(if you wish for your ask to be answered on cc, please don't send links unless i know you and you're off anon. i am not going to take any risks with gore or other triggering content.)
(this carrd was written by an aspec non-binary gay man. we are not cishets trying to 'infiltrate' the lgbt community. please actually read the carrd before making a judgement or harassing anyone.)
the asexual spectrum and the aromantic spectrum both comprise of several degrees of romantic and sexual attraction. some people experience absolutely none, some people experience very little, and some people experience attraction only in certain circumstances.
fictosexual & fictoromantic are microlabels that refer to asexual/aromantic people who feel genuine attraction exclusively towards fictional characters.
this is a legitimate asexual / aromantic spectrum identity because it refers to someone who experiences no attraction, except for in certain circumstances. there are many other microlabels like this on the asexual / aromantic spectrums.
it is not a joke to mock LGBT people, and it is not cishet people 'infiltrating' the LGBT community. the screenshots of tiktok comments you may have seen were specifically made to mock this identity. people do not 'want' to be fictosexual; it is not a choice.
frequently asked questions
Q: isn't this just asexual people experiencing the equivalent of comphet, and not actual attraction? what's the difference?
A: compulsory heterosexuality is a result of societal pressure, and the idea that to be a woman or to have any connection to femininity you must be attracted to men (and vice versa.) while asexual people may feel societal pressure to experience sexual attraction, that is not fictosexuality. fictosexuality is genuine attraction, not a result of compulsion or pressure.
Q: is this a joke or a prank?
A: no.
Q: do you actually think weeb is a slur?
A: no.
Q: okay but even if it isn't a joke, do you really need a label?
A: some people find comfort in microlabels that are more specific to their experiences. maybe there's not much difference between 'paraboy' and 'demiboy,' but people might be more comfortable with one label than the other, and that's totally okay. it doesn't harm anyone
Q: doesn't this make the LGBT community look like a joke?
A: LGBT people "look like jokes" to allocishets the second we are openly LGBT. playing respectability politics gets us nowhere. decades ago, the same sentiment was held towards feminine gay men. ostracizing part of our community because you are worried about how people on the outside will feel does nothing to help anyone here. if you genuinely think this makes the lgbt community looks like a joke, please consider spending the time and energy you're using on discourse to boost and donate to LGBT people's gofundmes and money links.
Q: is it okay to joke about this label?
A: i cannot force you to joke or not joke about something, but this is something that people have been harassed & sent gore + death threats over. i understand it might seem like stupid discourse to you, but from the perspective of the people involved it is much more serious.
Q: what about animesexual
A: i would consider that to be a subset of fictosexuality but i don't think the people on tiktok who claim to be animesexual are being genuine, and i haven't met anyone who's genuinely used the label, so i'm mildly wary of it. i'm also not so sure about the idea of incorporating east asian culture into your identity if you are not east asian. i personally would not use that term or be comfortable with people who do.
Q: isn't this just a fetish or paraphilia?
A: first off, paraphilias are inherently harmful or dangerous sexual desires. there is nothing dangerous or harmful about being attracted to an adult human fictional character, and it is not on the same level as pedophilia unless the attraction is directed from an adult towards a child. not to mention that labeling a sexual identity as a paraphilia or fetish has deep roots in the history of medical homophobia that i do not have the time to get into here.
second, no. this is not a sexual preference or something that makes people aroused or whatever. someone might be into bdsm, but that doesn't define their sexuality. this is an asexual microlabel, as said in the explanation and in the rest of the faq. it is not a kink, it is not a fetish, it is specifically an ace identity that has nothing to do with fetishes. this response also ignores the existence of fictoromantic people, who exclusively experience romantic attraction to fictional characters. fictosexuality is not a kink because it's not just someone enjoying sex or sexual encounters more if they think about a fictional character, it is a complete and total lack of genuine attraction towards anyone who is not fictional.