Abri- is an orientation prefix meaning “shelter” or “place of refuge” in English, and “under cover” in French. It describes a form of sexuality in which a person’s underlying attraction does not change, but the labels they use for it do change over time. While the feelings remain consistent, the way someone describes them may shift depending on context, self discovery, or available language.
Two main identities use this prefix: Abrisexual (sexual attraction remains the same, labels change) and Abriromantic (romantic attraction remains the same, labels change). This is different from Abro- identities, where the actual attraction itself is fluid and changes over time. The gender counterpart to Abri- is Abrigender, where gender itself remains stable but gender labels shift.
The term Abrisexual was likely coined by FANDOM Wiki user Gotrose in February 2021, with the original flag created at the same time. Abriromantic was coined by FANDOM Wiki user RemyWest123 in the same month, also with its own flag. Alternate versions of both flags have since been designed by community members, including Tumblr users aquariclione and redactedterms, each assigning specific meanings to their chosen colours.
Taylor had always known who they were attracted to, but the words to describe it seemed to shift every few months. At one point they used “bisexual,” later “pansexual,” and sometimes “queer.” The feelings never changed, yet each label felt right for a while before something about it stopped fitting.
One day, while browsing online forums, Taylor came across the term “Abrisexual.” It described exactly what they had been experiencing—consistent attraction, changing labels. Reading that definition felt like finding a place to rest. It meant they weren’t indecisive or confused, just someone whose relationship with labels evolved.
After adopting the term, Taylor stopped worrying about picking the “perfect” word. They explained it to friends as, “My heart stays the same, but the language I use for it changes.” For Taylor, identifying with Abri- was not about locking in a single description. It was about recognising that language is fluid, and their identity had space to grow within it.
Sources
https://new.lgbtqia.wiki/wiki/Abri_(Orientation)
Source
https://new.lgbtqia.wiki/wiki/abri_orientation