Alternating attraction is a form of attraction where the type of attraction a person feels toward someone changes over time. For example, a person might feel romantic attraction toward someone one day, but platonic attraction toward them the next. The shift can happen fluidly over a period of time or it can switch suddenly from one type of attraction to another without a transition in between.
Alternating attraction can be used as a standalone term or combined with other orientations to be more specific. For example, someone who experiences alternating attraction only toward people of the same gender might use the term homoalternating. The identity allows people to describe a changing pattern of attraction without suggesting that the feelings are inconsistent or less valid.
The term alternating attraction and its original flag were created by FANDOM Wiki user DaniellaAyup on June 14, 2021. The colours of the flag each represent a type of attraction: purple for sexual, green for romantic, yellow for platonic, and orange for other tertiary attractions. White represents the change between different attraction types, and the two arrows in a revolving pattern symbolise the cycle a person may experience as their attraction changes.
Leah had a close friend named Sam. Some days Leah found herself daydreaming about dating Sam, imagining what it might be like to hold hands or go out together. Other days she simply wanted to hang out, talk for hours, and enjoy the comfort of their friendship without romance. Sometimes her feelings shifted overnight, and she could not explain why.
At first, Leah worried that this meant she was indecisive or could not make up her mind. Then she came across a post about alternating attraction. Reading the description felt like a weight lifting. It was not about being uncertain, it was about having an attraction that could naturally change form.
Leah began identifying with the term and told Sam about it. Sam listened and said, “So you like me in more than one way, and it just changes sometimes?” Leah nodded, relieved. Understanding alternating attraction gave Leah the language to explain what she felt, and it made her more comfortable with letting those shifts happen without self doubt.
Sources
https://new.lgbtqia.wiki/wiki/Alternating_Attraction_and_Orientation
Source
https://new.lgbtqia.wiki/wiki/alternating_attraction_and_orientation