Happy arospec awareness week!!! Here’s this little aro themed bat pin I sewed. It’s the first one I finished so there are parts I’ll definitely change and fix in further renditions, but I still think it’s pretty cute and figured I should share something of my own since I haven’t gotten any other art done for this week.
Asexual Aros Allosexual Aros Trans Aros Nonbinary Aros Lesbian Aros Gay Aros Bisexual Aros Pansexual Aros Autistic Aros Disabled Aros Aros of Color Closeted Aros Out and Proud Aros Romance-Repulsed Aros Romance-Indifferent Aros Romance-Favorable Aros Younger Aros Older Aros Christian Aros Muslim Aros Jewish Aros Aros of All Faiths Aros across the Ace-Spectrum Aros Across the Aro-Spectrum
We’re back with more prompts for Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week (February 16-22)! This year, there’s a theme each day, and the days are grouped under 2 main hashtags: #ArosAndArrows (Aros And Arrows) and #BeingAromanticIs (Being Aromantic Is) which you can use on those days for your responses on Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, or any other platform that uses tags. These prompts can be answered with pictures, drawings, writing, whatever you’re most comfortable with. Above all, have fun with it!
#ArosAndArrows
February 16th: Visibility- Share a photo or drawing of yourself with arrows, roadsigns, or pointers, whether ones you made yourself or that you find.
17th:Pride - Take a picture of or with an arospec symbol or pride merch.
18th:Awareness - What do you wish people knew about being arospec? Make or design a sign with an arrow + a message.
#BeingAromanticIs
19th:Everyday - What is your life like as an arospec person?
20th:Questioning - What are some experiences you had when discovering your arospec identity?
21st:Experiences - What is a good experience related to being arospec you wish more people knew about? A bad experience?
22nd:Diversity - What’s something about yourself or other arospecs that you want people to know or would like to see represented?
Remember to use #ArosAndArrows for February 16-18 and#BeingAromanticIs for February 19-22 for these prompts!
Aromantic-Official will be hosting prompts and reblogging a few responses for Arospec Awareness Week! Each prompt can be answered with a original creation, like writing or art, or you talking about your personal experiences. You can answer as little or as many of the prompt questions as you’d like. The first three prompts have two days to complete each one, for those with limited time or making very involved responses. Post in the tag #ASAW 2019!
Prompt 1 | February 17-18 | Discovery
How did you learn you were aromantic or arospec? How long did it take to find the label and to accept it? Did it click immediately, or was it a journey of denial and/or mislabeling? How has learning you were aromantic or arospec changed you? Your perception of yourself? How you act around others? Your personal relationships?
Prompt 2 | February 19-20 | Visibility
How has representation (coded or explicit) in media helped you? How has a lack of it harmed you? What would your ideal aro/arospec representation be? What do you think the aro community could do to make ourselves visible to others?What would you like more people to know about aros? If aromanticism and its spectrum were widely known, would you be more open about your arospec identity?
Prompt 3 | February 21-22 | Community
Do you feel the aro community has supported you? Has it helped or hindered you along your journey? Do you interact with other aros often, or seek out spaces with them? What do you like or dislike about the community? Do you like or dislike the greater queer community, and has it helped or hindered you overall? Do you like how small and connected the aro community is, or is that stifling? Do you create your own community spaces?
Prompt 4 | February 23 | Free day!
Stuff you didn’t include in previous prompts and want to talk about, aro-related content, personal stories, experimental creations, anything goes!
Again, we’ll be reblogging a few responses, and if you want us to see yours, tag it with #ASAW 2019!
AROSPEC WEEK BABEY!!! Y’ALL GETTING ANOTHER POEM!!! WHOOOO!
[ID: a poem typed on a background that starts with dark clouds at the top, fades to white, then has a border of green grass at the bottom. It reads:
Growing up I was taught love existed In the form of filial piety In the form of respect to your elders And the word was never brought to lips In shades of red Like they so decorate The store isles every year
And growing up I’d never seen My father kiss my mum Like the silver screen said Yet I knew they loved each other Yet I knew I’d never love like that
The streets of dhaka Had no lovers out past midnight The streets here do But I had never longed for late night escapes
When high school came And my friends found matches Whom they handed red Red roses I denied (myself) That I’d never held any (that I could never hold any) And called yellow, red
Handpicked boys from a strawberry field Forced myself to feel The ways girls did In books I’d read at the library By myself
If I could go back to who I was then I’d tell her Words are so much more powerful than you think And that you are so much more different than you think And life will be hard but you will make it You will not be the same person Come years to pass But don’t shun it Take pride
Welp, this was for Valentines, but now it’s Aro-Spec Awareness Week, so that works too lol
I still have another thing I’m hoping to finish for ASAW that’s bigger.
Anyways, Pierce here is having a rough time with people in his village assuming he is in a romantic relationship with ranger partner and best friend, Hotshot. But he doesn’t feel he can speak up about it.
You can go check out my blog for more info! I made many posts last year, and will probably do the same this year.
Image ID under the cut
[Image ID: Five digitally drawn pictures. They all have a green gradient background that fade into each other.
Image 1: A simple cartoon character with short brown hair, white skin and green cheeks. They’re dressed in the colors of the aro flag (green, light green, white, grey, black). They’re gesturing towards a central text in capital handrawn white letter that reads “It’s time for Aro-Spec Awareness Week 2022”. Another text typed in black says “From Feb 20th Until Feb 26th”. Two white arrows are at the bottom of the image as decorations.
Image 2: The text is divided into three blocks and reads: “What does aro-spec mean ? It’s short for "aromantic spectrum”. Arospec people don’t experience romantic attraction, or experience it differently.“ aromantic spectrum is written in green, romantic attraction is written in a dark red, and the rest is black. The same character previously described is standing on the right of the text as if they were saying the words. They’re drawn a second time underneath the text, holding a green umbrella while saying "It’s an umbrella term!”. The same two white arrows are at the bottom of the image as decorations.
Image 3: The text reads: “However, arospec and acepec are two different experiences. Not every aro is ace, not every ace is aro. That distinction between romantic and sexual attraction is based on the SAM! (Split Attraction Model)”. The words are typed in black except for the word aro which is green, and the word ace which is purple. A handwritten note on the side reads: “It can be used by anyone too!”. The character is at the bottom of the screen and says in parenthesis: “Tho there are non SAM aro out there”. The same two white arrows are at the bottom of the image as decorations.
Image 4: The image is filled with text with the exception of the character’s head poking out of the bottom. It says in a handwritten white text: “Transcript at the end”. At the top of the image is written “Some Vocabulary for the road:”. Underneath is a list of terms in bold capital letters and their definition. “Allo: Being non-aro (alloromantic) or non-ace (allosexual)” ; “Amatonormativity: The assumption that everyone must want a lifelong monogamous romantic and sexual relationship.” ; “Romance Repulsed/Favorable: How someone feels about romance! Some aro do like romance, others want nothing to do with it, and some are neutral.” ; “QPR: Queer Platonic Relationship! An unique kind of commitment, determined by the people in it.”
Image 5: The character is sitting on the decorative arrows at the bottom of the panel. White text above and next to them read: “This has been a brief introduction! There’s a lot more to learn… so follow ASAW and be aware of your local aros! Thanks for reading!”
An aromantic person is someone who doesn’t feel romantic attraction. This is the briefest description ever though, so if anyone wants to know more about it just shoot me a message and I’d be happy to answer any questions!
Note: Obviously not all aromantic people value friendship or other relationships more than alloromantic people (people who DO feel romantic attraction), and those aro people are just as valid and nice! <3
