Pansexuality seems very similar to bisexuality, and because everybody defines it in subtly different ways, it often comes down to an arbitrary choice between two overlapping terms.This factsheet will help you decipher the difference between a pansexual and a bisexual person.
Myth: Bisexuality and pansexuality are the same thing.
To summarize it, bisexuals like male and females on the spectrum of genders. Whereas, Pansexuals are attracted to any human being on the Earth- a man, a woman or a trans. Pansexuals are attracted to people of any gender identity.
Myth- But aren’t there only two genders?
Absolutely not. There are endless gender identities out there, not just ‘male’ and ‘female’, for example, transgender, non binary, genderfluid and so on. Gender of a person is fluid in nature- i.e. there are not only two genders in the world. Pansexuality is an attraction towards people regardless of their gender identity.
Myth- People are either gay or straight, anyone who is anything else is lying.
The problem most people have with sexualities is that they are stuck in binaries. Male and Female, Gay and Straight, Black and White. But all these binaries are really spectrums, many things fall in between the two extremes, and some things don’t fit at all. Starting with gay and straight we have bisexual people who fall in the middle, who like two of people- a male and a female.
Myth- But how can you be attracted to so many people at the same time?
Yes, pansexuality means being attracted to multiple genders, but not at the same time. Pansexuals are just like other genders in the spectrum. Heterosexuals don’t love two people at the same time so why would a pansexual? Unless you are polyamorous, which means experiencing romantic or sexual attraction to multiple people simultaneously. Heterosexuals can also be polyamorous.
