What's Going On: January 2022
Written by the AUREA team
Word count: 627 words
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
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The December topic for Carnival of Aros is In Between Space. Our host, Aspec of Stardust says, “aro-spec identities place many of us firmly outside of how society expects us to interact with others and how we center relationships, and this has ripple effects into other parts of our lives. For this Carnival of Aros, I want to hear about all of the squishy, nebulous, bits between your identities.” Find more information and a list of prompts here!
Volunteer Calls
Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week is next month! That means another push to get ASAW recognized by government bodies. Last year six U.S. states recognized the holiday, and you can help to add your state, province, or county to that list! Check out TAAAP’s guide to creating an ASAW proclamation to get started.
The Carnival of Aros is looking for new volunteers to help with general upkeep and management. If you’re interested you can learn more by emailing carnivalofaros@gmail.com.
Aroaceiros is looking for an audiovisual editor for their podcasts. You can learn more about the position here.
The first-ever aromantic conference will be taking place online in February! The conference organizers are looking for aromantic researchers, writers, activists, and other involved community members to speak at the event. Does that sound like you? Learn more about how to get involved here.
Capitalizing the A in Philadelphia is looking for aromantic creatives and filmmakers to perform at an event coming up in March. Learn more about how to participate in the event here.
Researcher Sophie Peverell is running conducting a study to see how Asexuals and Aromantics fit into the demographic of Attachment styles and Love styles compared to Heterosexual Heteroromantic individuals. They are looking for participants to complete an online study that identifies your Attachment style and love style as well as your sexual and romantic orientation. The study will take around 15 minutes to complete and you need to be over 18 to take part. In addition to this, you need to identify with the Heterosexual heteroromantic or Asexual and/or Aromantic Labels. If you would like to take part you can find the survey here! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact at Sop17@aber.ac.uk."
Aros in the media
TAAAP is publishing a book about aromantic and asexual identity! Learn more about the project here.
Am I Aromantic? 4 Myths About Aromanticisim by the Gayety Team
Gayety gives an introduction to the aromantic identity and helps to dispel four common myths about aromanticism.
What Does It Mean To Be Aromantic? by Gabrielle Kassel
In this article, Gabrielle Kassel discusses aromanticism and the difference between romantic and sexual orientation.
Kerrie Was ‘Extremely Single’ For Years. She Says It Was Better Than Being In The Wrong Relationship by Michael Mackenzie and Sophie Kesteven
This article interviews Kerrie Sackville about the joys of single life and combating the stigma around being single.
8 Signs You Might Be Aromantic & What That Really Means by Stephanie Barnes
Stephanie Barnes discusses a number of common experiences that can indicate you might be aromantic.
Aromantic Address
In the last month, several BIPOC community members have come forward on social media to discuss racism they have experienced within the a-spec community. In recognition of these troubling patterns, AUREA would like to re-affirm its commitment to working towards racial justice and inclusion within the aromantic community.
We know that experiencing racism within one's own community can be harmful to mental health, and we encourage anyone who has felt distressed by these recent discussions to seek mental health support. Here you can find a list of BIPOC and AAPI specific mental health resources as well as a list of aromantic competent mental health care workers.