poly aro culture is stumbling on the word "polyaffectionate" and initially being excited (that's what i have! that's me and my partner and my boyfriend!) and then realizing it's an undercut to what you feel. i'm very affectionate in my love for these people (or i was at the time, one of them has since broken up with me and yk that makes things complicated even though we're still friends) but it's not just affection. it's love. i know there are people that it applies to but even if my love isn't romantic it's still love and saying that aro folks are polyaffectionate instead as a rule hurts
I know that people using labels as rules sucks. There’s a bunch of infighting in the community about labels. But the good news is that you never have to follow what other people say about your personal identity.
If you want to use polyaffectionate because that describes you, great! If you don’t feel like it’s suitable then you don’t have to use it.
It really sucks when people think that aromantic people can’t love. And I’m not just saying we feel familial or platonic love, (which we do) but we can feel love that doesn’t fit into a specific definition. Love that to other people looks romantic.
I rarely get crushes, but for a good amount of my friends I know that if they asked me out I would say yes. Because I love them. But I know it’s not romantically.
Humans love in multiple types of ways, some in ways that blur the lines we have so carefully drawn in our society. But it’s still love and no love is any less important than any other and I wish more people would understand that.
