Oriented Aroace

The original oriented aroace flag by Biaroace

The inclusive oriented aroace flag by futabairl

An oriented aroace is an aromantic asexual (aroace) individual who experiences a form of tertiary attraction, that they feel is significant enough to warrant a place alongside their aroace orientation.

Oriented aroace individuals identify with another orientation label, but in a non-romantic, non-sexual way. For example, oriented aroace individuals may identify as a bi aroace/bi oriented aroace or gay aroace/gay oriented aroace. This additional label can be based on any form of non-romantic, non-sexual attraction, such as platonic attraction, sensual attraction, aesthetic attraction, alterous attraction, queerplatonic attraction, etc. or a combination of these.

Usage

The term oriented aroace is often used to refer to those who are suptilic green stripe aromantic and black stripe asexual. Though many oriented aroace and aspec communities and their members are inclusive towards those who are not (or unsure/questioning their specific labels.)

Some disagree with Biaroace's exclusionary and uncommon definitions of "arospec", "acespec", and "aspec", as well as their belief that grey aroace individuals should not call themselves "bi aroace" or "gay aroace" or state that they are oriented/have an orientation. Many also criticize Biaroace's aphobia towards greyaro, greyace, and grey aroace individuals through stating that they always feel romantic/sexual attraction and are therefore completely separate from "strict" aroace individuals when this is untrue.

Some aroace individuals prefer the term over angled aroace as it centers their tertiary attraction over any romantic/sexual attraction they may or may not conditionally experience, as they only have a non-romantic and nonsexual tertiary orientation (e.g. a biplatonic greysexual aromantic who is not bisexual or allosexual.)

Electio aroace individuals who do not experience tertiary attraction but still wish to partner with a preference may structure their identity in a manner similar to oriented aroaces (e.g. "bi aroace" or "bi-oriented electio aroace") but the terms are not synonymous.

Flags

The original flag was designed by Tumblr user Biaroace on July 11, 2018. It features four horizontal stripes, similar in design to the asexual flag. The dark blue stripe at the top represents aroaces, grey for affiliation with the wider aro-spec and ace-spec communities, white for the orientation apart from aro and ace, and teal green for non-romantic, non-sexual attraction.

A second inclusive oriented aroace flag was designed by Tumblr user futabairl on May 28th, 2023. It is inclusive of everyone who uses the label oriented aroace as well as those who may identify under or fit the definition of angled aroace. In order the meanings of the stripes are:

• being aroace
• experiencing another form of attraction(s) than romantic and sexual
• orientations within the aroace community (ex. gay aroace)
• pride and validness
• affiliation with the aroace community

Flags for Specific Orientations

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  your-blorbos-are-queer's lesbian aroace flag

• 

  your-blorbos-are-queer's gay aroace flag

• 

  your-blorbos-are-queer's bi aroace flag

• 

  your-blorbos-are-queer's pan aroace flag

• 

  your-blorbos-are-queer's poly aroace flag

• 

  your-blorbos-are-queer's hetero aroace flag

• 

  rusty_penny_'s sapphic aroace flag

• 

  your-blorbos-are-queer's achillean aroace flag

June 4, 2022, Twitter user rusty_penny_ created the flag representing the Sapphic aroace identity. On January 2, 2023, Tumblr user your-blorbos-are-queer posted eight flags, each one representing a different type of oriented aroace. The seven flags are for, Achillean-, Lesbian-, Gay (Men)-, Bi-, Pan-, Poly-, and Hetero-Oriented Aroaces. Each flag was created by mixing the colors of corresponding stripes on the aroace flag and the flag of that orientation.

On January 3, 2023, in response to the original creator's request for a more aesthetically-pleasing version of the Hetero-Oriented flag, Tumblr user crystallinewalker created a second Hetero- flag with lightened colors in order to make the design more cohesive.