What we’re about
Asexuals and Aromantics of the Mid-Atlantic: Washington DC is a Meetup group for anyone on the asexual and/or aromantic spectrum, or questioning if they might be on one or both spectrums. People who are ace experience little to no sexual attraction. People who are aro experience little to no romantic attraction. There are identities on either of these spectrums for feeling attraction only under specific circumstances, as well, and our group is inclusive of all who consider themselves ace or aro for whatever reasons.
We are a group dedicated to the enrichment of the lives of asexuals and aromantics by providing support and friendship in an open and caring environment. It is our goal to make all members feel comfortable in sharing their thoughts and experiences, and all are free to contribute as much or as little as they wish in our discussions.
When this group was founded on Jun 30, 2009, it was a meetup group called Asexuals of the Mid-Atlantic, and it retained that name through March 3, 2021. The group boasted 1,021 members at the time when we changed the name and mission to include all aromantic individuals as well. We were always inclusive of aces who were aro, but now we are inclusive of people on the aromantic spectrum who are allosexual, plus aromantic individuals who do not identify with a sexual orientation. (Please note that "allosexual" is a term for experiencing normative amounts of sexual attraction, and "alloromantic" is a term for experiencing normative amounts of romantic attraction. )
If you are joining as an aroallo, alloaro, or otherwise aro individual who isn't ace, we wanted to be clear about what the history of this group has been, and be clear about how many people in this group are on the asexual spectrum. That being said, we are excited for the change and for what our new aro members who aren't ace are sure to bring to the group!
Though this meetup group is centered in the DC Metro area, we also have meetup events in the surrounding Mid-Atlantic area, including the Baltimore, Maryland, and Central Virginia areas. The Central Virginia group has met in cities such as Louisa, Charlottesville, and Richmond and changed to be inclusive of all aros sometime later in 2021. The Baltimore area group changed to be inclusive of all aros in June 2020. The locations of these events will be based on the locations of our organizers and members.
Please visit or join our Baltimore and Central Virginia communities for information on meetups in those areas:
https://www.meetup.com/Asexuals-and-Aromantics-of-Mid-Atlantic-Baltimore/
https://www.meetup.com/AMA-CVA/
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