What does abrosexual mean and how is it different from pansexuality?
Abrosexual people have a fluid sexuality (Ash Hardell/YouTube)
Sexuality is a spectrum, and as such there are a number of different labels to ascribe to yourself – should you want one. But do you know what abrosexual means and whether it applies to you? Let’s find out.
There’s a reason that the LGBTQ+ acronym has a plus sign in it, and that’s because there are a number of different ways to describe your romantic or sexual attraction.
Everyone is unique and some people might not want a label at all, but abrosexuality has been gaining popularity ever since Drag Race judge Michelle Visage posted about it on her Instagram account in 2021 as part of a guide to Pride flags, which has since been deleted, so we’re here to fill in the blanks!
What is abrosexuality?
Abrosexuality is when you have different levels of sexual or romantic attraction to various people and genders throughout your life.
The strictest dictionary definition for someone who is abrosexual is someone who has “a fluid sexual orientation”. For example, you could be gay one day, asexual the next, then polysexual the day after that.
The intensity levels of attraction can also differ depending on individual circumstances. The prefix ‘abro’ comes from a Greek root that means “delicate or graceful”, which is rather nice.
What is the difference between abrosexuality, pansexuality, and asexuality?
All three sexualities fall under the multisexuality umbrella, which includes people of any identity who are romantically or sexually attracted to more than one gender.
But terms like homosexuality, bisexuality, heterosexuality, and pansexuality typically refer to the genders of the people you may be attracted to, whereas abrosexuality does not specify any gender.
Additionally, the fluidity of being abrosexual sets its apart from being pansexual or asexual.
For example, people who are pansexual are typically attracted to all people no matter their gender and sexuality, but an abrosexual may also identify as pansexual or other sexualities because their sexual orientation is regularly in flux. Ash Hardell has made an excellent video (above) if you’d like to go into more detail.
Is there an abrosexual flag?
There is an abrosexual flag, just as there are flags for bisexuals, pansexuals, transgender people, and asexuals.
The abrosexual flag has five colours: dark green, light green, white, light pink, and dark pink.
No one knows the origin of the flag but there are reports of the flag being introduced on Tumblr in 2013 by an unknown user.
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