First, there were only men and women. No term refers to people attracted to other people of the same gender. But that does not mean they did not exist back then. In Ancient Greece, for example, there were marriages between two males. Some men even used prototypes of sex toys that are now considered for women or gay men. Those are not surprising considering Greek Mythology, which tackled homosexuality, bisexuality, and pansexuality unknowingly.
While the labels were not important at that time, they are now. Now, we have the term gay for men who get attracted exclusively to other men. Lesbians are their female counterparts. However, as the acronym LGBTQIA+ implies, there are more than four sexualities.
There is confusion between the two complex sexualities, bisexuality and pansexuality. The terms are often misunderstood, that even the members identify themselves incorrectly. So, before proclaiming your gender identity, you should familiarize yourself with the terms first. Let us take a look at what bisexuals are and what the difference is between them and pansexuals.
Pansexuality
The prefix “pan” means “all.” So, people who identify themselves can get attracted to other people of any gender. They can like boys and girls, transgender people, and even gender non-conforming individuals. You could say that pansexuality is the most fluid and inclusive of all genders. Pansexual people can find beauty in anyone, regardless of their sexual preferences or how they present themselves. To them, the gender label becomes invisible and unimportant. They judge people for who they are and not for how they are identified.
The term pansexual boomed in popularity since Janelle Monáe identified herself as one in a Rolling Stone cover story. The term immediately became the most searched word during that day.
Another confirmed pansexual is Brendon Urie, the lead singer of Panic at the Disco. He is happily married to a woman, but he admits that he can get attracted to people of another gender. In his words, he said, he qualifies as a pansexual because he does not care. He says that if a person is great, that person is great and a potential love interest.
Bisexuality
The term bisexual is more common than pansexual. It is even in the original acronym LGBT. If the prefix “pan” means “all,” the prefix “bi” stands for “two.” Initially, being bisexual means being able to love people of the same and the opposite gender. Over time, the definition of bisexuality changed. More of that later.
Like the term pansexual, a celebrity popularized the term bisexual. David Bowie, one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, claimed bisexuality in a Playboy interview. He revealed that in a previous interview in 1971, someone asked him if he was gay. His answer was, “No, I am bisexual.” That was the first time the interviewer and many Americans heard the term, so he explained what it meant. That was one key moment that started the LGBT movement.
The meaning of bisexuality back then is still similar to the most popular definition today. It is about the attraction towards people from the two genders. However, as people learned more about sexuality, the term slowly digressed from that meaning.
Robyn Och, a bisexual activist, defined bisexuality as the ability to people of two or more sex and gender. She says that bisexuals have the potential to do that, but not necessarily the same time, way, and degree.
Here is an easier analogy. Bisexuals can get attracted – physically and emotionally- to men and women. In the updated definition, they can also get attracted to other genders but not to all of them. For instance, a bisexual can get attracted to a man, woman, or a lesbian. However, that same person cannot do the same to a gay or a transgender person. That could be the situation or vise versa. This new take on bisexuality is more inclusive. Nowadays, inclusivity is so big of a deal. Sex doll manufacturers even made transgender models to promote it. Thus, people finding this take on bisexuality now prefer this definition.
Feud Between Bisexuals and Pansexuals
Ironically, the people from a community that wishes to be accepted shows discrimination against each other. The thought of inclusivity is still the main topic, but it seems they are missing the point.
Some pansexuals are calling bisexual’s, the earlier version at least, exclusionary nature. They say that bisexuals are hypocrites, saying people should accept non-cisgender people when they can only like cisgenders. Of course, the same can be said to “neo” bisexuals. While they have expanded their horizons, they still exclude other genders in their likable list.
Bisexuals think that mentality is stupid. Not because they cannot get attracted to people of a specific gender means they are against them.
Daniel Saynt, the founder of NSFW (The New Society for Wellness), is a proud bisexual who strongly opposes this sentiment. NSFW is an organization dedicated to helping members connect and explore in safer, judgment-free spaces. Naturally, the founder would not sit in silence when his fellow bisexuals are being attacked.
Saynt says that they do not deserve to be attacked just because pansexuals are more inclusive. He emphasized that bisexuals do not attack gays for not being attracted to women. So, why is there a need to attack bisexuals just because they are not attracted to transgender people?
Saynt says that he has seen attractive trans people. However, the attraction is more of an acknowledgment and not of a sexual nature. While he cannot fall in love with them, he wishes the best for them and genuinely wants them to be happy.
In this case, the pansexuals are the ones that are doing the exclusion. They call bisexuals transphobic, while they are being biphobic. That is wrong on many levels because, again, being pansexual means being accepting of others regardless of their sexual orientation.
Not all pansexuals are like this. But for those who are, we hope they could open their eyes and see what they are doing is wrong. After all, they are standing under the same rainbow flag.
Leave a Reply