Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.
Biromantic: Understanding Romantic Attraction to Multiple Genders
In conversations around identity, orientation, and attraction, terms like “bisexual” and “pansexual” often take center stage. But when we zoom out and look beyond sexual attraction alone, we find a whole other layer of experience: romantic orientation. One meaningful identity within that space is biromantic.
Biromanticism describes people who feel romantic attraction toward two or more genders. This isn’t necessarily about who they’re sexually attracted to—but about who they form emotional, loving bonds with. A biromantic person may also identify as asexual, bisexual, gay, straight, or another sexual orientation, depending on their experience of sexual desire.
Understanding what it means to be biromantic helps us widen the lens through which we view relationships, attraction, and identity. It reminds us that emotional connection and romantic intimacy are just as important—and often just as complex—as physical desire.
In this post, we’ll explore what biromantic means, how it differs from similar identities, and why recognizing romantic orientations matters—both in the LGBTQIA+ community and beyond.
Being biromantic means experiencing romantic attraction toward more than one gender. This can include attraction to men, women, and/or people of non-binary or gender-diverse identities like genderqueer, agender, or genderfluid individuals.
Romantic attraction involves the desire for emotional closeness, affection, dating, and love—not necessarily physical or sexual activity. That’s what separates romantic orientation from sexual orientation.
Though the terms biromantic and bisexual might sound similar, they refer to different kinds of attraction—and it’s totally possible for someone to identify with one, both, or neither.
Biromantic refers to romantic attraction—the desire to form emotional or romantic connections, such as dating, relationships, or falling in love.
Bisexual refers to sexual attraction—the experience of sexual or physical desire toward more than one gender.
Choose the type of attraction to focus on for personal understanding
People can have different romantic and sexual orientations. For example:
Someone might be biromantic and asexual, meaning they experience romantic attraction toward multiple genders but don’t experience sexual attraction.
Another person could be biromantic and bisexual, experiencing both romantic and sexual attraction to multiple genders.
Or someone might be biromantic and heterosexual, feeling romantic connection to multiple genders but only experiencing sexual attraction to a different-gender partner.
This distinction is helpful for folks who want language that better matches their personal experience of relationships and attraction. It also helps normalize the idea that romantic and sexual feelings don’t always line up in the same way for everyone.
How Biromantic People Experience Attraction
Biromantic attraction isn’t one-size-fits-all. Just like any romantic orientation, it can be deeply personal and expressed in a variety of ways. People who identify as biromantic may feel romantic attraction toward individuals of different genders—sometimes equally, sometimes with varying intensity, frequency, or emotional depth.
Attraction Can Be Fluid
For many biromantic individuals, attraction can be fluid over time. They might feel a stronger romantic pull toward one gender during a certain period of life, and toward another gender at a different point. This ebb and flow doesn’t make their identity any less real—it’s simply a natural reflection of how diverse and evolving human connection can be.
Emotional Connection Over Gender
While gender can play a role in who someone is drawn to, biromantic relationships are often driven by emotional closeness, shared values, personality compatibility, and trust—just like anyone else’s. Romantic attraction for biromantic people is less about rigid categories and more about how someone makes them feel on a deeper emotional level.
Being biromantic means having the capacity to love and emotionally connect with people across the gender spectrum. Each connection is unique, and no single experience defines what it means to be biromantic.
Common Misconceptions About Biromanticism
Like many identities within the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, biromanticism is often misunderstood or misrepresented. These misconceptions can lead to confusion, invalidation, or stigma, especially for those who are just beginning to explore or express their identity.
Let’s break down some of the most common myths—and the truth behind them:
“You’re just confused or can’t decide.”
✘ False. Being biromantic doesn’t mean someone is indecisive or unsure. It means they experience romantic attraction to more than one gender—and that’s a valid, stable orientation. Attraction to multiple genders is not a phase or a stepping stone to another identity. It’s complete and whole on its own.
“You’re more likely to cheat.”
✘ False. This harmful stereotype is rooted in biphobia and misunderstanding, not fact. Like anyone else, a biromantic person is fully capable of loyalty, trust, and monogamy (if that’s their relationship style). Being attracted to more than one gender doesn’t mean someone lacks commitment—it just means their romantic capacity is broader.
“You have to like all genders equally.”
✘ False. Biromanticism doesn’t require a perfectly equal attraction to every gender. Some biromantic people may feel more frequent or intense romantic attraction toward certain genders—and that’s completely natural. The key is that they are open to romantic connection with more than one gender, even if their experiences differ over time.
Challenging these myths helps create a more accepting, affirming, and informed world—where people of all orientations can feel safe and seen for who they truly are.
Biromantic individuals are an essential part of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, especially within the often-overlooked landscape of romantic orientations. Just as sexual orientation deserves recognition and respect, so does the way people experience romantic attraction.
Romantic Orientation Is Valid Too
Understanding and affirming romantic orientation as distinct from sexual orientation is key to supporting the full spectrum of queer identities. Biromantic people may or may not align with common sexual labels, but that doesn’t make their identity any less real or meaningful.
Whether someone is biromantic and asexual, biromantic and bisexual, or any other combination, their romantic orientation deserves visibility and validation.
Breaking the Silence Around Biromanticism
Unfortunately, biromantic identities are often underrepresented in mainstream conversations, media, and even within LGBTQIA+ spaces. Because public narratives tend to emphasize sexual orientation, romantic orientations can be overlooked, leading to feelings of confusion, invisibility, or exclusion.
This lack of visibility reinforces the importance of:
Uplifting biromantic voices in conversations and content
Including romantic orientations in LGBTQIA+ education and advocacy
Creating space for people to define their experiences on their own terms
Visibility = Representation = Belonging
Biromantic inclusivity
When biromantic people see their identities reflected in media, schools, healthcare, and community spaces, it affirms that they belong—that their experience is valid, and that they’re not alone.
By raising awareness and being intentional with our language, we help build a more inclusive and welcoming LGBTQIA+ community—one that honors the full diversity of attraction, connection, and identity.
Relationships and Communication
For biromantic individuals, romantic relationships may include partners of different genders over time. This doesn’t mean their orientation is changing—it simply reflects the natural and valid reality of being romantically attracted to more than one gender.
Your Partner Doesn’t Define Your Identity
One of the most important truths about biromantic identity is this: Who you’re dating does not determine who you are.
A biromantic person in a relationship with a man, woman, or non-binary partner is still biromantic. Their identity isn’t erased, replaced, or invalidated by their current partner’s gender. Just like anyone else, their orientation remains a consistent part of who they are—regardless of relationship status.
Open Communication Builds Understanding
Because biromanticism is often misunderstood, clear and honest communication can play a vital role in building strong, supportive relationships. Talking openly with a partner about:
What being biromantic means
How attraction may vary or shift over time
That it doesn’t mean confusion, indecision, or disloyalty
can help create mutual understanding and reduce tension caused by stereotypes or assumptions.
It’s About Connection, Not Comparison
A common misconception is that biromantic people must feel the same level of attraction to all genders, all the time. The truth is, romantic attraction is personal, dynamic, and sometimes asymmetrical—and that’s okay.
What matters most is authentic connection, trust, and emotional compatibility—not fitting into rigid ideas of “balance” or gender-based preferences.
In healthy relationships, being seen and accepted for your full identity—including your romantic orientation—is part of feeling truly loved. Biromantic people deserve that recognition, just like anyone else.
Coming Out as Biromantic
Coming out as biromantic is often a deeply personal and empowering step. It’s not just about naming an identity—it’s also about explaining what that identity means, especially in a world where romantic orientation is less recognized or understood than sexual orientation.
Because many people are more familiar with sexual attraction than romantic attraction, biromantic individuals often find themselves having to educate others about the difference between the two. This can be both emotionally labor-intensive and incredibly meaningful.
Coming out can hold special significance for biromantic individuals who are also asexual, graysexual, or on the asexual spectrum. They may not feel represented in common cultural narratives about love, relationships, or attraction—which tend to center on sexual connection.
For these individuals, sharing their biromantic identity is a way to say: “I experience love and connection—just differently.”
It’s a statement of self-understanding, visibility, and autonomy.
Finding Support Makes All the Difference
Like any coming-out journey, it’s easier when you’re not doing it alone. Finding supportive spaces—whether in real life or online—can offer connection, encouragement, and community.
Online forums or social media spaces for biromantic and ace-spectrum individuals
Podcasts, blogs, or zines by others with similar identities
Trusted friends or allies who are open-minded and affirming
Finding Support Makes All the Difference
Coming out is a process, not a one-time event. Whether you choose to share it with the world or just a few close people, your identity is real and worthy of respect. The more visibility biromantic people have, the more we help normalize romantic orientations as part of the beautifully diverse LGBTQIA+ experience.
How to Support Biromantic Individuals
Support begins with understanding and validation. Recognizing that romantic orientation is a real and important part of a person’s identity is one of the most meaningful ways to support someone who is biromantic.
If someone shares with you that they’re biromantic, here are some practical and powerful ways to be a supportive ally:
Believe and Respect Their Identity
You don’t have to fully understand someone’s experience to respect and affirm it. Trust what they share with you, use their chosen language, and avoid questioning the legitimacy of their orientation. Saying “I believe you” is one of the simplest yet most impactful ways to show support.
Avoid Stereotypes and Assumptions
Common myths—like assuming someone is “confused,” “just experimenting,” or needs to feel equal attraction to all genders—can be harmful and dismissive. Everyone’s romantic experience is different, and there’s no “right” way to be biromantic.
Let people define what biromanticism means to them—without judgment.
Make Room for Romantic Orientations in Conversations
Romantic orientations are often left out of LGBTQIA+ discussions, even in inclusive spaces. You can help change that by:
Using inclusive language like “romantic and sexual orientation”
Making space for asexual-spectrum identities that include romantic variation
Visibility matters. When romantic orientations are acknowledged, more people feel seen, validated, and welcomed.
Support Through Language and Listening
Sometimes support is as simple as:
Listening with empathy
Asking respectful questions, only if invited
Using gender-inclusive terms like “partner”
Correcting others if they dismiss or stereotype biromantic identities
These everyday actions send a strong message: There’s space for your identity here. You are understood and respected.
Conclusion
Biromanticism is a valid and meaningful identity that reflects the rich diversity of human connection. By recognizing the difference between romantic and sexual attraction, we make space for people to define themselves more fully—and to feel seen, respected, and understood.
Whether someone is biromantic and asexual, biromantic and bisexual, or any other combination, their experiences of love, emotional closeness, and partnership are just as real and valuable as anyone else’s. Like all orientations, biromanticism deserves visibility—not just in conversations about queerness, but in media, education, and everyday relationships.
By learning, listening, and making room for all types of romantic orientation, we help build a more inclusive world—one where every kind of love and connection has a place.
Because when people are free to be who they are—romantically, sexually, and emotionally—everyone benefits.
