the target). As the experience of romantic attraction is subjective, some aromantic people may find it difficult to determine whether they experience romantic attraction. As such, those who are aromantic may have trouble distinguishing platonic affection from romantic affection. Although some aromantic people may choose to enter a romantic relationship, they are less likely than alloromantic individuals to do so. Aromantic people can also form non-romantic relationships of all types, as well as being able to enjoy sexual relationships. They may also choose to have children, and studies indicate that aromantic individuals are no less likely to have children than alloromantic individuals. This is because aromanticism is independent of sexuality or libido, and despite many aromantic people also being asexual, many are also allosexual. Due to this, aromantic people who are not asexual can also identify with other sexual orientations, such as "aromantic bisexual" or "aromantic heterosexual". Aromantic asexual people are colloquially known as "aro-ace" or "aroace". Aromantic individuals are also able to experience platonic love and have committed friendships, and some form intimate non-romantic partnerships called "queerplatonic relationships". In the expanded LGBT initialism, aromanticism is sometimes included, most commonly in the term LGBTQIA+, where the letter "A" represents aromanticism, in addition to asexuality and agender. The aromantic pride flag includes five stripes of dark green, light green, white, gray, and black. Some have argued that aromanticism is under-represented, under-researched, or frequently misunderstood. In society at large, aromantic people are often stigmatized and stereotyped as being afraid of intimacy, heartless, or deluded. Amatonormativity, a concept that elevated romantic relationship over non-romantic ones, has been said to be damaging to aromantics. Aromanticism is rarely depicted in media, and there are very few fictional aromantic characters. See also Bromance Cross-sex friendship Emotional affair Heterosociality Homosociality Queerplatonic relationship Romantic friendship Womance References Further reading Sexual orientation Romance Asexuality LGBT