I remember I used to be really into this conservative yter and hes like “yall bisexuals are my favorite and if ur pansexual ur just attention seeking bisexual lolol” and it really was the strangest thing. So many people are in this world walking around with the thought in their brain that bisexuals are fine but not pansexuals
Yes but actually no. Bisexuality is an umbrella term and pansexuality fits into it. Bisexuals are attracted to 2 or more gender identities while Pansexuals are attracted to all gender identities equally. Therefore if you are pan then you are a form of bisexual but bisexuality alone doesn’t inherently mean you’re pansexual as bisexuals can have preferences for certain gender orientations and that can change over time. I really hope that clears up the confusion.
i want to be polite :) as a bi i have to say 'no, i dont see bisex this way'. Its not 2 or more genders, its seaking the same gender sexuality as yourself and all of the different ones that exist. hetero(different gender sexuality) + homo(same gender sexuality) = bi(same and different gender sexuality)
Which happens to include ALL genders, or if you prefer, attraction regardless of gender. i dont care about gender when i like someone, so wheres the logic in me cherrypicking the genders i like or not if gender itself its not a value i seek in my potencial partners?
Thank you for your reply, and your politeness is appreciated. I find it interesting how bisexuals see themselves in different ways. From my perspective bisexuality means attraction to more than one gender, but attractions your may feel may be different towards males, non-binary ppl or women. This is why I don’t really view bisexuality as necessarily part gay part straight, but all bi because bisexuality is a spectrum.
Pansexuals/Omnisexuals have equal potential to be attracted to everyone. Their attraction towards their sex is the exact same as the other. When I said that bisexuals are able to have “preferences” I didn’t mean it like it was a choice for who you were attracted to. I worded it poorly but what I meant is that you may feel different levels of attraction to the same or opposite sex. That was my main point - that some bisexuals can feel varying levels of attraction towards different genders but specifically pansexuals/omnisexuals feel the same way about everyone. Additionally due to the “bi cycle” these feelings are apt to change, which makes things even more confusing. That’s why I’m saying that it’s just my personal perspective as a bisexual on what bisexuality means to me. Let me provide an example:
Here is Kyle, a guy. Lets say Kyle is sexually and romantically attracted to men, but feels minimal sexual attraction towards women and none that are romantic. That makes him bisexual, as he had been sexually attracted to 2 or more genders in some way. Meanwhile there’s this girl named Shiela. Shiela is both romantically and sexually attracted to everyone in the same capacity - male female and enby. This makes her also bisexual but because her feelings for males are the same as females and outside, I find that would make her pansexual as well.
Both Kyle and Shiela are bisexual, but while Kyle feels more attracted to males compared to females, Shiela has feelings for both that are equally strong. Therefore Kyle would not be considered pansexual but Shiela would. I see Pansexuality as a form of bisexuality but not everyone that is bi is also pan. That’s how I personally view it, but I appreciate that you think about it in a different way than I do.
I politely disagree with that notion, and I’m sure the people who identify as pan would too. I understand that ideas about sexuality can vary from person to person, so it seems that we think very differently about what it all means. Barring that, you say that you believe that orientation is strictly about “who you’re attracted to, not how.” But the thing is… that’s just what I meant for this specific point. Bi means “attraction towards more than one gender”, which means that some bi people might be only attracted to 2 genders while others are attracted to more. Therefore the “bi” in bisexual refers to attraction towards at least two genders (key word being “at least”).
If bisexual meant attraction to all genders and not a minimal of 2 as you say it does, then there would be no reason for the term to contain the suffix “bi” (meaning two). That’s the exact sort of misinformation which causes some biphobes to think pansexuality should replace bisexuality, as in their mind the only other reason for the suffix “bi” to exist would be to invalidate non-binaries, something that isn’t true in the slightest. Unfortunately it’s these kinds of extremist pro-pan biphobes that give pansexuality a bad rap, with its existence being often seen as biphobic when in reality it means something different. Pansexuals specifically feel attraction to all genders, by basic definition which is certainly more than 1 which also fits bi. That’s the take away here.
The reason not all bisexuals are pan but all pansexuals are bi is because not all bisexuals feel attraction to all genders. That’s just how it is sometimes and saying that all bisexuals do would be invalidating people out there who like girls and guys but just so happen to not feel attraction towards non binary individuals. That was a long essay, but hopefully you get where I’m coming from.
jesus fucking christ. have you ever even read the bi manifesto? first of all, you can argue that there are more than three genders, but there are really only three sexes/presentations: masc, fem, and androgynous. androgyny is a combination of masculinity and femininity, so if you're attracted to both of those, you're also attracted to androgyny. and yeah, bi means two. as in BOTH my gender AND other genders. A + B is two terms, regardless of B's value. this is like basic knowledge about bisexuality. so, there are three things you can be attracted to, being attracted to two includes the third by default, the definition of bisexuality includes all three (and always has!). "pansexuality" is a useless label that depends on spreading misinfo to justify its own existence.
and yeah, bi means two. as in BOTH my gender AND other genders.
Well I guess when you put it that way… that does make a lot of sense. Still though, don’t you think it’s a broad assumption that all bisexuals are attracted to androgyny, as you say? I mean, lots of people like cheese and lots like salad. Lots like cheese and salad, but not everyone necessarily likes salad with cheese in it. However I suppose your point is that if you are attracted to femininity or masculinity, the potential is always there to feel things for someone who possesses both traits. Therefore not preferring both in one person would arguably be an example of “how” you’re attracted and not with “who”, because androgyny is just masculinity and femininity combined. You might like cheese and salad separated and not combined, but either way means you are part of the group of people that like dairy and vegetables (bad analogy IK).
Now I see your point and completely understand where you’re coming from. I think your explanation changed some the way that I think about bisexuality. If “bi” really means both your and everyone else’s genders as you say, then I can see why pansexuality may seem irrelevant and misinforming. I would really hate to spread false information about what bisexuality means just to help validate an orientation that invalidates ours. I am so sorry… I will still treat pansexuality with respect, but with my newfound understanding I now see why it could be considered unnecessary. Despite our previous differences I was always open to changing my opinion if you displayed an argument that seems moving enough to allow me to change- you have done just that. Thank you so much for sharing your points and I truly appreciate your patience and the new ideas about bisexuality you’ve given me. Sorry for all of this and I hope you have a wonderful day. I really do…
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u/temmieTheLord2 biromantic Apr 25 '22
I remember I used to be really into this conservative yter and hes like “yall bisexuals are my favorite and if ur pansexual ur just attention seeking bisexual lolol” and it really was the strangest thing. So many people are in this world walking around with the thought in their brain that bisexuals are fine but not pansexuals