Biromantic: Meaning, Romantic Attraction, and Identity

For example, someone may experience romantic attraction toward women and men, or toward people of their own gender and one or more other genders. The attraction does not need to be equal, equally frequent, or experienced in exactly the same way.

Being biromantic does not reveal whether someone wants sex. Romantic and sexual attraction may overlap, but they can also follow different patterns.

• a biromantic person;
• a biromantic identity;
• biromantic attraction;
• a biromantic relationship experience.

It may also appear after a linking verb:

• She is biromantic.
• He identifies as biromantic.
• The character is biromantic and asexual.

The word may function as a noun:

• She describes herself as a biromantic.
• The community includes biromantics and aromantics.

However, many people prefer person-centered wording such as a biromantic person.

The related noun biromanticism names the orientation:

• The article discusses biromanticism and asexuality.

• bi-, meaning two or, in modern identity usage, more than one;
• romantic, referring to romantic attraction or relationships.

As with bisexual, the prefix does not require attraction to exactly two fixed genders. Many people use biromantic to mean romantic attraction toward more than one gender.

Bisexual describes sexual attraction toward more than one gender.

A person may identify as both biromantic and bisexual when their romantic and sexual attraction follow similar patterns.

However, someone may also be:

• biromantic and asexual;
• biromantic and heterosexual;
• biromantic and homosexual;
• biromantic and graysexual;
• biromantic with another sexual orientation.

For example, a biromantic asexual person may desire romantic relationships with people of more than one gender while experiencing little or no sexual attraction.

Panromantic generally means romantic attraction toward people of any gender or regardless of gender.

The terms may overlap. Some biromantic people experience attraction across the gender spectrum, while some panromantic people prefer a label emphasizing that gender does not limit their attraction.

Neither term is more inclusive or valid. Identity language depends on how a person understands their own attraction and community connection.

Aromantic generally describes experiencing little or no romantic attraction.

Some people fall elsewhere on the aromantic spectrum and may experience romantic attraction rarely, weakly, or only under particular conditions.

For example, someone may identify as gray-biromantic if they experience romantic attraction toward more than one gender but only rarely.

• They are biromantic.
• She has a biromantic identity.

Biromanticism is the noun naming the orientation:

• Biromanticism involves romantic attraction toward more than one gender.

The shorter identity term is much more common in everyday communication.

It may involve wanting to:

• date someone;
• exchange romantic affection;
• become partners;
• share emotional intimacy;
• celebrate anniversaries;
• build a life together;
• express love in a romantic way.

Not every person defines romance in the same way. Culture, personality, orientation, and relationship preferences may shape what romantic attraction means to an individual.

A person may:

• want romance without sex;
• want sex without romance;
• experience both toward the same genders;
• experience them toward different genders;
• experience one but not the other.

This distinction is sometimes explained through the split attraction model, which describes romantic and sexual orientation separately.

The model is especially useful to some asexual-spectrum and aromantic-spectrum people, although not everyone finds separate labels necessary.

They may desire:

• dating;
• committed partnership;
• affection;
• kissing or cuddling;
• emotional intimacy;
• marriage or shared life.

They may or may not want sexual activity. Asexual people differ in their attitudes toward sex, and romantic attraction does not determine sexual behavior.

For example:

• A biromantic heterosexual person may feel romantic attraction toward more than one gender but sexual attraction mainly toward another gender.
• A biromantic homosexual person may feel romantic attraction toward more than one gender but sexual attraction mainly toward their own gender.

These combinations may seem unfamiliar because many people assume romantic and sexual attraction always match. For some individuals, separate labels provide a more accurate description.

Attraction may be:

• stronger toward one gender;
• more frequent toward one gender;
• emotionally different across genders;
• influenced by personality and circumstances;
• fluid over time;
• difficult to measure precisely.

Unequal attraction does not make the orientation less genuine.

A biromantic person remains biromantic while:

• dating a woman;
• dating a man;
• dating a nonbinary person;
• single;
• married;
• celibate;
• not seeking a relationship.

For example, a biromantic woman dating a man does not automatically become heteroromantic. One relationship does not erase the broader range of romantic attraction.

Transgender people are not a separate gender category outside women and men. A transgender woman is a woman, and a transgender man is a man. Some transgender people are nonbinary or use another gender identity.

A biromantic person may experience attraction toward cisgender and transgender people of multiple genders. The precise pattern varies by individual.

• monogamy;
• consensual nonmonogamy;
• marriage;
• casual dating;
• long-term partnership;
• queerplatonic relationships;
• single life;
• no current relationship.

Attraction toward more than one gender does not mean needing multiple partners at the same time.

Romantic orientation describes who someone may be romantically attracted to. Relationship structure describes how they choose to organize relationships.

• confused;
• unable to choose;
• romantically interested in everyone;
• unable to remain committed;
• secretly bisexual;
• using an unnecessary label;
• required to date multiple genders;
• likely to change identities based on a partner.

These stereotypes confuse orientation with behavior, commitment, and relationship history.

• using the identity label a person chooses;
• not demanding proof through dating history;
• avoiding assumptions based on a current partner;
• distinguishing romantic attraction from sexual attraction;
• not treating biromanticism as confusion;
• respecting changes in identity language;
• avoiding intrusive questions about sex or relationships.

A person does not need to date people of multiple genders to know that they are biromantic.

Biromantic people want romance with everyone.
They experience attraction selectively, like people of other orientations.

Attraction must be equal across genders.
Its intensity and frequency may vary.

A current partner changes someone’s romantic orientation.
One relationship does not reveal the complete pattern of attraction.

Biromantic people cannot be asexual.
Many people identify as both biromantic and asexual.

Biromanticism requires relationship experience.
People may understand their attraction without having dated anyone.

• identify as biromantic;
• biromantic identity;
• biromantic orientation;
• biromantic attraction;
• biromantic asexual;
• openly biromantic;
• biromantic representation;
• bisexual and biromantic.

• An asexual person experiences romantic attraction toward women and men.
• A biromantic woman remains biromantic while dating a man.
• Someone experiences romantic attraction across genders but sexual attraction toward only one gender.
• A biromantic person enters a monogamous relationship.
• A television character is represented as biromantic and asexual.
• Someone uses both biromantic and queer as identity labels.
• A person experiences stronger romantic attraction toward one gender than another.
• A partner respects the difference between romantic and sexual orientation.

1. She identifies as biromantic and asexual.
2. Biromantic people may experience romantic attraction toward more than one gender.
3. His romantic and sexual orientations do not follow the same pattern.
4. Attraction does not need to be equal across genders.
5. A current relationship does not erase biromantic identity.
6. She is biromantic but sexually attracted mainly to women.
7. Biromanticism concerns romance rather than sexual behavior.
8. The series includes thoughtful biromantic representation.
9. No one must date multiple genders to prove their orientation.
10. Respectful partners discuss romance, sexuality, and boundaries openly.

A biromantic person may be bisexual, asexual, heterosexual, gay, graysexual, or use another sexual identity. Their romantic orientation does not reveal libido, sexual behavior, relationship structure, or willingness to participate in sexual activity.

Romantic attraction also does not imply sexual consent. A person may want affection, dating, or commitment without wanting sex. Healthy relationships require honest communication about romantic needs, sexual boundaries, physical affection, and freely given agreement.