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i used to experience split attraction (asexual/acespec and pan-/biromantic) but now my orientations align with each other and BOY, i can tell you, not experiencing split attraction is a PRIVILEGE.
when people ask me what my sexuality is, it's much easier to describe myself with one word (bi) as opposed to at least two (asexual, panromantic (, pansensual)). people know what bi means, but most people don't really get the difference between sexual and romantic attraction, or
they have a really really bad idea (and they probably also don't know other types of attraction that can be part of someone's sexuality. so it's either having to explain your sexuality or only mentioning a part of it (probably pan because people don't get asexual either).
and in surveys where they ask your sexuality, even lgbt+ ones? all the options would have the -sexual ending. meaning i could only ever name my sexual orientation and my romantic orientation would be erased, i would be reduced to one thing. now i feel comfy just ticking bisexual.
when you feel split attraction, most people will only see a part of you. they will only acknowledge the sexual part and assume the romantic part is the same. though honestly i would have rather put my romantic orientation down than my sexual one, because i'd rather define myself
by the attraction i do feel than by the attraction i don't. but i never felt seen by the pan*sexual* label. when your orientations align, you can just choose one without problem, because the -sexual labels are used to mean everything.
and then there's lgbt+ culture and communities. this doesn't really apply to people who identify as gay or lesbian because those labels don't have -sexual or -romantic at the end. but so many things are specifically aimed towards bi*sexual* people. if you are bi but not
bi*sexual* this can really alienate you from a community that's supposed to be yours.
and this of course doesn't only apply to aspec people who experience split attraction. imagine being bisexual and homoromantic and having to choose which part of you gets seen today. aligned orientation is a privilege.
