Understanding aromantic peoples’ experiences of intra-community discrimination within the Queer Community

The objective of this study was to understand aromantic peoples' experiences of intra-community discrimination within the Queer community. Methods included thematic analysis of open-ended data, drawn from a convenience sample of aromantic individuals from a cross-sectional, online, international survey. Thematic analysis led to the identification of three themes. The first elucidated how discrimination against aromantic people within the Queer community is so prevalent that those who have not experienced it consider themselves lucky. A second theme centred on discriminatory attitudes which were largely governed by ignorance and misunderstanding about aromanticism and worked to exclude aromantic people from fuller participation within the Queer community. The third theme explained how intra-community discrimination causes some aromantic people to disengage from the Queer community. Discrimination faced by aromantic people within the Queer community has negative implications for mental health and wellbeing within aromantic communities. Aromantic people, as well as members of the wider Queer community, stand to benefit from efforts to ensure aromantic people are included and affirmed within the Queer community.