Yes. A person can be aromantic and bisexual. Aromantic usually describes experiencing little or no romantic attraction, while bisexual describes sexual and/or broader attraction to two or more genders. Some people use the split attraction model to describe these parts of attraction separately; others prefer not to split them into separate labels.
How can someone be aromantic and bisexual?
The key is that romantic attraction and sexual attraction are not necessarily the same thing.
An aromantic person may experience little or no romantic attraction while still experiencing sexual attraction. If that sexual attraction involves two or more genders, bisexual may be the label that fits them.
AUREA, an aromantic advocacy organization, explicitly notes that an aromantic person can have any sexual orientation.
What does aromantic mean?
Aromantic — often shortened to aro — is an identity used by people who experience little to no romantic attraction, or whose relationship to romance falls outside common expectations.
Aromanticism is a spectrum. Some people never experience romantic attraction, while others experience it rarely, conditionally or in ways that do not fit conventional expectations.
What does bisexual mean?
Modern community definitions of bisexuality generally describe attraction to two or more genders, or attraction to genders both similar to and different from one’s own.
Bisexual does not require equal attraction to every gender, and it does not require romantic attraction.
What is the split attraction model?
The split attraction model (SAM) is a way of describing different types of attraction separately. Someone might use one label for romantic orientation and another for sexual orientation.
For example:
- Aromantic bisexual.
- Biromantic asexual.
- Panromantic heterosexual.
- Homoromantic bisexual.
The SAM is useful for some people but not everyone. AUREA specifically notes that some aromantic people do not use it and prefer to experience their orientation as one whole.
Can an aromantic bisexual person have relationships?
Yes. Aromantic does not mean incapable of love, affection, attachment or commitment. Aro people can have friendships, sexual relationships, queerplatonic relationships, long-term partnerships, marriages or no partnership at all.
The form of relationship somebody wants is separate from whether they experience romantic attraction.
Can an aromantic bisexual person have a crush?
They can experience sexual, aesthetic, platonic or other forms of attraction. Some aromantic people use words such as squish for strong platonic attraction.
The point is that an intense interest in another person does not always have to be romantic.
Does aromantic bisexual mean aroace?
Not usually. Aroace generally refers to someone on both the aromantic and asexual spectrums. An aromantic bisexual person who experiences bisexual sexual attraction would typically not be using “asexual” in the ordinary sense.
However, identity language can be nuanced. Some oriented aroace people use an additional orientation label to describe a significant non-romantic, non-sexual attraction. People should be allowed to explain their own labels rather than being forced into a rigid formula.
What if you are unsure which label fits?
Labels are tools, not tests. You can try a term, use more than one, change it later or use none at all.
If you are comparing multisexual labels, our guide to pansexual vs omnisexual explains why those definitions overlap more than many internet charts suggest. Our neopronouns guide covers a separate aspect of gender language and respectful communication.
Frequently asked questions
Can you be aromantic and bisexual at the same time?
Yes. Aromantic can describe little or no romantic attraction while bisexual can describe sexual attraction to two or more genders.
Do aromantic people experience sexual attraction?
Some do and some do not. Aromanticism concerns romantic attraction and does not automatically determine sexual orientation.
Can an aromantic person have a partner?
Yes. Aromantic people can have many kinds of relationships, including sexual, queerplatonic, committed or long-term partnerships.
Is aromantic bisexual the same as aroace?
Not usually. Aroace generally describes someone on both the aromantic and asexual spectrums, while an aromantic bisexual person may experience bisexual sexual attraction.
What is the split attraction model?
It is a model that allows romantic and sexual orientation to be described separately, although not everyone finds the model useful for their own identity.
