Toric – What is it? What does it mean?

Toric, also known as quadrisian, is a term that all non-binary individuals can use, regardless of their specific gender identity, that was designed to express that you are non-exclusively attracted to men and male-aligned or masculine-aligned individuals. It should be noted that this attraction is not a preference per se, as any non-binary person who experiences attraction to masculinity or masculine features can use the term, regardless of whether they experience similar attraction to others.

Etymology

The terms toric and quadrisian both come from Latin. The formeris derived from the Latin suffix “-tor,” which is used in the masculine variants of nouns of profession. We still use these in English, such as in actor, contractor, and rector. By adding the English “-ic,” much like in Hispanic or Arctic, ‘tor’ is turned into an adjective. The literal definition, then, is “man-ish” or “pertaining to men.” In Latin, the female ending for such words is -trix, like in dominatrix or actress (trix -> tress). Because of this, the female counterpart is trixic. Quadrisian comes from the Latin word for rectangle, quad. This is due to the fact that, historically, men and masculinity are often depicted as a square or a rectangle. From here, quadrisian has come to mean being attracted to men.

History

The two terms were designed separately. Quadrisian was coined before its now better-known counterpart, by Tumblr user demisexual-yuri in 2017. One day later, Tumblr user bigendering, together with demisexual-yuri, coined toric.

Flags and Symbols

The toric flag was designed a few months after the coining of the term by Tumblr user diamoricmlm-and-nblm. The green and purple stripes on the toric flag represent being non-binary. Blue represents attraction to men. The center of the toric flag features the non-binary symbol and the symbol for men.

Toric flag

Pronouns

Quadrisian is a term used exclusively by non-binary people. As such, follow basic etiquette regarding pronouns: learn what pronouns you should use by asking the person, rather than assuming, and always keep in mind how sensitive something like using the right pronoun can be.

Am I toric?

To figure out whether you are toric, ask yourself these questions:

• Am I non-binary?
• Am I primarily attracted to men, masculine individuals, or masculine-leaning people?
• Do I feel like my sexual orientation should be based on my being attracted to men, masculine individuals, or masculine-leaning people?

If you answered yes to all these questions, this term may be the right one for you. Note that you should not select a label based on just these questions, so follow up by gathering more information. To learn what works best for you, you can read others’ experiences or browse to a forum or other kind of website where quadrisian people or other non-binary individuals gather to receive more insight into what it means to be quadrisian, before you select a label that suits you.

How to support someone who is toric

Here are some tips on how to support your To support your quadrisian friends or family members:

• Be an ally! Use your network to spread LGBT-supportive content or references, link to quadrisian blogs, and identify yourself as a supporter by waving the toric flag!
• Select your friends carefully! If you want to create a safe environment around you, set clear boundaries for whom to surround yourself with and only select friends who are also supportive of LGBT folks.
• Take the time to understand your quadrisian friends and family without requiring them to explain everything to you.

Gallery

Toric flag without symbol

Alternate toric flag

Alternate toric flag by frcgdad_

Demitoric flag