Multiromantic describes an individual who experiences romantic attraction to multiple genders or sexes simultaneously or serially. Unlike polyamory, which emphasizes consensual relationships, multiromanticism focuses solely on the emotional and romantic aspect of attraction, not necessarily the relational. It's an umbrella term, and individuals might also identify with more specific orientations. This orientation acknowledges the fluidity and complexity of human attraction, differentiating itself from monoromantic identities, which experience romantic attraction to only one gender. The core of multiromanticism rests on the capacity for experiencing romantic love for people across the spectrum of gender identities, or the potential for attraction to be independent of gender at all. The focus is on the romantic feeling itself, rather than the number or type of relationships they choose to pursue.
Multiromantic meaning with examples
- A Multiromantic individual might find themselves romantically drawn to both a cisgender woman and a non-binary person. The gender identity of the people the Multiromantic person is attracted to isn't a determining factor; the attraction is based on the individual's personality, shared interests, and connection. This doesn't dictate a specific relationship dynamic, but rather that they could, in theory, feel romantic love for either of them.
- Sarah, a Multiromantic person, enjoys dating but rarely feels the pressure to settle down. She finds that she is attracted to the personalities of the people she meets without focusing solely on gender. She values connection with people, regardless of the label that a person may or may not use. Ultimately, she prioritizes connection and feelings over relationship structure or number of partners.
- James, a Multiromantic person, might develop romantic feelings for a man and a woman in the same week. He might choose to pursue relationships with both (or neither) or find that his romantic feelings evolve independently over time. The essence of his multiromanticism is the ability to experience romantic feelings for multiple people. It doesn't necessarily determine how he chooses to live his life.
- Often someone is Multiromantic because they do not identify with any single gender's romantic attraction. A Multiromantic person might also be aromantic and have no romantic attraction to anyone, regardless of gender. The Multiromantic person feels love the same way, but experiences that love to multiple genders, or no genders. The emphasis is on the romantic capacity, rather than the relationship style.