BISEXUALITY VS. PANSEXUALITY
They’re practically the same thing right? FALSE!
Although the two sexual orientations share similarities, separately, they’re on two different ends of the sexuality spectrum. When it comes to people’s definition of the two, different fruits of different trees will define them differently, but as we continue to evolve in today’s modern society, it’s important for us to educate ourselves and create clear definitions of different genders and sexualities that can apply to any person, regardless of who they are or how they identify. The two common sexualities that get mixed up in the fray is the battle between Pansexuality and Bisexuality. In this post, as Queerful’s LGBTQ+ Love Guru, I will outline the different sexual orientations and discuss the main difference between the two.
*Please Note: The uses of the definitions of sexual orientations for Bisexuality and Pansexuality come from my professional expertise and knowledge as a Certified, Professional Gay Matchmaker, Certified Dating Coach, Graduate Studies in Clinical Psychology specializing in LGBT-Affirmative Psychology, and from LGBTQIA+ and ally sources. This post is for educational purposes.
Bisexuality: the attraction to more than one gender.
One of the common misconceptions when it comes to bisexuality is the misinformation of the desired attractiveness to genders. Some individuals have this notion that bisexuality is all equal on the sexuality scale, when reality is that it’s not always the case; one can have a spectrum with their sexual desires being dominant over another. That spectrum can also be widened if taking into consideration other multiple gender identities.
Example 1: John likes both men and women, but has a sexual preference towards men compared to women.
Example 2: Nina likes both women and men equally.
Example 3: Mo likes men and women, regardless if they’re cisgender or transgender.
Pansexuality: the attraction to one’s personality regardless of gender.
One of the common misconceptions when it comes to pansexuality is that people assume it’s essentially bisexuality if they also like any gender. It’s more than that. When you think of most individuals who identify as Pansexual, most of them can confidently say without a doubt, “I could care less what their gender is, as long as they have a great personality and we vibe well together”. That’s the bottomline—whether you’re a man, woman, transgender, non-binary, etc., the key identifier that will build both romantic and sexual attraction is the person’s personality.
Difference between the two:
The main difference between the two sexualities is gender compatibility when it comes to romantic and sexual interest. Let’s compare both sexual orientations on a dominant and secondary set: Those who are Bisexual, their dominant trait stem more gender, secondary personality, whereas those who are Pansexual, their dominant trait stem more personality, secondary gender. Bisexuality and Pansexuality differ from person to person- any person’s spectrum doesn’t change their orientation:
Example 1: Tina identifies as Bisexual, she likes women, transgender men, and non-binary individuals.
Example 2: Mark identifies as Pansexual, although his current partner is a transgender-female, he was attracted to her carefree nature and personality, not her genitals.
Conclusion:
Bisexuality and Pansexuality are two different sexual orientations. By reading this post, I hope this gives you clarity of the differentiates of the two. Q
Want to know more about Bisexuality and Pansexuality, let us know!
