What is pansexuality and how does it differ from bisexuality?

‘Pansexual’ is a word that you haven’t stopped hearing recently. It all started when actress and singer Janelle Monáe defined herself as pansexual in the Rolling Stone magazine. This was followed by Brendon Urie, from the group Panic! at the Disco, fictional characters like Landon Calrissan from Star Wars and Harvey Kinkle, the love interest of the Netflix remake of Sabrina. Also, if we search we find other names like Deadpool and Miley Cyrus. But what exactly is pansexuality and what makes it different from bisexuality?

As the term generates many doubts and controversy, we have set out to explain what it refers to and why there are voices that frown upon its use.

1. BEYOND THE MAN-WOMAN BINOMIUM

The term pansexual refers to a person who not only feels attracted to people of the opposite gender (heterosexual), nor of the same gender (homosexual) nor to both genders, man and woman, (bisexual), but also to all other people who are on the broad gender spectrum, i.e. gender fluid or non-binary and intersex people. Hence the prefix pan, which means everything, accompanies the word sexuality.

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2. IT IS NOT THE SAME AS BISEXUALITY

Although they may seem similar, bisexuality and pansexuality are not the same. Bisexuality refers to people who are attracted to men and women, while pansexuality also welcomes all people who do not feel identified in either of these two terms and who have a broader gender expression. The documentary Genderbende accurately delves into this term.

3. BIPHOBIA?

Pansexuals have been accused of promoting biphobia. However, as stated in the book Designer Relationships: A Guide to Happy Monogamy, Positive Polyamory and Optimistic Open Relationships, it neither denies nor rejects bisexuality, it only goes further by not basing desire on gender binarism. In addition, some definitions add that pansexual people are attracted to trans people, which presupposes that bisexuals are not. However, several experts point out that bisexuality also includes attraction to trans people, so the debate between the two orientations is still open.

4. OUT LABELS

Pansexuality, which some also call omnisexuality, prefers not to condition attraction to a person’s gender identity or their genitality. So that we can understand it, someone with this sexual orientation may feel desire for a man regardless of his genitalia (penis or vagina) and for a woman regardless of how she expresses her gender (more masculine or more feminine).

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5. FREUD ALREADY USED THE TERM

The great acceptance for the sexual diversity found among the new generations has made pansexuality gaining more visibility these days. However, the concept dates back to the time of Freud, as explained from Pikara Magazine. The philosopher used the word to explain that most human behaviors derive from sexual institutes.