you know what shoutout to aroaces shoutout to aroaces who have distinct and separate aro and ace experiences shoutout to aroaces who can’t separate their aromanticism and asexuality shoutout to aroaces who feel more aro than ace shoutout to aroaces who feel more ace than aro shoutout to aroaces who had sex and/or were in a romantic relationship and are told they can’t be aroace because of that shoutout to aroaces who still have sex and/or still are in a romantic relationship and are told they can’t be aroace because of that shoutout to aroaces who enjoy shipping and smut/porn in fandom and are told they can’t be aroace because of it shoutout to aroaces who are romance- and/or sex-repulsed and are disgusted by all the romance and sex in media, their everyday lives, and in fandom shoutout to aroaces who are out and proud about it shoutout to aroaces who have to give a long vocabulary lesson every time they come out shoutout to aroaces who are afraid to come out or can’t come out because of bad situations and unaccepting family shoutout to aroaces who are out but whose family and friends rejected them or acted like it was a tragedy or didn’t believe them shoutout to aroaces who are out but whose family and friends act like they’re straight or pretend they’re not aroace shoutout to aroaces who are told they’re straight by members of the lgbt+ community and are told they don’t belong and are invalidated when they try to find comfort and reassurance shoutout to aroaces who don’t identify as lgbt+ for any reason shoutout to aroaces who are told “it’s just a phase” shoutout to aroaces who are told “that’s too bad, because you’re really hot” shoutout to aroaces who are told “you’re just saying that because you think no one will date you” shoutout to aroaces who come out and have people try to make the conversation all about themselves and their romantic/sexual experiences shoutout to aroaces who are told that they’re broken and can never be happy shoutout to aroaces who have to deal with amatonormativity and allonormativity every single day of their lives shoutout to aroaces whose friends try to set them up on dates or are “shipped” shoutout to aroaces who have had to face corrective rape in the hopes that it will “fix” them shoutout to aroaces who are told “but you won’t know until you’ve tried it” shoutout to aroaces who are asked invasive and rude questions when they come out shoutout to aroaces who have no positive representation in media and nothing to relate to shoutout to aroaces who are told that their aro&ace headcanons are wrong or problematic shoutout to aroaces who are told that they can’t be aroace for any reason shoutout to aroaces who are told they’re “faking it” or “just doing it for attention” shoutout to aroaces who have people who try to define their identity for them shoutout to cold or withdrawn aroaces who are told they’re “perpetuating stereotypes” shoutout to aroace youth who are told they’re “too young” to know they’re aroace shoutout to poc aroaces who have to deal with hypersexualization shoutout to neurodivergent aroaces who are told it’s “all in their head” or that they’re “just confused” shoutout to aroace girls who are told that they’re “basically straight” because they aren’t attracted to other girls shoutout to aroace boys who have to deal with hypermasculinity telling them that they’re less of a man for not wanting romance shoutout to trans aroaces whose gender is ignored when they try to add to “ace discourse” shoutout to aroaces with other marginalized identities who aren’t talked about or forgotten shoutout to aroaces whose identity is erased by people who claim “the A is for Ally!” shoutout to aroaces who face myriads of other issues that didn’t make it onto this post that is already far too long just. shoutout to aroaces. you face so many different problems and you’re so underrepresented and untalked about. I love you all so much, and you are so, so valid. stay strong <3
