Tertiary attraction is an umbrella term originating in aro communities to describe forms of attraction other than romantic and sexual, or other than physical and emotional.[1]
Typically, for allosexuals/alloromantics, a partnership may involve a mix of many or all of these forms of attraction, but when one or more of those is missing, such as with aromantics and asexuals, it may become easier to identify narrower forms of attraction. Those who are aro ace and experience nonsexual/nonromantic attraction may identity as oriented aroace, angled aroace, or simply use another orientation label in addition to aro and ace.[2]
To derive a specific orientation label from one of these attraction types, these can be given any of the usual prefixes. For example, one can be bialterous, meaning they experience alterous attraction towards people of two or more genders.
Since "tertiary" means "third," the term has been criticized for implicitly centering romantic and sexual attraction as the default.[3]
Types
- Aesthetic Attraction
- Alterous Attraction
- Amical Attraction
- Familial Attraction
- Impersonal Attraction
- Mental Attraction
- Potential Attraction
- Platonic Attraction
- Presential Attraction
- Queerplatonic Attraction
- Sensual Attraction
- Social Attraction
- Spiritual Attraction
- Xenial Attraction