Is being pansexual the same as bi

[chrisahari_AMC]

Is there a difference between pansexual and bisexual?  

[Muse_of_the_Soul]

I consider it to be about the same, but it's really a matter of perspective.  

[Saint Sims]

Most certainly.

From my limited understanding, bisexuality follows the gender binary in that individuals who are bisexual are attracted to the two genders, male and female.

Pansexuality is inclusive of all gender identities and sexual identities that fall outside of the binary spectrum. These include identities of intersex and transgender, although it is not limited to these. Additionally, pansexuality almost negates the existence of gender and sexuality in so far that in the face of pansexuality, any and all genders and sexualities become a non-factor.

 

[Muse_of_the_Soul]

Der Fluch des Pharao

Most certainly.

From my limited understanding, bisexuality follows the gender binary in that individuals who are bisexual are attracted to the two genders, male and female.

Pansexuality is inclusive of all gender identities and sexual identities that fall outside of the binary spectrum. These include identities of intersex and transgender, although it is not limited to these. Additionally, pansexuality almost negates the existence of gender and sexuality in so far that in the face of pansexuality, any and all genders and sexualities become a non-factor.

That's where the issue comes in: labels. I'm bisexual, but I could love someone regardless of what they identify as, but that's because I don't look at gender in the first place. I don't consider myself pansexual, because regardless of what people identify as, there's still male or female, both in identity and in gender. Pansexual would indicate that there's more. If someone wants to be considered the opposite gender then I consider them that gender without labeling them as the gender they were born as.  

[Matasoga]

Muse_of_the_Soul

Der Fluch des Pharao

Most certainly.

From my limited understanding, bisexuality follows the gender binary in that individuals who are bisexual are attracted to the two genders, male and female.

Pansexuality is inclusive of all gender identities and sexual identities that fall outside of the binary spectrum. These include identities of intersex and transgender, although it is not limited to these. Additionally, pansexuality almost negates the existence of gender and sexuality in so far that in the face of pansexuality, any and all genders and sexualities become a non-factor.

That's where the issue comes in: labels. I'm bisexual, but I could love someone regardless of what they identify as, but that's because I don't look at gender in the first place. I don't consider myself pansexual, because regardless of what people identify as, there's still male or female, both in identity and in gender. Pansexual would indicate that there's more. If someone wants to be considered the opposite gender then I consider them that gender without labeling them as the gender they were born as.

Yes, I agree with this sentiment. It's always seemed to me that pansexuality is more of a high-minded version of bisexuality. If gender is truly a complete non-factor than it sounds to me more like asexuality.
Point being, it seems like a needless differentiator for something that is only dubiously different.  

[Shanna66]

Der Fluch des Pharao

Most certainly.

From my limited understanding, bisexuality follows the gender binary in that individuals who are bisexual are attracted to the two genders, male and female.

Pansexuality is inclusive of all gender identities and sexual identities that fall outside of the binary spectrum. These include identities of intersex and transgender, although it is not limited to these. Additionally, pansexuality almost negates the existence of gender and sexuality in so far that in the face of pansexuality, any and all genders and sexualities become a non-factor.

bisexual person here. i really dont care about gender at all. i think of bisexual as being attracted to 2 sexes, not 2 genders. i like dicks and i like boobs and i like someone with a good personality

pan and bi are pretty much the same thing, just use whichever word you prefer  

[Taeryyn]

Matasoga

Bisexuality is traditionally defined as being attracted to two genders. Bi = two.

Pansexuality means being attracted to all genders. Pan = all. This includes those who don't fall into the traditional gender binary.

There is also polysexual, which refers to those who are attracted to more than just two genders, but not all gender identities. Poly = multiple.

For someone bisexual or polysexual, gender plays a role in attraction, whereas the same is not true for someone pansexual.

Asexuality is another spectrum entirely. We have a number of Ace individuals in the guild who can explain this better than I can, but asexuality refers to a lack of sexual attraction, not to a lack of gender preference.  

[Muse_of_the_Soul]

Taeryyn

Matasoga

Bisexuality is traditionally defined as being attracted to two genders. Bi = two.

Pansexuality means being attracted to all genders. Pan = all. This includes those who don't fall into the traditional gender binary.

There is also polysexual, which refers to those who are attracted to more than just two genders, but not all gender identities. Poly = multiple.

For someone bisexual or polysexual, gender plays a role in attraction, whereas the same is not true for someone pansexual.

Asexuality is another spectrum entirely. We have a number of Ace individuals in the guild who can explain this better than I can, but asexuality refers to a lack of sexual attraction, not to a lack of gender preference.

What other genders are there? Maybe that's why I'm so confused about this all. I wouldn't say that gender plays a role in attraction for myself yet I identify as bisexual. Male, female, trans, it really doesn't matter to me so long as that individual is attractive to me in one way or another.  

[Taeryyn]

Muse_of_the_soul

There are people who identify as agender, genderqueer, androgyne, genderfluid, two-spirit...the list goes on. Many people see gender as a spectrum rather than a binary. Our culture has been socialized to acknowledge only two genders, but that isn't the case elsewhere, nor does it accurately represent everyone, apparently.

I am not particularly knowledgable about the subject, so hopefully someone else can provide a better explanation. :p

I should also note that in my previous post, I was just talking about the technical definitions of the words. How an individual chooses to identify and which description they are most comfortable with, that's a whole other story. If someone tells me, "I'm bi, and gender doesn't matter to me,", I'm not going to be like "No. Your identity is WRONG. You should identify this way!" It's their identity, not mine.

The whole bi-poly-pan confusion is why I usually just refer to myself as queer. It conveys the general idea without requiring much (if any) additional explanation. X3  

[Thirteenth_Floor]

Quote:

chrisahari_AMC

Der Fluch des Pharao

Most certainly.

From my limited understanding, bisexuality follows the gender binary in that individuals who are bisexual are attracted to the two genders, male and female.

Pansexuality is inclusive of all gender identities and sexual identities that fall outside of the binary spectrum. These include identities of intersex and transgender, although it is not limited to these. Additionally, pansexuality almost negates the existence of gender and sexuality in so far that in the face of pansexuality, any and all genders and sexualities become a non-factor.

This is very correct. I would also like to add upon this some subcategories for clarification on the "spectrum" that encases each.

Though bisexuality is defined as those who are attracted to people who of the gender binary, they also tend to be attracted to people who exemplify many defining gender characteristics despite whatever gender they identify with. Aside from body parts, this means that people who are bisexual have an attraction to those who carry either more masculine or more feminine characteristics or mannerisms/behaviours. And yet, as exists in any sexuality, there are "leans" to which a person could be attracted to, or preferences. So, even if a person is bisexual, they can still be more attracted to people who line up more with their own gender, opposite of their own gender, or have an equal liking for both.

Those who are pansexual are as you described. There is the added interests of those who don't identify with the gender binary, and those who have neither masculine or feminine traits, those who are considered androgynous.

However, if we were to really dissect this all, there isn't really any finite labels for this. I've met someone who has identified as "gender-fluid poly/demiromantic pansexual with a mild preference towards androgyny and a sexual fixation on taboo acts" and, as you can see, it doesn't really fall into any simple one-word label and is rather specific. And yet, there are some people who feel that they can be attracted to ANYone person or ANY group of people however mixed. It's quire a large spectrum, including the poly-/mono-/demi-/ categories in terms of -romantics and -sexuals, the a-/homo-/hetero-/bi-/pan- in just -sexuals, and the cis-/inter-/multi-/disen-/androgynous/gender-fluid/genderqueer subsets of gender outside the binary. I could go on and on.

 

[AmeliaParadox]

who cares, just go with who ever you like. cat_3nodding