Support

Supporting Our Aromantic Loved Ones

Sometimes abbreviated as aro (pronounced ā-row), the term refers to an individual who does not experience romantic attraction. Aromantic people exist on a spectrum of romantic attraction and can use terms such as gray aromantic or grayromantic to describe their place within that spectrum. Aromantic people can experience sexual attraction.

Visit pflag.org/glossary to understand these and other terms, and share our glossary with others so we can all better support our LGBTQ+ loved ones.

Education

Three Steps to Being a Better Aro & Ace Ally

It’s Aromatic Spectrum Awareness Week! Here are some ways to brush up on being a better ally to the Aromantic and Asexual communities:

1. Learn: Spend some time browsing through the resources available on the Asexuality Visibility and Education Network (AVEN), Aromantic-spectrum Union for Recognition, Education, and Advocacy (AUREA), and The Ace and Aro Advocacy Project (TAAAP) websites to learn more about asexuality and aromanticism.
2. Watch: Check out this episode of Something to Talk About Live with Jean-Marie Navetta and Angela Chen, author of Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex, focused on the experiences of asexual and aromantic people in the US. And be sure to watch the What The +?: Understanding and Supporting Expansive LGBTQ+ Identities PFLAG Academy Online, which has one section focused on asexual and aromantic identities.
3. Share: Use social media to share information and resources about Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week and Ace Week (which typically happens during the last full week of October.)

Advocacy

Let's Pass the Women's Health Protection Act

The Senate will vote on the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) on February 28. The WHPA would protect access to safe, legal abortion across the country. States like Texas, Florida, and Mississippi are seeking to restrict access to this critical healthcare intervention and Congress must act swiftly to protect the rights of all Americans to make their own healthcare decisions.

The House already passed this critical legislation. The Senate must now follow suit. Call your Senator and tell them to vote YES on the Women's Health Protection Act.

Something to Talk About...Live!

"It's Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week!"

People who are asexual (ace) and/or aromantic (aro) often report that they felt like there was something wrong with them when they were growing up. Many also report feeling alienated by friends and family, and that people in their lives tried to “fix” them. 

Join us this Thursday, February 24 at 4:30 PM ET / 1:30 PM PT for Something To Talk About Live, where we will be discussing Tyler Stevenson’s article in LGBTQ Nation, “It is time to start celebrating Black asexuality in media” with Marshall John Blount, a board member of Asexual Outreach and member of the Pennsylvania Commission on LGBTQ Affairs.

You can watch live on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, or Twitter.

For more information--and to check out our discussion questions in advance--visit pflagnation.al/STTALive-022422.