She Strengthens

Understanding Your Sexual Orientation: Bisexuality and Pansexuality

Are you curious about the differences between bisexuality and pansexuality? While both involve attraction to multiple genders, they have distinct meanings. Let’s explore how to distinguish between these two identities and find the label that resonates with you.

What Does it Mean to be Bisexual?

A bisexual person is attracted to their own gender and other genders. The prefix “bi-” means “two,” but being bisexual doesn’t limit you to attraction to only two genders. You can be attracted to multiple genders, and your sexual orientation may not fit into traditional binary male/female categories. Non-binary individuals, who identify as something other than “man” or “woman,” can also identify as bisexual.

What Does it Mean to be Pansexual?

The prefix “pan-” means “all,” and identifying as pansexual means you’re attracted to people of all genders. Pansexuality focuses on compatibility with a person, regardless of their gender identity or biological sex. Whether someone is agender, non-binary, cisgender, or transgender, their gender doesn’t play a role in attraction.

The Key Differences Between Bi and Pan

While both identities involve attraction to multiple genders, the main distinction lies in how gender influences attraction. A pansexual person may feel sexual attraction to people of any gender, whereas a bisexual person may feel attraction to multiple genders, but not all. This subtle difference comes down to how gender factors into attraction.

More Than Just Labels

Neither bisexuality nor pansexuality means you’re attracted to every person you meet. Both are sexual orientations that explain your capacity for attraction, either to all or multiple genders. You can still choose to be in a monogamous or polyamorous relationship, and your preferences may change over time.

Finding Your Identity

Choosing a label that defines your sexual orientation is a personal decision. You might identify as bisexual, pansexual, or something else entirely. Your preference can evolve, and meeting new people may cause you to reevaluate your attractions. Ultimately, you decide which label (if any) feels authentic to you.

Attraction and Identity

Being bisexual or pansexual doesn’t mean you’re attracted to everyone. You can have preferences for certain genders, and studies have shown that preferences are common across LGBTQ+ identities. Additionally, you can experience different types of attraction, such as romantic or sexual attraction, which may differ from your gender identity.

Exploring Romantic Attractions

You can also experience romantic attractions in various ways, including:

• Aromantic: Little to no romantic attraction to anyone
• Biromantic: Romantically attracted to people of your own gender and other genders
• Demiromantic: Need an emotional connection to experience romantic attraction
• Heteroromantic: Only romantically attracted to genders different than your own
• Homoromantic: Only romantically attracted to your own gender
• Greyromantic: Experiencing romantic attraction infrequently
• Panromantic: Romantically attracted to people of all genders
• Polyromantic: Romantically attracted to people of many genders, but not all

Discovering Your Identity

There’s no test to determine your sexual orientation. It’s up to you to decide which identity or identities resonate with you. You can ask yourself questions like:

• Do I feel comfortable within a certain community?
• Are the people I’m romantically attracted to the same as those I want to have sex with?
• Are there genders I don’t find myself romantically or sexually attracted to?
• How important is personality in my attraction?

Beyond Bi and Pan

If neither bisexuality nor pansexuality feels like a good fit, you can explore other identities, such as:

• Polysexual: Attracted to many but not all genders
• Asexual: No sexual attraction to anyone, regardless of gender
• Greysexual: Rarely experiencing sexual attraction
• Demisexual: Rarely experiencing sexual attraction, but when you do, it’s from a strong emotional connection
• Queer: Encompasses anyone who doesn’t identify as straight

Embracing Your Identity

There’s no one way to be bisexual or pansexual. It’s up to you to decide if these terms fit your sexual orientation. Remember, you can choose whatever label resonates with you or opt for no label at all. Be patient and kind to yourself as you navigate your identity.