, J. W. “Journal of Humanistic Education and Development.” WIU, 1989. Link
Source
https://new.lgbtqia.wiki/wiki/romantic_attraction_and_orientation