Aspec

The Aspec or Anattractional Spectrum is a wide spectrum of orientations that involve feeling little to no attraction on one or more axes. This includes the orientations asexual, aromantic, aplatonic, and more. Aspec may sometimes be used only refer to the asexual spectrum or the aroace spectrum, though "aspec" includes all anattractional identities.

Alternate Names

 * A-spec
 * A-spectrum
 * Anattractional spectrum

Etymology
Aspec: "A-" from the Greek prefix "a" meaning "without," and "spec" which is a shortening of "spectrum."

Anattractional Spectrum: "A-" from the Greek prefix "a" meaning "without," and "attractional" for "experiencing attraction."

Proronunciation


/ay-speck/

Definitions

 * A-spec is the umbrella term for anyone who experiences little to no romantic to sexual attraction. This includes aromantics, asexuals, as well as demis, and greys. - Calgary Asexuals & Aromantics
 * A-spec is an umbrella term used to describe anyone who doesn’t experience romantic or sexual attraction the “full”, “normal”, or “acceptable” amount. - pride-color-schemes, 2016
 * A spectrum including those who do not feel attraction on one or more axes, including the ace spectrum, the aro spectrum, the aplatonic and aqueerplatonic spectra, the asensual spectrum, and the analterous spectrum. - ask-pride-color-schemes, 2018

The term "anattractional spectrum" may be conflated with panaspec, which is being anattractional on every axis.

History
The first known usage of "a-spectrum" to refer to asexuals and aromantics appeared on Tumblr blog asafetynet on March 5, 2015. This definition also included agender people, something dropped in later definitions.

Allegedly, the first usage of the term "a-spec" or "a-spectrum" to refer to the anattractional community exclusively was in December 2015, though this use cannot be found online. The first findable usage of a-spectrum to refer to asexuals and aromantics only is from January 13 2016 on Tumblr blog allopropaganda, with the specific shortening of "a-spec" appearing on AVEN only two days later.

Flags
On July 8 2016, Tumblr user Pride-Color-Schemes posted a compliation of aspec pride flags. Two of these flags were coined in this post, which were based on the asexual and aromantic pride flags.

The main anattractional spectrum flags were designed by tumblr user Ask-Pride-Color-Schemes on January 15, 2018. The second was made as an alternative of the first with lesser horizontal stripes. The flag was designed specifically in response to a request for a more inclusive aspec flag, and the post is also the first known use of the term "anattractional spectrum."

On March 25 2019, Tumblr user the-moon-is-aroace created the most popular aspec pride flag. The compass rose in the middle is a symbol of how individuals all experience attraction in different ways, if at all. The green and purple are on opposite sides of the quadrant to show that asexuality and aromanticism are their own separate and independent identities, with the black and grey quadrants connecting them. Black represents the aroace community and grey represents grey communities. This flag was designed specifically for the asexual and aromantic spectrums with no others mentioned, and as such, may be considered to be an aroace spectrum flag instead of an aspec flag.

Another aspec flag was coined by Tumblr user imoga-pride on November 2 2019, this flag explicitly including both the aroace spectrum and other aspec identities. On November 17 2019, user sapphic-squirrel coined another aspec pride flag often referred to as the aloe vera flag, though this flag also only referred to the aroace spectrum. It was designed to mimic the sapphic, achillean, diamoric, and pluralian flags with three stripes and one plant. The green is for aromantics, the purple for asexuals, and grey is for the grey area between a- identities and allo- identities (which would represent greyasexuals, greyromantics, demisexuals, demiromantics, other mesi aros, mesi aces, split attraction users, and those that don't have solid labels but know they are somewhere under the umbrellas of asexual or aromantic.)

An alternate anattractional spectrum flag was designed by FANDOM user Unfunny person420 on April 16, 2021 through an edit on the LGBTA Wiki. On July 1 2021, FANDOM user RavenFire803 coined a redesign of the aloe vera flag through an edit on the same wiki, and on July 6th 2021, coined a striped aspec flag with no confirmed meanings.

Statistics
According to the UK's National LGBT Survey in 2017, approximately 2% of LGBT individuals identify as asexual, though other aspec identities were not labelled. It is estimated that about 1% of the total world population is asexual.

Controversy
Most aspec controversy is rooted in aphobia. One of the most prominent controversies is with the term "aspec" itself, and allegations that it is appropriating the autistic community. However, this is false, and outside of anatractional spectrum Autistics, the term "aspec" is all but nonexistent in the autistic community--and is, in fact, an incorrect way to refer to Autistics regardless. This may originate from Autistic pushback to aspec individuals using "on the spectrum" to refer to being on the anattractional spectrum, as "on the spectrum" refers to autistics. It is of note that in one of these posts, aspec was specifically stated as the appropriate and respectful alternative to refer to the aspec.

With the ace and aro communities, use of the term "a-spec" has also been criticized for introducing confusion through frequent misuse, particularly regarding asexuals using "a-spec" when only ace-spec individuals are relevant, or though saying "a-spec and aro-spec", implying that aro-spec is not inherently inherently included under a-spec. Unfortunately, for some individuals, "a-spec" and "ace-spec" are phonetically indistinguishable when spoken aloud.

Perceptions and Discrimination
Individuals on the anattractional spectrum are targetted by aphobia, or bigotry against people lacking one or more forms of attraction. In a survey by the UK Government of LGBTQ+ people, it was found that cisgender asexuals averaged as only 49% comfortable, as opposed to cis gays and lesbians who were 63% comfortable. Over 3/4 of ace-spec respondents to the 2019 Asexual Community survey reported experiencing at least some impact on mental or emotional due to prejudice based on orientation.

Orentations
''This list is non-exhaustive, and aspec forms of every type of attraction exist. For a comprehensive list, see Category:Aspec.''

Asexual
Asexual is the most well known and well researched aspec identity. It's estimated that 1% of the world population identifies as asexual, and the largest aspec specific platform is AVEN--the Asexual Visibility and Education Network. Asexuals are people who experience little to no sexual attraction.

Aromantic
The second-best known aspec identity, an aromantic is someone who experiences little to no romantic attraction, often overlapping with asexual--though not always.

Aplatonic
Someone who experiences little to no platonic attraction, the attraction most people feel towards people they want to be friends with.

Asensual
Someone who experiences little to no sensual attraction, which is the desire for non-sexual physical contact with a person.

Subsets

 * Acespec
 * Arospec
 * Aroace Spectrum
 * Aplspec
 * Asensual Spectrum