Alterous attraction is a form of emotional attraction. Similar to queerplatonic, it describes a feeling that is not necessarily romantic in nature. The term was first introduced in approximately 2015.[1] Since then, it has been variously used for a pull toward emotional closeness or intense feelings that may or may not have any relationship to the romantic/nonromantic binary.[2] Since 2016, some definitions of alterous have been criticized for implying than platonic or nonromantic feelings are inherently weaker than romantic ones.[3]
Flag
The alterous flag was made in 2016 by Tumblr user Alterous-Albatross. According to the introduction post, "The yellow stands for platonic. The gray stands for the gray area between romantic and platonic attraction. Pink represents affection. Red represents romantic."[4]