December TAAAP Pride Chats – Models of Attraction and Orientation

The December TAAAP Pride Chat will focus on models of attraction and orientation, including the SAM (Split-Attraction Model), as well as understandings and models of orientation that do not center attraction, and any other potential ways of understanding attraction and orientation. We at TAAAP support any person using any kind of model, or no model at all, to identify their attraction or orientation. We also will require that all participants in the conversation respect others’ personal choices and feelings surrounding any particular attraction and orientation model or lack thereof, including people who object to there being a binary of SAM and non-SAM. This discussion will explore why people use the SAM, use something else entirely, or use none.

Everyone uses different methods, models, and terminology to understand their own orientations. Some of these may not be ones that you personally agree with or would use, but you must respect others’ right to use the model or method they want. Similarly, you can discuss what you don’t like about any given model, method, or term, but be careful to only apply it to yourself or use “I feel” statements so as not to say what methods others should or should not use. Focus on critiquing the models and not how people make use of them or identify with them. The only models, methods, or terms we do not support are those that are culturally appropriative or violate our guidelines in some other way.

If a term may violate our guidelines, due to being rooted in exclusionist or other harmful ideology, do not assume that everyone is aware of its harmful origins or that they espouse those ideas. Many terms have been reclaimed, used without bad intention, or simply used without knowledge of other people using them in harmful ways. 

We also have a community page on DreamWidth, to provide a platform that may be more enjoyable or accessible than Discord. You can go here to participate on DreamWidth: https://taaappridechats.dreamwidth.org/.

Here’s a guide on how to use Dreamwidth if you’re new to the platform, with specific sections for how to join a community and how to post: https://sportsanime.dreamwidth.org/3573.html. Our DreamWidth page will not close, and will not be monitored as closely as the Discord server. Also, there will be no voice chat option on DreamWidth.

The rest of the Discord will still be open, along with the channels specifically to discuss the Carnival of Aros and the Carnival of Aces.

The dates are Saturday, December 26 to Sunday, December 27. We will be open from 9:00 am on Saturday to 2:00 am Sunday, then from 8:00 am Sunday to 11:59 pm Sunday. We’ll have voice chats on both Saturday and Sunday at 11 am and 4 pm. All times are Eastern Time.

Edited to add: There were some concerns raised here about the December TAAAP Pride Chat topic: https://theacetheist.wordpress.com/2020/12/19/open-letter-you-do-not-use-the-sam/. We responded to them here: https://www.pillowfort.social/posts/1945855. This is the only response we will provide to this open letter, but we are happy to discuss potential issues anyone wishes to raise with us about the topic – we all plan on talking about our personal feelings around models of orientation and models of attraction. TAAAP’s only official position is expressed through our guidelines.