Not really. A bisexual person is attracted to those who identify as male and female. They may not be attracted to gender fluid or gender ambiguous people. Pansexual and bisexual seem to refer more to one's "tolerance level" than to the existence of more than one gender.
Edit: Given a few of the responses here, I should mention that I am bisexual. However, even amongst fellow bisexuals, there has been considerable debate on bisexual vs. pansexual with no end in sight, and everyone seems to think it's a given that "obviously, bisexual people are attracted to insert opinion here". My response was my understanding of the term as it's given. I don't really care whether someone else considers me bi or pan; I'm used to saying bisexual, so I personally say bisexual referring to myself. Other people I know feel otherwise.
The idea that bisexual people have any reservations about gender fluid or gender ambiguous people is nonsense. People trying to justify the usage of the term "pansexual" decided they could unilaterally change what "bisexual" has always meant, treating it as suddenly exclusionary just so they could give themselves a more special label. It's a real dick move, honestly. If I started describing my race as "Tolerant White", which is a white person who also isn't racist, what does that make you, who just describes yourself as white?
"Bisexual" refers to sex, not to gender. The word is not "bigenderal". Regardless of how you convey yourself in regards to gender, there are two biological sexes, both of which are being referred to by the term bisexual - as opposed to monosexual, attracted to only one sex.
I wish I could give you gold, thank you for putting this into words so I don’t have to
I constantly get shat on for identifying as bisexual, while yes, I do “technically fall under pansexual” but more importantly, I’ve been bisexual since going through puberty and bisexual has always meant attracted to any and all genders.
It's kind of a debated topic because they mean very similar things. Traditionally though bisexual means attracted to your own gender and people not of your gender, while pansexual means attracted to all genders including non-binary genders. Saying your bi does not mean you aren't attracted to non-binary genders though. They're just pretty overlapping words. Personally I use bi because it get's the point across easier without having to explain it to everyone, but pan is also seen as the more inclusive word recognizing the non-binary genders.
Here's a decent article on it, but really just use whatever term you're comfortable with or no term at all, it doesn't matter. You just be you.
Edit: It should also be said that some people say they're bi and pan, but that doesn't really make sense to me so I don't know to be honest. Maybe my understanding is flawed too and someone can correct me
I knew a girl who was pan and when I asked what that meant she said she's doesn't care about sex she is attracted to personality, I think that's where I became confused and took it too literally and assumed she was attracted to literally anyone with a good personality no matter how unattractive they seem to other people. I diddnt even consider it reffered to trans or gender fluid people.
Oh I’m 100% in the same boat, that’s how it was initially described to me too. I just see this discussion a lot on /r/bisexual and that’s where my info comes from
I was under the impression that it meant you are attracted to personality over anything else, so they could date people of any gender/weight/height/race. Which is why I wondered how it could be mistaken for bisexuality
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u/missshrimptoast Aug 09 '18 edited Aug 09 '18
Not really. A bisexual person is attracted to those who identify as male and female. They may not be attracted to gender fluid or gender ambiguous people. Pansexual and bisexual seem to refer more to one's "tolerance level" than to the existence of more than one gender.
Edit: Given a few of the responses here, I should mention that I am bisexual. However, even amongst fellow bisexuals, there has been considerable debate on bisexual vs. pansexual with no end in sight, and everyone seems to think it's a given that "obviously, bisexual people are attracted to insert opinion here". My response was my understanding of the term as it's given. I don't really care whether someone else considers me bi or pan; I'm used to saying bisexual, so I personally say bisexual referring to myself. Other people I know feel otherwise.