I will always be aromantic before any other queer identity because not only is that the first one I discovered. But being aro influences literally every facet of my life and how I see the world, in a way that nothing else about my queerness can or does. And yes, that includes

both my gender related queerness and being ace (which honestly is a footnote in my life).

Being aro, I see the constant propaganda and oppression of amatonormativity. I feel how demeaning non-romantic relationships are treated, perceived, and ranked. It's constant othering and

erasure, watching from the sidelines because everyone else operates with this basic assumption of romantic attraction. And being an at best romance neutral (but always extremely romance repulsed when it comes to me), it's also romantic desire that pushes me aside from the world.

To me, there is nothing more than my friends and family and chosen family. There never will be. My friendships are important to me and will always be so in ways that alloromantic people won't understand.

I literally take no notice of romantic attraction or desire or anything

related to romance by the world or people around me unless it's shoved down my throat. Flirting *never* gets picked up because why the fuck do people flirt? It's pointless, because romantic attraction doesn't really exist or hold any value in my world. I understand that alloros

value romance and romantic relationships very much and I don't invalidate that, it's just that I literally nearly *never* think about romance. It's useless for me.

But that means that I miss out a lot in the world because this world isn't made for or accepting of people like

me. I'm frequently ostracized for not wanting romantic relationships, for not feeling romantic attraction, for not understanding or taking notice of anything romance related pointed in my general direction (aka to me). There's this whole other world socially that I'm not

aware of, can't be, and I'm not welcome in. It's constantly being an outsider, not even looking in half the time because even the windows require you to be in the "alloro crowd" to look through.

Anyways, I've rambled about what it's like being aro enough for now, so I'll stop.

But, to wrap this up: yeah, I'm aro. I'll *always* be aro and it will always be the most important part of my queer identity.