Alisexual

Alisexual/Aliromantic is a sexual orientation on the asexual spectrum/aromantic spectrum that describes someone who is attracted to strangers (e.g. acquaintances) but the attraction is lost on contact or after getting to know each other.

The attraction only becomes active when hints or feelings have first been expressed by another person. The attraction is reciprocal (in that it is only felt if the person that the alisexual/aliromantic person is attracted to is first or also attracted to them). This can also describe when one falls in love with the initial aura, but upon getting to know someone better the attraction fades because they do not find the personality/other aspects attractive.

Alisexual people could have a celebrity crush and the feelings can disappear/fade away as soon as one gets to know the person. These feelings may come back and they may have romantic fantasies over a possible relationship with the stranger (in this case a celebrity).

One may be alisexual but not aliromantic, or vice versa. This can also be a fluid sexuality. People may be oriented alisexuals/aliromantics (e.g. panalisexual). It may also be that someone who is alisexual/aliromantic experiences this only with certain identities and not others. For example, they may identify as homoalisexual (to describe same-sex attraction to strangers that fades). This can be a gender-blind sexuality, in which you share an attraction to all identities but experience that attraction differently for different ones / have other attractions for different ones. An alisromantic person may identify as aromantic as well as they may experience long periods of lacking any romantic attraction.

Some alisexual/alisromantic experiences include:


 * Feelings for only a certain period of time which may be ambiguously romantic. After losing the feelings you may still want the person as a partner.
 * Experiencing feelings in one // several ways to (a) certain gender (s) or all genders, as this orientation is fluid.
 * Considering all possible ways of falling in love / experiencing fluid attraction for any identity. Different attractions include: aesthetic, sensual, romantic, sexual, etc.
 * Feelings that last for a specific amount of time. For example, they could have feelings as long as they are not in a relationship and/or are indifferent to those feelings.
 * Having a libido but being indifferent and/or disinterested in sex.
 * Can describe people with no understanding of the motives/cause of their attraction.
 * Feelings can come when one doesn't know someone and leave when getting to know each other. These feelings may return after building a connection. It can also be used as a term that is an umbrella term for all terms that are similar to the one mentioned here or can also mean you like the feelings, but don't want a relationship or you don't necessarily want them to be reciprocated or you are not interested in the feelings you have returned or you cannot find anything / very little romantic / sexually beautiful apart from being in love.

History
The term was first mentioned by user Alex.Lichtenberg03 on August 2, 2021.

Flag
The alisexual flag was created by user Alex.Lichtenberg03 on August 18, 2021. Black represents that the feelings can disappear or a sense of hopelessness that alisexuals may feel because one is not interested and/or the feelings do not persist. Purple represents sexual interest, to represent how not only romantic attraction plays a part in the attraction. Green represents the hope that feelings/interest may remain. Turquoise represents the variety of emotional states. Red represents romance.

Etymology
"Ali" is the abbreviation of "alium" which means "other" in Latin.