Last week I attended a Fletcher concert so I figured it was an appropriate topic for a blog post as it was probably the gayest thing I have ever been to. There was truly not one straight person in sight. I kid you not, it was gayer than Pride.

I’ve actually never been to a concert by an explicitly queer artist. I’ve seen the love of my life Conan Gray in concert, but he doesn’t label his sexuality or write songs about loving the same gender the way other queer artist do. Fletcher, aka Cari, does. Cari, for the most part, only writes songs about relationships, breakups, and being queer. This draws in an incredibly gay audience, one I’m sure lacks a token straight fan, as her queer music wouldn’t be super relatable. 

I also loved the irony of this concert, as I did in fact attend it with my ex-girlfriend, which is honestly the gayest thing we could have done. It was truly too perfect for a Fletcher concert, who would in fact spend the whole time singing about her ex and how she’s getting over that relationship. 

Here’s some highlights from the concert: 

1. Chappell Roan

I walked into this concert having no idea there was an opener, and then once I learned there was one, I had no idea who she was. Turns out, Chappell Roan is an indie pop/rock artist and she’s amazing. 

First of all, she’s stunning. I have actually fallen in love with every red head I’ve ever laid eyes upon and she was no exception. She also wore this adorable little green fairy-ish dress that made her look like Ariel. 

Secondly, her performance was such a slay. I kept turning to Jordan to say “She’s slaying!!” because she truly was. Her vocals were amazing. She had such an energetic stage presence. It also made it ten times better that there were two people behind us that absolutely adored her and were screaming along to every single song. Their energy was hilarious and made her performance even better. 

The next day I woke up and listened to her entire discography. She is also going on tour next year, and we even looked into buying tickets. Unfortunately she is already sold out in the city we could most easily go to and afford as the busy college students we are. 

2. The View

The seating was general admission, so we showed up a little over an hour before the doors opened. This was such a fantastic decision because we got there when the line was still short and ended up standing super close to the stage. I’ve never been that close at a concert before, and honestly have never expected to be that close. It wasn’t the very front row, but it was close. 

3. I Know How to Concert

I’m a music girly. I’m listening to music as I type this. I listen to music when I walk to class. When I get ready in the morning. When I shower. When I clean my room. I listen to music all the time. I’ve been in music classes since I was a wee child in the fourth grade. You can bet that I learned every single lyric to Fletcher’s discography so I could sing along to all of her songs. Plus, being there with a friend who also loves Fletcher is so much better. We obviously danced and sang and had the best time vibing with each other. It was truly me, her, and Fletcher. I have no clue what everyone else was doing. 

4. It Was Therapeutic 

We all know at this point that I’ve been broken hearted. Being able to spend time with my ex/best friend makes me feel a lot better about our relationship. I love spending time with her, and doing that, especially at a concert, allows me to become comfortable with our friendship and enjoy what we now have. 

5. Fletcher Has Bops

Singing breakup songs with your ex? Kinda superior. 

Unfortunately Cari didn’t sing “Feel”, which I was really hoping for as that is truly the perfect breakup cry song. I would have totally lost it. She also didn’t sing “Cherry” or “girls girls girls” which was disappointing, but she sang lots of other amazing songs like “All Love,” ”Undrunk,” “Bitter,” “Sting,” and “Becky’s So Hot.” 

6. It Was Gay

I was supposed to attend a girl in red concert earlier this year, and it ended up that I wasn’t able to go. I really, really wanted to go to a queer artist’s concert. I wanted to sing songs about loving girls with other queer people. This concert was that opportunity. There’s always an unspoken understanding when queer people get together and it’s quite comforting. It’s just nice to know that others share your experience, plus celebrate it by singing gay songs. 

7. The Night Ended Well

It was nice to spend so much time with my best friend. It had been a while since I had seen her, and it will be a while until I see her again. We got to spend practically the whole day together, driving to the venue, waiting in line, being at the concert, and the lengthy drive home. 

The night ended in what I thought was the perfect way; we shared headphones and listened to Conan Gray on the way home. 

Unfortunately now all I want to do is attend another concert. However, none of my favorite artists are touring, so I must wait eight long months until I get to see the one and only Dr. Taylor Alison Swift in concert, which is going to actually be the coolest thing ever. You know there will be a blog post about that; you just gotta wait at least 244 days until it’s uploaded. 

I feel like I’ve been out forever.

It always catches me by surprise when I remember that I came out this year. I feel like I’ve been out my whole life. Although I jokingly refer back to a time when I was “straight,” that feels like another version of Jadey, one I knew in a dream, or a very distant past. 

Last spring (April 2022) I came out to my immediate family. After that, a whirlwind of growth and change filled the next few months; the biggest event being that I entered into a queer relationship. At the time, trying to navigate that relationship while choosing who to come out to and when, was more stressful than I had expected. 

Looking back, being in a relationship so soon after I came out was honestly the best thing that could have happened to me. My partner and I loved each other and had no desire to hide our relationship. Because I loved her so fiercely, it pushed me out into the open with my own queerness. I wasn’t going to hide her and who we were. Dating her gave me just another opportunity to be openly out, whether it was holding hands in public or discussing my relationship with a curious family member or friend. 

I went to Pride for the first time this year! I’ve wanted to go to Pride for years, and this year was the opportunity. It was amazing to be in a space where I could openly hold my girlfriend’s hand and see people who understood me for who I was. Never in my life had I been in a place where it was assumed that I was queer. It was a beautiful experience. It was also amazing to see my community represented and to see the ace flag being raised proudly in the parade. 

As time went on, I became a lot more comfortable with my sexuality. By being in a relationship I learned what I was comfortable with physically and emotionally, how I wanted to be loved, and how I express love through my unique attraction. 

Because of all of that, I ended up starting this blog. Writing about my experiences has allowed me to reflect on what my identity means to me; bringing me comfort as well as confidence in my queerness.

Right after I started this blog I began college. It’s wild to think that I was in high school this year. I feel like I’ve been in college for ages. It was a really good change for me to leave home and be on campus. I definitely felt a bit of resistance to be out in high school, and to be so open about my queerness. I wasn’t too afraid of how people at school would react; friends or teachers, but I was a bit hesitant to be out on social media, where lots of people would see me for me, even those who do not share the same beliefs as me. 

Leaving for college gave me a fresh start. I entered what I’ve been calling my “gayer in college era,” where my fresh start meant a time where I could dress in a queer way, as well as post and talk about my queerness on social media and in my everyday life. 

Once I got to school I immediately joined my school’s Pride club and have attended every week. I get to learn about lots of gay things in college. In one class we regularly read about gender and the patriarchy and heteronormativity and it is so cool. 

I also ended my first relationship this year. Although it was not something I wanted to do, it was best for my partner and our respective aspec identities and what we needed in a relationship. Being the gay people we are, we are still best friends, we are just no longer dating and using language that would refer to ourselves in that way. Dealing with the heartbreak that came from that forced me to reflect on the happiness and growth we both had during our time together as a couple. It’s truly been amazing to see how I’ve grown in my identity, and how she was unknowingly such a big factor in that. That just goes to show that having a community, having people, specifically other queer people, around me has been life changing. 

See? I feel like that’s a lot of things for barely eight months of being out. It feels like eight years. It’s almost exhausting to think about. I guess I’ll have to keep writing out my thoughts and living life as authentically as possible to keep having things to post on the blog.

Unfortunately, I have now had the experience of being broken-hearted.

As you may know, I was dating my best friend in a queerplatonic relationship. As time went on, our aspec identities changed and no longer aligned in a way that was fulfilling and satisfying to what we needed in a relationship. So, we broke up. It was not the outcome I was hoping for. I had a lot of hopes for how our relationship would go. However, at the start of our relationship, knowing how complicated our identities were, we simply promised to be together for as long as the universe allowed. The universe gave us a number of months, and I know that us being together began and ended at the right time. 

With all of that being said, she is still my best friend. Since our breakup (which sounds so depressing, she’s still in my life after all) I have actually texted her everyday. So, I’m managing. She’s also the editor of this blog, so there’s no way I can kick her out of my life completely. (Hi Jordan thanks for editing this you slay). 

Something that needs to be clearly stated is this;

No matter the situation, no matter your partner, if you are an aspec person going through a breakup or a difficult time, there is one thing you need to remember. You are not broken. 

You are not broken. You never have been and you never will be.

Your asexuality is a gift. 

Your aromanticism is a gift.

I truly believe that asexuality and aromanticism are a blessing. My queerness, especially my asexuality, has allowed me to be a more empathetic understanding person, and appreciate the beauty that is diversity in relationships and love. 

There is no one to blame for the fall of your relationships because of identities that didn’t match. Your identity is not a burden, and it is not to blame. That is how you are; how you get to live life on this planet as a unique, one of a kind individual. 

You are not broken. 

The following is a guide on how I helped myself through this emotional time: 

1. Write About Your Emotions – AKA – Feel Them

I was sad. I was really, really, utterly and completely heartbroken. For about 24 hours. That’s not to say I’m magically over the heartbreak. I am, however, a lot better. The second I stopped overthinking all the things I felt and put them into words, pulled every thought out of my brain and onto a page, practically solved all my problems. So, if you don’t write about your emotions, go start. It’s amazing. 

2. Let Yourself Cry

I’m an emotional gal. I’m a crier. I had to let myself cry. All the time. Whenever I needed. In the shower. While eating dinner. When I randomly woke up in the middle of the night. Repressing emotions is not healthy!! Feel them!! You’re valid!! Feel everything to feel better!!

3. Grieve What You Have Lost

There were aspects of our relationship that I loved. That I’m going to miss. That I do miss. That I need time to get over. I am letting myself grieve that. Just because our breakup is giving me good blog ideas does not mean everything is all happy sunshine and rainbows. I’m still upset, and I am allowed to miss things. 

4. Appreciate What You Have Gained

When I’m not writing about all of my emotions that I feel oh, so strongly, I am appreciating all of the good things I have gained from this relationship. I became confident in my identity. I learned what I need in a romantic relationship and how I express that love. I changed labels and found ones that fit me. I grew as a person thanks to my partner and that is something I couldn’t have done without her. We now get to enter into a new version of our friendship, one that is built on the trust and love we previously shared through dating. 

5. Appreciate Your Unique Circumstance; it’s good for the plot.

As the love of my life Conan Gray says, you sometimes need to do things that are good for the plot. I have always loved the uniqueness of our relationship, it’s something I’ve found a lot of confidence in. I love being asexual. I loved dating a person who is aspec. It brought me a great amount of joy to have such a special relationship. Dating someone for the first time, breaking up, it all adds to the life I’ve experienced, and will help me go through all the life I have left to experience. 

6. Don’t Overthink

This is actually pretty hypocritical of me, because I overthink all the time. However, overthinking aspects of our relationship and questioning events was not helpful. Instead of overthinking, write about your emotions! Talk to someone! Turn your life into a fictional story! Listen to music! Make a playlist of your favorite Conan Gray songs (all of them) and listen to it with a friend! Distract yourself and watch a TV show. Bake some cookies. Take a nap. As much as I have stressed the need to feel your emotions, sometimes it’s good to take a break from that. You know yourself. If you’re spiraling, take a minute to reflect why, and decide if you should feel these emotions right now and then, or distract yourself and feel it later. When the time comes to feel it later, it might still be there, but it might be more manageable. 

7. QPRs Aren’t Perfect 

I’ve only ever heard of one QPR ending, and that was in a book. Not that I’ve heard of many QPRs to begin with. Because they aren’t like typical relationships, I had fabricated an idea in my mind that QPRs, practically deep friendships, won’t likely come to an end. That’s not the case. Friendships come and go just like romantic relationships. Although they’re different, they are not perfect. Every relationship comes with challenges, and this is something that doesn’t go away just because I was in a QPR. There were aspects of my relationship that were challenging. As much as we loved each other, our relationship ending truly came down to my asexuality and my partners aromanticism and our comfort level in a romantic relationship. 

Writing this blog post has been very therapeutic for me. Right now, I’m happy. However, there is a very good chance something will spark a memory, and I will go back to feeling sad. That’s okay. Grief isn’t linear. If I’m upset later, I’ll simply sit with my feelings, or write them out, or listen to a song that represents my mood. I’ll be okay, even if in the moment, I don’t feel okay. 

Life can be hard but it’s not always hard; it will pass and you’ll come out on the other side. 

I didn’t have the greatest week. Some days were good, while others sucked. I had some events going on in my personal life, I questioned my sexuality, and I read an article for class that made me extremely frustrated due to its amatonormativity and aphobic comments. Because of all of that, I thought I should write out some affirmations for myself and any other queer person reading this. 

Your sexuality is valid. 

Your labels, no matter how many you have, are valid. 

You are not broken, and you never have been.

You experience life in a beautifully unique way; embrace that. 

It’s okay for your sexuality to change.

It’s okay to question your identity and not dive into it. 

It’s okay to question your identity and change your label. 

It’s okay to keep your identity to yourself. 

It’s okay to make your queerness your whole personality. 

It’s okay to be upset at society.

It’s okay to be upset at heteronormativity and amatonormativity. 

It’s okay to be upset about coming out. 

It’s okay to be upset about staying closeted. 

You are valid whether you are out or not. 

You are valid in every single aspect of your queerness. 

Your feelings are valid whether they’re happy or not. 

Let yourself feel every emotion.

Your emotions are valid and they deserve to be heard and acknowledged. 

It’s okay to be wrong about your sexuality. 

It’s okay to try out a label and change it. 

And lastly…

You are loved and you matter. There are people who love you and they want to see you happy.

If these were a bit too cheesy for you, you simply could remind yourself that you are hot and sexy and slay everyday. 

Don’t be surprised if upcoming blog posts are me ranting about changing labels or aphobia. 

Continuing with the ever-present theme of music on this blog, today we’re going to talk about the ten gayest songs from my gay playlist. Ironically, this playlist used to be titled “I do be an educated ally,” but I did have to change that title once I realized I was no longer an ally. Now it is titled “pissing off republicans and questioning my sexuality.” 

I’m a sucker for a good pop song, so over the years I have compiled a list of the gayest pop songs I could find. Because I’m gay I am incredibly indecisive. Because of this, I am not ranking these songs in any particular order, I am simply discussing each one. I also tried to choose a wide range of songs to cover as many different identities as possible. 

1. Girls Like Girls – Hayley Kiyoko 

It would truly be a crime to not include one of the most iconic queer songs of all time, written by none other than Lesbian Jesus. 

Although it wasn’t a massive part of my queer awakening like it was for others, I do remember the first time I watched this music video years ago. I’m sure it struck something subconscious in me, but I didn’t realize it until years later. I do in fact remember watching the video and being happy the girls ended up together, although that was the point of the video. Maybe I was a bit happier than your average hetero watcher. (Not that many straight people watched a video titled Girls Like Girls). 

Gayest Lyric: “Girls like girls like boys do, nothing new”

Most Iconic Lyric: “Building your girls second story/Ripping all your floors out”

2. girls – Girl in Red

Besides Hayley, it would not be a gay playlist without arguably the gayest artist on here, Girl in Red. Marie, who’s stage name is Girl in Red, is a Norwegian singer whose EPs and singles gained popularity amongst the queers for good reason; they’re catchy and gay. Marie, who identifies as gay, is well known amongst the queer commnity as a symbol of queer identification. One could ask if you’re a friend of Dorothy, or if you listen to Girl in Red. 

Gayest Lyric: “They’re so pretty, it hurts/I’m not talking ‘bout boys/ I’m talking ‘bout girls”

Most Iconic Lyric: “They’re so pretty with their button-up shirts”

3. Crush Culture – Conan Gray

For my asexual and aromantic besties, I obviously had to include Crush Culture, and we all know I must talk about Conan Gray in every single blog post. I did a brief analysis of this song already, which you can read here.

Gayest Lyric: “Crush culture makes me want to spill my guts out”

Most Iconic Lyric: “Just let me be sad and lonely”

4. Wish You Were Gay – Claud 

Claud is SO UNDERRATED!!! I love Claud’s music, but I swear, no one listens to them!! Everytime I listen to their music I am reminded of how much I love it. Wish You Were Gay is such an iconic song. 

This is one of their best songs, and I stand by that. 

My other favorite songs by them: Sideline Star, Gold, Overnight, If Were You, & Soft Spot

Gayest Lyric: “I wish you were gay/so you could just hold me/Call me your babe/instead of your homie”

Most Iconic Lyric: “Picture this you and me in the morning/kissing over the coffee you’re pouring”

5. 1950 – King Princess 

An ode to the queer icons before us, 1950 relfects on those who were closeted, and the beauty that is current day queer love. 

This is one of the prettiest songs I have ever heard. There is something about Mikaela’s voice in this song that is truly ethereal. 

Gayest Lyric: “I hate it when dudes try to chase me”

Most Iconic Lyric: “So tell me why my gods look like you”

6. Take Me to Church – Hozier 

Hozier is the most iconic straight white man. Every single song he makes is absolute perfection. His lyricism?!?! Truly unmatched. Not to mention he’s super woke and supports us gays and women’s rights. He just released a song called Swan Upon Leda where he donated profits to multiple organizations that help pregnant people get access to reproductive healthcare. King. 

Gayest Lyric: “Every Sunday’s getting more bleak/A fresh poison each week”

Most Iconic Lyric: Every single lyric in this song is a masterpiece it is truly impossible to pick one, Hozier is truly a literature scholar. 

7. Boi Bi – Mad Tsai 

Here’s a song for my bi, pan, and queer besties. I think we all have a complicated relationship with songs that go viral on TikTok, mostly because they’re good for a day or two and then get overplayed so much you realize the lyrics are actually incredibly cringey. That is not the case with this song. The song, the music video, the lyric video, none of it gets old. 

Gayest Lyric: “Like, I’m watchin’ a Disney movie and the couple gets it on/But who should I look at, is it Shang or Mulan?”

Most Iconic Lyric: “I cry every time/ I try-y to decide” 

8. girls girls girls – FLETCHER 

One day I listened to Cari’s music, and I haven’t stopped. I’m also going to her concert in less than a month, so I have been binge-listening to her music in preparation. 99% of Cari’s songs are gay, so that means 99% (arguably 100%) of her songs are fantastic. 

Gayest Lyric: “Girls, I got girls, only girls/Going wild in my mind”

Most Iconic Lyric: “You move like poetry”

9. I Wanna Be a Boy – Addison Grace 

Addison Grace is such an adorable person. I found their music a bit before he came out with his EP, and fell in love with this song, as well as Manic Pixie Dream Girl and Sugar Rush. 

Gayest Lyric: “I wanna be a boy”

Most Iconic Lyric: “I’ll break and bend my spine/If it’d make you say you’re mine”

10. What I Want – MUNA

THIS SONG IS SO ICONIC. I only recently started listening to this song, and it has become one of my favorites of all time. I will admit, I have hardly dug into MUNA’s discography, but it is a goal of mine to listen to their self-titled album a whole heck of a lot more. 

There is truly no bigger goal I have in life (besides living in a cottage and writing novels all day) then to sing this song at a gay bar. That would truly be the peak of my existence. 

Gayest Lyric: “I want the fireworks, I want the chemistry/ I want that girl right over there to want to date me”

Most Iconic Lyric: “I wanna dance in the middle of a gay bar”

It is taking everything in me to not add a few more songs that I believe are deemed worthy for this list, but I must keep this blog post orderly. All of these songs are amazing and you should definitely try listening to them! 

#1. There’s Always Fear

It’s scary. It’s not always scary. But there’s enough fear to keep you up at night. 

I can never seem to stress enough the frustration I feel about being in a queer relationship in public. It’s amazing how in love I can be, how happy I can be, while also feeling so much anger, frustration, disappointment, and resentment. 

I’m angry that the world is so unfair. That the world is so heteronormative. 

I’m frustrated that people can’t accept the fact that my relationship doesn’t look like theirs. I’m frustrated that politicians want to take away my right to marriage. My friend’s rights to healthcare. 

I’m disappointed that this is what being queer in the United States feels like. The so-called melting pot of diversity has a shockingly strict list of requirements to be accepted into. 

And, although it’s not a lot, my resentment towards straight couples is certainly there. It’s not fair that I fear for my safety. It’s not fair that at any moment someone could verbally attack me and my girlfriend. It’s not fair that every time I hold my girlfriend’s hand in public I have to worry about people staring. What could happen. What might happen. What one day I very likely will experience. 

It’s fucking unfair that I can’t do something as simple as hold the hand of the person I love. It’s unfair that the little voice in the back of my mind will never turn off. This is a reality a majority of the population does not have to face; my friends and family can go on dates and hold their partner’s hand and not bat an eye. 

In the back of my mind I have a list of places I feel safe holding her hand. I could count those places on less than five fingers. It’s not fair that I have to put my safety in the hands of others. 

You might be saying, “Wow Jadey, that’s a lot of complaining. You could just, ya know, not hold her hand if it worries you so much.”

Why? 

So I can succumb to the expectations of our patriarchal heteronormative society and look how it expects me to? Oh wait. That’s not fair either. Guess I’ll pick the lesser of two evils. 

It’s not fair. 

And it probably never will be. 

#2. You’re Wrong About What Reactions You’ll Get

I had expectations for how my family would react. My mom. My dad. My sister. I had expectations for how I would tell my best friend. Expectations for those I would not tell. 

None of it happened how I thought it would. Some reactions were worse. Some were amazing. Reactions I received from certain people continue to leave me disappointed with how the situation was handled. I understood that not everything would go according to the plan inside my head, but hoped it would be close to that. I can honestly say I’m not angry at how anyone in my life reacted to my coming out. I can for certain say I was disappointed. 

It’s important to know that coming out will not be perfect. Unfortunately, that is a brutal reality that queer people must face. We don’t get to be like straight people and never announce our sexuality. Speaking of which, that leads me to our next point. 

#3. You’re Always Coming Out

I did in fact write a whole blog post on this, so I’ll keep it brief. At any time, at any social interaction with a new friend, a family member, or even a stranger, the assumption can be made that I am dating someone of the opposite gender. Shockingly, I’m not. 

I only bring up this as a concern because I do not know what kind of reaction I will receive. As confident as I am in my sexuality, and how much I love to bring up my girlfriend, it is still a risk to speak out about it. I doubt that the reactions I personally would have when talking about my queerness would result in violence, but there is always a chance I could receive rude looks or offhanded remarks. That negativity is something I don’t want to waste one breath on, so if need be, I’ll avoid that discussion. 

Okay. I’ll admit. This was very much a downer of a post. Thankfully, there are actually some good things about being in a queer relationship. 

#4. I’ve never been happier. 

Obviously, I do not know the person you are in a relationship with. I just so happen to be dating someone whom I love an incredible, indescribable amount. Loving her has validated my queerness in a way I didn’t expect, and made me be even happier in my own identity. It has also given me a person to communicate everything to; whether that be my own queer experience, or something as simple as what I ate for breakfast. (It was probably oatmeal) (Editor’s note: It was definitely oatmeal). It’s silly how our relationship isn’t like the movies, yet it totally is. 

*movies by Conan Gray immediately starts playing in head*

#5. I’m Someone’s Girlfriend

It surprises me everytime when I’m introduced as my partner’s girlfriend. I know I’m dating her. I call her my girlfriend all the time. Yet when the time comes and I meet someone new, I still get butterflies at the introduction. 

The idea of being someone’s partner has definitely been romanticized by the media. There seems to be a great deal of societal pressure to be in a relationship. I never felt that way, maybe that has to do with my asexuality, or just the fact that I knew I would meet the right person at the right time. With that being said, it is incredibly fun to romanticize my relationship. To do silly little things I would read about in a novel or see in a movie. It’s fun to buy my girlfriend flowers. To write silly little love poems and letters. 

As difficult as it is to be queer, and to outwardly express that, the joy I feel from my own self confidence, as well as the joy from my relationship and my community makes it all worth it.  

One of my favorite things about being queer is the knowlegde I have gained about the complexity that is human attraction. Like most things in life, attraction is complicated. But, things that are complicated are usually pretty cool and interesting; hence why I have dedicated an entire blog post to the various levels of attraction. 

Arguably, there are many types of attraction, but for the sake of this blog post (and my sanity) I’ll be talking about the five major types of attraction. Before we get into my definition for each, and how I experience each one, I’ll give the actual definitions. 

First of all, what even is attraction? 

Attraction: the action or power of evoking interest, pleasure, or liking for someone or something. 

Okay, now that we have a somewhat vague definition, here are the different types: 

Romantic attraction: a deep, emotional attraction to someone. 

This could be expressed through: hand holding, cuddling, kissing, showing love, expressing emotions, etc. 

Sexual attraction: attraction on the basis of sexual desire or the quality of arousing such interest.

This could be expressed through: kissing, sex, sexual intimacy, etc. 

Platonic attraction: an interest or desire for a friendship. 

This could be expressed through: time spent together, emotional closeness, trust, etc. 

Sensual attraction: the desire to interact with someone physically in a nonsexual way.

This could be expressed through: hand holding, cuddling, hugging, etc. 

Aesthetic attraction: occurs when someone appreciates the beauty or appearance of another person. 

This could be expressed through nonsexual physical touch, or nothing at all. 

There are obviously many more ways to experience attraction such as…

Emotional: a connection to someone’s mind, spirit, and personality. 

Intellectual: the desire to engage with another in an intellectual manner such as conversation. 

Physical:  the degree to which a person’s physical features are considered aesthetically pleasing or beautiful. The term often implies sexual attractiveness or desirability, but can also be distinct from either. 

*sighs from exhaustion*

Maybe all of these make sense in their own independent ways. Maybe you sense an overlap, but see some distinct differences. Maybe you read this and realized you feel all of these different levels of attraction to your partner or other important people in your life.

Or maybe, you’re like me, and are utterly confused. I will say, there are aspects of attraction that I understand. I have platonic friends, I don’t feel sexual attraction, and I do feel a certain amount of romantic attraction. However, as I scoured the internet searching for definitions of the previously mentioned terms, many of them sounded very similar to me. For example, romantic attraction sounds a lot like platonic attraction. Who’s to say hand holding and cuddling is reserved for a romantic partner? How is romantic attraction different from emotional attraction? But, there is no need for my confusion and questioning to keep us from exploring my (because this is my blog after all) different ways of feeling stuff!

Jadey’s Complex Way Of Feeling Stuff! 

Romantic attraction: Starting off a bit complicated, my romantic attraction is technically labeled as alterous, which I wrote a whole blog post about that you can read here. I do pretty fully understand romantic attraction, but over time I have come to the conclusion that I don’t experience romantic attraction to the same extent that others do. Because of that, I label my romantic attraction as alterous; a desire for emotional closeness with someone that is neither exclusively platonic or romantic. 

When I hear about romantic attraction, it seems quite passionate and intense. Maybe that is because it’s mixed with sexual attraction, and those who experience both can’t articulate the difference in the same way I can’t articulate the difference between platonic and romantic in my relationship. 

Sexual attraction: Yay! This one’s easy. I don’t feel this. At all. In fact, I’m quite opposed to the idea of sex that I consider myself sex-averse (meaning I am opposed to the idea of sex and find it very unappealing).

Platonic: I know for a fact that I feel platonic attraction to my friends. I love them, but obviously feel no sexual or romantic attraction to them. That becomes a touch complicated with the feelings I have for my Queer Platonic Partner, considering platonic is literally in the name, I feel platonic as well as romantic attraction to her, but she is the only exception.

Sensual: Sensual attraction is a relatively new term to me. It’s also a bit ironic, because if you know me, you know there’s one thing I incredibly dislike: physical touch. I am not a fan of hugs, although I will accept hugs from my mother and grandmother when they initiate it. (To my other family and friends possibly reading this, sorry, I probably don’t like to hug you, no offense.) I do appreciate when someone asks for a hug, which gives me a moment to process the fact that I will no longer have personal space. An unannounced extraction of my physical space is the root of my discomfort. I’ll scoot over on the couch if I find my knees touching my sister to be uncomfortable. A hug from someone I’m not incredibly close to makes me feel..icky. I’ll step away when a stranger unknowingly gets too close. This could be due to my asexuality, this could just be my personality. Some people just don’t like touch, however msot of them probably aren’t sex-averse. I’ve always prefered my personal space.

After saying all of this, there is indeed only one person I experience sensual attraction towards; my girlfriend. Interestingly enough, she is the only person I’ll go out of my way to be physically close to. I’ll hold her hand. Rest my head on her shoulder. And, when I hug her, which is quite often, it’s for a comically long period of time. This could be because of my alterous attraction. It could be a different form of expression of love due to my asexuality. It could simply be that she is the only person I’ve ever felt sensually attracted to. 

Aesthetic: I would assume that a majority of the population experiences this. I experienced it heavily with the love of my life Conan Gray. He’s so beautiful. His face. His hair. His physique. His outfits. Everything about him is beautiful. It’s interesting how others experience this mixed with sexual or romantic attraction, and I experience it as simply as possible. All I desire to do is admire a person’s beauty. 

Okay. The complexity of the human experience and sexuality is quite complicated. If you took a shot every time you read the word attraction today you would definitely not have gotten to reading the conclusion of this blog post. 

And on that note, I’ll see you next week. 

Today’s blog post is a pretty chill one where I go over a QPR checklist; a list I found in the depths of AVEN quorums. 

This may come as a surprise, but relationship intimacy is not just sex. I know, that seems obvious, but it is often the first thought that comes to mind when one thinks of being intimate. However, as a sex-averse asexual there are definetly other ways I give, and receive, intimacy in a non-sexual relationship. I thought this would be interesting to share, especially for the allosexuals in the audience, who might not have considered these things as acts of intimacy. This is just another way to further share my personal asexual experience and what I feel comfortable with in a relationship! 

 Here’s the link on AVEN 

Aromantic/Queerplatonic Dating Checklist 

Kissing (forehead, cheek, etc): Yes!

Kissing (mouth): No thank you. 

Hand holding: YES

Cuddling: YES

Hugging: Yes!!

Other affectionate touching: I don’t know what that would be but sure!

Hugging in public: Yeah. 

Cuddling in public: Depends on the situation, but probably yes. 

Kissing (forehead, cheek, etc) in public: This would depend on the situation. 

Kissing (mouth) in public: Respectfully, absolutely not. 

Hand holding in public: Yes!

Other affectionate touch in public: Sure!

Eye gazing: Yeah. Sounds weird when you put it like that though. 

Crying on: That’s sad, but I’ve definitely done it so gonna have to go with yes. 

Being cried on: Sad but yes. 

Massage (giving): Probably not. 

Massage (receiving): Maybe…

Hair brushing (giving): If I was doing my partner’s hair then yes, but it would be a no for just random hair brushing. 

Hair brushing (receiving): If my partner was doing my hair, yes! Random hair brushing seems weird to me?? 

Nail painting (giving): YES

Nail painting (receiving): This is especially funny because I religiously paint my girlfriend’s nails, so it would be highly unlikely that she would paint my nails, but I guess if she wanted to, sure!

Shaving (giving): This makes me extremely uncomfortable. No. 

Shaving (receiving): No. 

Bathing together (with bathing suit): No. 

Bathing together (naked): No. 

Seeing my partner naked: If my partner needed to get changed and I was in the room, sure. For any other reason, no. 

My partner seeing me naked: Same as above, if I was getting changed that’s fine, but otherwise that’s just…weird…

Feeding my partner: No. 

Being fed by my partner: No. 

Tickling (being tickled): Sure. 

Tickling (doing the tickling): Maybe. 

Terms of endearment: Pet names are kinda cringe so it would have to be a really good one, which means I’m gonna go with possibly yes. 

Being called “best friend”: Yeah!

Being called “partner”: Sure!

Being called romantically-coded words (boyfriend, girlfriend, etc): Yes. 

Me having other platonic partners: …friends? 

My partner having other platonic partners: …friends? 

Me having other romantic partners: No. 

My partner having other romantic partners: No.

My partner doing romantic-coded things with someone else: No.

Me doing romantic-coded things with someone else: No.

My partner doing sexual things with someone else: Sure if they want to. 

Me doing sexual things with someone else: Gross, no. 

Touching my partner sexually: Definetly not. 

Being touched by my partner sexually: Hard pass. 

Having sex of any kind with my partner [specify if yes]: Absolutely not!

Sexual kink with my partner [specify if yes]: No. 

Non-sexual kink with my partner [specify if yes]: No.

“Romantically coded” gifts (flowers, chocolates, etc): Yes. 

Dancing: Sure.

Bed sharing (non-affectionate): Yes. 

Bed sharing (cuddling): Yes. 

Tucking my partner in: Maybe. 

Being tucked in: Maybe. 

Living together: Yes. 

[Platonic] marriage: Yes. 

Raising children together: If my partner really wants children, then adoption is a yes. 

Having pets together: Absolutely!! Cats!!

I have never been a fan of the term “coming out.”

Like many terms I use to describe my own queerness, I use the term “coming out” in a broad sense. When my asexuality comes up in conversation with a friend or family member who was unaware of it, I would refer to that situation as coming out. 

However, coming out is for straight people. 

Let me repeat that.

Coming out. Is for. Straight. People.

The only person I’ve had to truly come out to is myself. And lucky for me, she took it pretty well. 

The idea that I would actively need to come out is one I believe is perpetrated by straight people.

I would never have to come out if cishets stopped assuming I was heterosexual. When I walk into a room and someone assumes I like men, they automatically put me in the closet, which leaves me with two options. 

Number one: come out of the closet. 

Number two: stay closeted. 

Presented in front of me on a glimmering silver platter are two options I didn’t even want to choose from in the first place. 

In the grand scheme of things, this is by no means a large ordeal. I can very easily address the situation and come out if I feel safe and comfortable in my current environment. Or, I smile and nod along, maybe making a comment about how no, I don’t have a boyfriend. 

Unfortunately, these are two things I didn’t want to do in the first place. 

It is exhausting to come out. The emotional energy spent on coming out is one that shocks me every time I have to do it. 

Thankfully, I do enjoy talking about my queerness and educating others on my unique identity. Plus, I will happily take any opportunity to talk about my girlfriend. (And Conan Gray, obviously).

However, it should not be an expectation, a burden on my shoulders, that I must educate others on my sexuality, and describe my queerness to them. Let me be frank for a second; Google exists.

If I were straight, I would never even have to go out of my way to state my sexuality. If I mentioned I had taken a liking to a boy, or that I even had a boyfriend, I would undoubtedly be met with smiles and applause. 

I do not owe anyone a “coming out.” 

As much as I love my mother, my best friend, my sister, they do not deserve to know my sexuality. I have let them know this part of me because it is important to me and how I live my life. Keeping this to myself, or a select group of people is not me keeping a secret or hiding a part of my life. 

It is letting people into my life. 

We live in a society riddled with patriarchy. That patriarchy is the root of heteronormativity, amongst many other greater evils. 

Because of this system, heterosexuality is expected. It is not my fault that others assume this about me, and therefore expect to be told that they assumed wrong. The second they assume I am heterosexual, is the second they unknowingly hold up this oppressive system, and put queer people back into a box of expectations created by white, cisgender, heterosexual  men. 

At the end of the day, I will come out. I will come out again, and again. It is something I will always do, and I have accepted that. 

To look on the bright side, my “coming out” will bring awareness to asexuality, normalize queerness, and expand the expecations of those around me. Even though I am coming out for myself, I am simultaneously coming out for those who cannot, and hopefully creating a space where queerness is not only normalized, but embraced and accepted with love, so others can live their lives without fear.