Some people like to talk about every detail of their personal lives, while others keep quiet about everything that isn’t absolutely necessary to say out loud. But having the ability to tell our stories, as members of the aromantic community (as well as possibly other intersected communities, for instance that I am a lesbian and a woman and disabled – these are all intersecting identities) can help to validate our experiences and, additionally, ease the passage of someone else who has not yet discovered their aromanticism, or who have not yet dared to tell anybody.
Validate and empower your own identity
A lot of people have never heard of the word ‘aromantic’, and even more believe they have never met an aromantic person. (They probably have, they just don’t know it.)
By talking about your aromanticism, you have the opportunity to educate people. You are not obliged to do so – the internet allows everyone to educate themselves if they want to – but, if you find it gratifying to teach people about something new, it can be a great way to validate your aromantic identity.
Plus, it is empowering to turn something (that started off perhaps terrifying and shameful in your mind) around and make it something you are open and honest about. That will give you pride and strength in a way that pre-out you couldn’t have ever imagined.
Encourage others to speak out and feel the benefits
When you speak out, you might well inspire those who feel timid to the point where they consider speaking out themselves. You are paving the way for so many to follow you and, in these relatively early days when aromanticism and other states such as asexuality are being first spoken about, there are a lot of aros and aces who have never heard their situations being discussed by people experiencing the same thing as they are.
So, when you speak out, you can encourage others to follow your lead.
Give a voice to those who are silenced
When somebody gets their voice out there and talks about issues relating to minority communities, all members of those communities can benefit. Some people don’t want to speak out, and others do not dare to; there should never be any pressure to come out about, or talk about, anything that is just too difficult for the individual to discuss.
But if you – a real-life aro yourself – are speaking out, those aros who are in intolerable or unsustainable situations can both feel and be heard, through your words.
An invitation…
If you are feeling inspired to speak out, one way to do it is to write a guest post for this blog. You can do so anonymously or using your real name or a pseudonym. If there are words you want the world to see on the topic of aromanticism, contact me here.