It’s now 2023, and I fully embrace my identity! To those who are still finding themselves, no matter how young/old you are; people are more complex than words can define; asexuality is a spectrum so even if you don’t find a label. That doesn’t matter.
Even if the answer isn’t with you right now, you may find the answer come to you later. You know your sexuality better than anybody else.
You are worthy of love! Much appreciation for all aces.
I think it was 2014 or 2015 where someone suggested to me that I might be aro. either I misheard it or they mispronounced it, but I thought “what? aromatic? what’s that supposed to mean?” and kinda dismissed it.
a bit later, maybe also 2016, I stumbled upon the term asexuality. and I found myself in there as well. to me, it was less “omg, I’m not broken!” but more “ah, that’s the word for it”. I was already kind of aware of my non-existant level of attraction and desire to look for a relationship. I’m sex repulsed, so that made asexuality rather clear.
in terms of being aromantic: I never kissed, hugged or cuddled with the teenage girlfriend I had (into which relationship my mother kinda coerced me into. not out of bad faith, though. I had almost no friends, and she just wanted me to encourage to feel romantic love toward someone and experience how awesome it’s supposed to feel)
so, some years later, I also stumbled upon the aro label. even though I knew it was applicable, I didn’t really vibe with it for quite some time. maybe because I my sex repulsion made my asexuality a lot clearer and significant than my (I guess) romance indifference.
Today, I’ve embraced both labels. I’m glad to have found them, because it opened up a world for me to find other like-minded people online (I’m not aware of anyone offline being aro or ace) to share discussions and memes with.
the a-spec community is/was one of the last things I regularly returned to reddit for, if this community finally picks up some steam, I might be able to stay here for good. :)