College dating is on a whole other level in comparison to dating in highschool, particularly when you’re queer. In highschool, as with many non-heterosexual identifying teens, my sexuality and understanding my sexual preferences eluded me to a large extent. In high school, I had exclusively dated guys, but dating as a whole didn’t really appeal to me in the way it would most teens. This was mostly due to the fact that I just wasn’t really interested in men, but I also wasn’t aware that there was any other option than the standard hetronormative one.

“I’m not transphobic, I just couldn’t date a trans person.”         

​It’s not at all a new or shocking take. In fact, it’s the norm; the vast majority of people — 87.5 percent according to a study in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships — say they wouldn’t consider a relationship with a transgender partner. In a trans renaissance of X’s on licenses and nine-dollar gender changes, it seems that certain things never change. With Valentine’s Day upon us, it’s time to ask: why the adamance? 

​February 16-22, the week after Valentine’s Day, was Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week. Despite the growing communities of aromantic-spectrum people, not many people are aware of this identity. An aromantic person is a person who does not experience romantic attraction and/or has no desire for romantic relationships. There’s a wide spectrum of aromantic-spectrum experiences, including people who only experience romantic attraction in rare circumstances. Aromantic-spectrum students on campus can find a community at the Spectrum Center’s Asexual and Aromantic CenterSpace, a casual drop-in group around these identities. More information can be found at the Spectrum Center in the Michigan Union.