#LovingYourIdentity: What Is the Difference Between Bisexual and Pansexual?

While the letters on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum may all be a part of the alphabet, they each have different meanings that are often misunderstood. So, what is the difference between bisexual and pansexual?

Before the modern-day reimaging of the rainbow classifications, society’s respect and recognition for one’s sexual identity barely went past lesbian or gay. Those who proudly deemed themselves “transgender” were muzzled by hateful slurs, and the mere mention of bisexuality was unnecessarily chalked up to an individual being “confused.” The black-and-white approach to one’s personal preference left no space for those “questioning” or outside of the label lines.

However, toward the mid/latter part of the twentieth century, the inclusive acronym LGBT (before its added letters) reached popularity and garnered mainstream awareness for the extra umbrellas. With the rise of the queer movement and pronoun usage, many shied away from society’s forced categorization(s), gaining a sense of liberation in their gender and romantic expression. Gone were the days of sitting in conflict and shame while the small-minded continued to push the narrative that orientation called for side-picking and explanations.

Due to new-age terms and tags, homosexuality has become expansive in more ways than one. From breaking barriers for men within the community to broadening the subjective scope, activists, advocates, and allies have made it clear that he, she, and they all have a right to own whatever they’ve proclaimed to be.

What Is the Difference Between Bisexual and Pansexual? A Crash Lesson on How the Two Separate

Although there are several sectors under the LGBTQIA+ arena, bisexual and pansexual are the most misconstrued and discriminated against.

Per research officer Martha Robinson Rhodes’ analysis on Stonewall.org, anatomist Robert Bentley first used the word “bisexuality” in 1859 while referring to a person with male and female physical characteristics (now known as intersex). The meaning has since shifted into a few variations but is now notably defined as what we know it to be today: human attraction to more than one gender.

Commonly shortened to “bi,” the controversial group involves same-and-opposite-sex-loving people whose attraction level to men and women could be equal or stronger to one gender over the other. Because of its diversity (due to bisexuals sometimes alternating between homosexual and heterosexual relationships), it’s frequently mistaken and even interchanged (in some cases) for pansexuality.

However, while pansexuals do (also) have a desirability for multiple genders, the difference is their attraction isn’t connected to one’s biological makeup. According to WebMD, pansexuality is when an individual finds appeal in another individual regardless of what end of the LGBTQIA+ radar they’re on, which could include cisgender, transgender, agender, non-binary, and other gender non-conforming folks.

An excerpt from Verywell Health read, “The word ‘pansexual’ was coined in the early 1900s by psychologist Sigmund Freud, who believed that everyone was born being attracted to many things, even inanimate objects. His definition referred to platonic curiosity rather than sexual or romantic attraction.” 

By the 1990s, many began exploring the concept of pansexuality, setting the foundation for what it is in 2024. Despite the biased dynamics engraved in the political heart of America, the visibility of the pan-crowd continues to increase, marching past the marginalization and proving (even more) that love has always been genderless.

Michael Page created the bisexual pride flat in 1998, represented by the colors pink, purple, and royal blue. In the early 2010s, Jasper V came with the pansexual pride flag with pink, yellow, and cyan stripes.

When did you come out as bisexual or pansexual? Let us know in the comments below!

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