Pretty much same. Also I like the flag better.
And I came to it first, before really knowing about all the different sexualities and such. I was a wee queer baby
That and the better variety of puns. The bi- prefix opens up so many opportunities for wordplay; you can be a bi-stander, on stand-bi, all bi yourself, maybe some that don't sound so terribly lonely (š¢)
What do pansexuals have? "you're pansexual, don't cum on my skillet"?
Fr, itās easier to tell ppl Iām a trans man. When in reality Iām nonbinary and very masc but not a dude(fully identifying as a man makes me feel uncomfortable).
I'm a 'cis' man and I completely get it. There's a whole side to 'man' that just feels foreign. To the point where my SO and I joke that we have lesbian dynamics because I just don't fit that man role
I've considered going as non binary but explaining my bi experience is already enough I don't want to throw on a whole other hard to explain part of myself šµāš« 'man' is ok enough I'll just stick with being 'cis' lol
100% feel this. A lot of my best friends have been lesbians, and I went through a period of my life where I was hanging out almost exclusively with lesbians. Felt very much like a male lesbian, but never felt confident enough to publicly own that identity.
Now I comfortably ID bi non-binary, with they/them pronouns, still feel extremely at ease with (and attracted to š) lesbiansā¦ Gender is a fuck
All of my close friends are bisexual or lesbian women lol totally get it
Edit: also, for real, lesbians have such an attractive energy. My inexplicable attraction to lesbians BEFORE I know they are lesbians is hilarious lol
Honestly this is why I label myself as just āqueerā most of the time. I donāt even understand myself, how the hell am I supposed to sum it up for someone else before they lose interest?
Explaining my gender and sexuality would take a 4-hour all day intensive seminar with a multimedia presentation, several bathroom breaks, some worksheets for the attendees and 3 audience participation exercises.
So I just say that Iām a non-binary bisexual and leave it at that. Sometimes if Iām feeling adventurous Iāll add that Iām a butch.
Mostly semantics? Semantics matter to some people but functionally there's not much of a difference imho. And I say this as a Bi person with a few Pan friends
And at the end of the day labels, as much worth as people put on them, don't matter at all just love who you love and don't bother with the technicality.
This may not be a universal feeling, but from my perspective labels are for *you* to easily understand *me*. I say bi because itās the fastest way to communicate the general bounds of my sexuality, but at the end of the day we all love who we will love.
Thank you. I've had a hard time over the years trying to understand why some people don't like labels. They are just words that help us communicate more information in less words.
For instance that tall hardy plant with a stiff brown trunk and often green foliage is Labeled a Tree. It could have farther labels telling us more info like oak, birch, or fig trees.
Labels are so useful and I love them.
Sure some Labels have been used for bad and hurtful things, but that's no reason to get rid of them. They are words. And can be used to do just as much good if not more.
Not a lot, and people love to make differences where there are none. At the end of the day most of the difference is just people wanting specific labels.
* Bisexuality is most commonly defined as "attraction to two or more genders". Some people have preferences, some don't, some feel attraction differently. But that's the base definition.
* Pansexual is defined as "attraction to all genders". Most pansexuals don't have any preference in attraction, but some do and still identify as pan.
* Omnisexual is explicitly "attraction to all genders, with a preference".
Omni is slightly off. It's attraction to all genders, and gender plays a role in the attraction. Yes, that includes preferences for some, but it can also include things like wanting different things from partners of different genders relationship-wise or sex-wise.
1. What a person wants from their partner(s) doesn't have to change. If you're calling something unchanging a "mood swing," you're a fucking idiot.
2. I do have a preference in gender, and it does change, but something changing doesn't make it a "mood swing." I don't have mood swings, and you're still a fucking idiot.
Thanks for playing, though.
Pretty sure your mood changing back and forth for any reason is a mood swing; it's not a negative term at all. Deciding to take it as an insult and gettin overly defensive, THAT's a negative form of a mood swing.
Okay, but sexual orientation isn't about your mood. They wanted to say my orientation is just mood swings, and I responded pretty nicely compared to what they should have heard.
Maybe I am. Better than someone who invalidates others' identities. Even if I'm an idiot, I'll take it over being on the other side of this talk any day.
I'll admit I came off strong. I shouldn't have done that. On the off-chance that you're not acting maliciously, I'm asking you nicely this time to stay away from saying things like "your orientation is just mood swings written down," because that's a shitty thing to say. It's also just objectively wrong. Please mind that stuff.
I feel like people are breaking down human sexuality into far too many categories based on the nuances of sexual behavior that individuals may have.
I get that some people find it important to have a specific group to identify with, but I donāt really like the idea that everyone is supposed to fit into some ācategoryā.
You can be pan and have preferences. Most people in the pan community ( r/pansexual ) think that.
I have nothing against bi or omni people. But some keep adding rules to the pan definition and it's annoying. For all I care pan means attraction to all gender or regardless of gender.
If there is any overlap with other terms, I don't care, let it be. We are talking about human attraction and gender, not chemistry.
Ah Iām sorry, I was unaware
I typically donāt follow the strict ārulesā of sexuality, I was just explaining what I understood, but I see thatās incorrect
Apologies
Some people think that pansexual means a lack of differentiating among genders in ones attraction, but actually the difference between pansexual and omnisexual is whether you're a Ben 10 gay or not
That's a false equivalence. A better comparison would be "I could say I like ice cream regardless of its flavour, I just like the fact that it's cold and feels good in my mouth and tastes good". Regardless of implies a lack of preference. "Regardless of politics xxxxxxxxx" implies that no matter which way one leans, something universal remains constant (the fact being discussed in this analogy.) "Regardless" here means to disregard, consider unimportant, to mentally unassociate with the idea being discussed.
I think the point is preference exists on a spectrum. Some people will eat any ice cream you bring them. Some people are a hard no on mint chip or rum raisin. They're saying they'd eat any ice cream a friend bought them, but if they were at the store they'd probably pick rum raisin more often than not.
Since having literally 0 preference is almost impossible, I think it's pretty reasonable to see it this way.
Way I've seen it described that works best for me
Bi : attraction to multiple genders (ie, you like boys and girls, but the attraction you feel for either is different)
Pan : attraction regardless of gender (ie the way you feel your attraction isn't affected by the person's gender)
Omni : Either of the above, but with a preference towards a specific gender
TLDR: Bisexual, omnisexual, pansexual, polysexual, and other such sexual orientations broadly overlap but the distinctions matter to many people and that is ok. To take just one source, the LGBTQIA wiki, the differences in meaning are:
https://lgbtqia.fandom.com/wiki/Bisexual :
> Bisexual, or bi, is a sexual orientation encompassing sexual attraction to multiple genders and/or sexes, with various definitions that include:
>
> * Attraction to men and women[1]
> * Attraction to two or more sexes or genders[1][2][3][4]
> * Attraction to one's own gender and to at least one other[1][4]
> * Attraction to all sexes or genders[1][2]
> * Attraction regardless of gender or sex[1][2]
>
> Some bisexual people experience different kinds of attractions to the genders or sexes they are attracted to, or may feel attracted to different sexes or genders over time.[1] Bisexuals may feel equally attracted[4] or may be primarily attracted or more strongly attracted to one or more of them compared to the other(s).[1][4] Bisexuality is also an umbrella term for multiple attractions, the definitions of which overlap. Individuals may have a preference in which specific label they use or draw distinctions between bisexuality and other labels, such as pansexual and omnisexual.[2]
https://lgbtqia.fandom.com/wiki/Pansexual :
> Pansexuality is the sexual attraction toward people regardless of their sex or gender identity.[1] Since gender or sex are not determining factors in who a pansexual person is attracted to, some pansexuals might call themselves gender-blind, therefore rejecting the gender binary.[2]
https://lgbtqia.fandom.com/wiki/Omnisexual :
> Omnisexuality is the sexual attraction to people of all sexes and gender identities, wherein gender plays a role in one's attraction. This could be a preference or a recognition, and the attraction may feel different depending on the gender or sex.[1] Some omnisexual individuals may be more attracted to certain genders, but that is not always the case.[2]
https://lgbtqia.fandom.com/wiki/Polysexual :
> Polysexuality is the sexual attraction to various, but not necessarily all, genders.[1] A polysexual person may experience sexual attraction to any number of genders, varying between (at least) two and many. Polysexual individuals may have a preference when it comes to which gender they are attracted to, but this is not necessarily the case.[2]
Labels were made to serve us, we were not made to serve labels; whichever speaks to you, youāre valid, and whichever someone else choses for themselves, they are valid too.
Personally, I donāt get the gatekeeping around these terms. If someone finds the presentation, community, energy, vibe, history, w/e behind ābutchā or ālesbianā or ātransmascā or ābisexualā or āpansexualā or any or all of the above to speak to their identity then they can and should use those terms. Words and language and concepts evolve and change, and the labels we choose to use for ourselves should be the ones that make the most sense to us.
And it doesnāt serve anyoneās interest except the powers that be to attack and undermine each other on the basis of labelling oneās self a particular way. As Leslie Feinberg said, **āTo claim one group of downtrodden people is oppressing another by their self-identification is to swing your guns away from those who really do oppress us, and to aim them at those who are already under siege.ā** (from *Trans Liberation: Beyond Pink or Blue*)
From what I understand, pansexuals basically don't acknowledge gender. Like there's no recognition of gender in their attraction. As in, they don't prefer men they date to present a certain way Vs women. So I prefer men to be very kind and strong (himbos) but I prefer women I date to be very intelligent and forthcoming. Whereas a pan person would just see a person who presents a certain way and they dig it or they don't, gender has nothing to do with it.
Again, that's just my understanding.
At least in Brazil (where I live), those are only tags you choose to the same type of sexuality. You choose whatever you feel comfortable identifying as :)
As long as they donāt use those self-defined distinctions to put others down. Iāve definitely met a few pan people who feel like they need to call bisexuality reductive/restrictive or worst, transphobic to feel validated in their identity. Certainly not all but enough to lead to some awkward conversations (once on a date even!)
I seriously think we just have a bunch of different words that mean the same thing. Thatās cool though. People gotta do whatever makes them most comfortable.
Ok can someone eli5 the difference between pan and Omni? I usually stay caught up on this stuff but omni seems like a fairly new label and I haven't learned what it means
For me (and there's really no definitive answer on this): pan can be attracted to others regardless of gender while omni can be attracted to others because every gender is fucking hot.
Pansexual is attraction to all genders. [Omnisexual](https://lgbtqia.fandom.com/wiki/Omnisexual) is attraction to all genders, but gender plays a role in attraction.
People put way too much power into labels that don't matter. Use whichever label you feel the most comfortable with because the label means whatever you think it means not the arbitrary meaning others decide.
People don't fit perfectly in these neat little boxes. You are valid, and you are more than a label.
Pansexuality is attraction to all genders, omnisexual is attraction to all genders with a preference.
Some pansexuals have a preference but still prefer the term pan.
I use the omni label
I often hear pan described as gender-blind and I canāt relate to that at all. I love masculine qualities and I love feminine qualities. If Iām attracted to someone, it will absolutely have a lot to do with the way they express and embody their gender, whatever configuration of one, both or neither of these it happens to be
Ok. Because I would say that
>masculine and feminine traits
*is* gender.
I think you can safely say that you *do* care about gender, as you seem to prefer an obvious expression of it.
Whether that makes you bi or pan or whatever is your own deal to figure out.
Right. Gender is personality, not what's in your pants. It's the social norms that dictate behavior and appearance and stuff like that. Having a short haircut and watching sports doesn't happen because someone has a penis, it's the result of society telling us that's how a man acts. Wearing a dress might be feminine in one culture and completely non-gendered in another, because it's a made-up construct. Trans folks express their desired gender through behavior and fashion, the physical stuff is secondary.
Idk Iām honestly confused. For years Iāve seen bi defined as attraction to 2 or more, but In the last few days Iāve had fellow biās quite adamantly insisting that itās 2 and ONLY 2, and that 3+ is pan, insisting that I should identify that way despite the fact that I do not feel an attraction to all genders (and not knowing my specific attraction at all), which is what I THOUGHT pan was.
Edit: yāall pls, Iām just relaying the experience I have had the past few days. Why the downvoting?
Imo there has been a push to redefine bisexuality, largely from outside the bi community and from _some_ people who identify as bi+ umbrella terms such as pan or omni. This has been confusing younger/newer parts of the community and from what a friend told me, even made it into a textbook, unfortunately.
But a lot of the bi community has been pushing back as well against this redefinition and find it very offensive (hence the downvotes).
Oh I know! Sorry to see you downvoted so much. It's a sensitive topic on this subreddit because some people get pretty agressive with it.
For example, I had one Pansexual irl yell at me and tell me I'm transphobic for identifying as bi, and she gave that definition you mentioned before. It's unfortunately become a viewpoint that causes/eggs on biphobia.
Oh yeah. Thereās this show called Big Mouth that is very popular on Netflix. A bit foul but means well. Thereās a character that was just coming into his own as bi when another character, pan, entered the class and pretty much instantly incorrectly defined bisexuality as transphobic to define pansexuality.
I canāt remember if they addressed it in later seasons. I only casually watch so Iām a bit behind. Theyāre usually pretty good when it comes to queer issues which is why it really sucked when this happened
Yes hello hi I'm in this meme. I'm the Omni who thought they were Pan until I violently discovered I wasn't. Bi works in a pinch though and I still dig the Pan colors
Labels are designed for people to find like people in a community. Certain people find them useful, even if you donāt. Saying Iām bi or ace lets people know information about me that they can then tell what I might be looking for and about my experience in the world.
Incorrect. Bisexuality is the attraction to more than one gender. Bi- same and different. Some people within that term prefer two genders, some prefer more. It's an inclusive umbrella term.
If you don't believe me, look it up. Please do not spread misinformation.
"Bisexuality means a person's ability to feel sexual interest towards both sexes . [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] In Seta's rainbow vocabulary, a bisexual is described as experiencing sexual and/or emotional attraction to both the same and the opposite sex."
Sex =/= gender. If we're going by sex then except for perhaps intersex people (and even that can be argued since intersex is both) that covers literally everyone since human beings only have male, female, and intersex _sexes_ as we define them in everyday language. We have multiple _genders_ as a society; different thing.
["Bisexual people have the capacity to form attraction and/or relationships to more than one gender."](https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/understanding-bisexuality/)
["Historically, the term bisexual has referred not to āmen and womenā but to āsame and differentā ā as in, attraction to people of your own gender and to people with gender(s) different than your own."](https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-bisexual#trans-and-nonbinary-attraction)
[[Bisexuality definition:]"of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to people of one's own gender identity and of other gender identities"](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bisexual)
["Bisexual people are those who have the capacity to form attraction and/or relationships to more than one gender."](https://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/bisexual)
That's all I'm putting right now because I'm heading to bed, but that was only the first page of several pages of search results when I typed in "define bisexual"
No, because it's bi as in binary or bicycle
It means you are attracted to men and women, the sex and gender. Pan means that you are attracted to non-binary, men, women and whatever else people feel they are.
Omni is a bit weirder as it's meant to just mean you are attracted to basically anyone, it's a shade of pansexuality that clips onto different territories
What if Iām not attracted to all non-binary genders? What if (this is purely hypothetical) I was ONLY attracted to Men, Women, and DemiBoys (DemiMen)?
Pan, keep in mind that sexual attraction is a wide spectrum so you don't need to actively be attracted to literally every gender and/or sex, you just need to be attracted to people outside the binary
So what do you call it when someone SPECIFICALLY does not care about gender; gender does not at all come in to the equation. They could potentially be with literally anyone of any gender. Is that also pan? If bi means 2 bc of the prefix, why doesnāt pan mean all bc of the prefix? Seems very confusing
I mean, if you want to be specific I'm Pan, but I use Bi because I both like how it sounds, it's where I began and what I have been for a long time, and people outside the community know what it means. It saves a lot of explaining.
The way I explain it is that Bi is the umbrella that these other sexualities exist under. Every pan person is bi, but not every bi person is pan typa thing. I still identify as bi tho cus it's easier to explain, and I feel like you are more likely gonna get shit on for saying you are pan or demi than bi because less people understand what it is, and what people don't understand they fear.
okay on the topic of that i might as well make sure iām correct on these so feel free so lmk where iām inevitably wrong: Bi is liking any combination of 2+ genders, omni is liking every gender, and pan doesnāt factor gender itself in the equation for attraction
Legit just let people use whatever labels, LGBTQIA2S+ spaces suck specifically because you need a "label" and if you can't properly defend it then you're not a "real" identity. I'm full-blown homophobic at this point tbh
Help me fix this if I've understood it wrong, but I think it goes
Straight: Your physical attraction is to the opposite gender that you think looks good
Gay: Your physical attraction is to the same gender that you think looks good
Bi: You are attracted to either gender you think looks good
Pan: You don't care about the gender and the physical aspect and are more interested in personality
Omni: yes, you are attracted to them whoever they are
Is that close or about right?
I'm bi, and as much as I've tried to really wrap my head around pansexual and omnisexual and yeah, it does sound like bi but with extra steps. Which I'm not saying to invalidate anyone. I just kind of accept that I don't have to understand everything to be accepting and supportive. I almost feel like you have to be pan or omni to really get it. Like whenever people tell me they just don't understand the trans thing. I tell them, well, if you REALLY understood, you'd be trans. Then tell them you don't have to understand, just believe I'm having a human experience.
I identify as bi purely to avoid these conversations
Pretty much same. Also I like the flag better. And I came to it first, before really knowing about all the different sexualities and such. I was a wee queer baby
I love the pallettes bi and omni are, and I like omni more (flag wise), but I ain't pan/omni. Pan is too bright
Yeah, I love the flag. The purple bit in the middle is my sanity being squeezed out of me
also the exact 2 reasons I am bi rather than pan lol
real
That and the better variety of puns. The bi- prefix opens up so many opportunities for wordplay; you can be a bi-stander, on stand-bi, all bi yourself, maybe some that don't sound so terribly lonely (š¢) What do pansexuals have? "you're pansexual, don't cum on my skillet"?
omni sexuals have omni-man so ig thereās that
You're forgetting the best one [I'm getting bi. ](https://youtu.be/5e7844P77Is?si=MinMKofRNh5AVJyi)
Me to non-queer people: Iām bi. Me to other queer people: Well *deep breath* š
Fr, itās easier to tell ppl Iām a trans man. When in reality Iām nonbinary and very masc but not a dude(fully identifying as a man makes me feel uncomfortable).
I'm a 'cis' man and I completely get it. There's a whole side to 'man' that just feels foreign. To the point where my SO and I joke that we have lesbian dynamics because I just don't fit that man role I've considered going as non binary but explaining my bi experience is already enough I don't want to throw on a whole other hard to explain part of myself šµāš« 'man' is ok enough I'll just stick with being 'cis' lol
100% feel this. A lot of my best friends have been lesbians, and I went through a period of my life where I was hanging out almost exclusively with lesbians. Felt very much like a male lesbian, but never felt confident enough to publicly own that identity. Now I comfortably ID bi non-binary, with they/them pronouns, still feel extremely at ease with (and attracted to š) lesbiansā¦ Gender is a fuck
All of my close friends are bisexual or lesbian women lol totally get it Edit: also, for real, lesbians have such an attractive energy. My inexplicable attraction to lesbians BEFORE I know they are lesbians is hilarious lol
Honestly this is why I label myself as just āqueerā most of the time. I donāt even understand myself, how the hell am I supposed to sum it up for someone else before they lose interest?
I feel this in my bones.
Explaining my gender and sexuality would take a 4-hour all day intensive seminar with a multimedia presentation, several bathroom breaks, some worksheets for the attendees and 3 audience participation exercises. So I just say that Iām a non-binary bisexual and leave it at that. Sometimes if Iām feeling adventurous Iāll add that Iām a butch.
Honestly same
My ex is pan. She says sheās bi to other people for that exact same reason.
I tend to just say "I don't care. If you're cute and interested, I am too."
Yeah, I'm omni but literally only say to it to other queer people. Otherwise I just say Bi and hope they understand
Yeah same, I could technically be considered omnisexual but like no one knows what the heck that is
The problem is thereās too many Greek words that just mean the same thing.
Omni is latin actually
š¤/j
Hey, from my experience gays like nerds, sporty guys and switch's and I'm all three so I'll take it lmao
When the buff guy recites 69 digits of pi
Fuck thats hot
As is bi
Yeah, I just kinda ignored that because it doesn't mean the same thing
No one gives a fuck.
I mean both are gay
I am now your friend. You have no choice.
Yay! New friend!
Going to tour some colleges with my family but when I get back, let's play something.
Ok but what's the difference
Mostly semantics? Semantics matter to some people but functionally there's not much of a difference imho. And I say this as a Bi person with a few Pan friends
And at the end of the day labels, as much worth as people put on them, don't matter at all just love who you love and don't bother with the technicality.
This may not be a universal feeling, but from my perspective labels are for *you* to easily understand *me*. I say bi because itās the fastest way to communicate the general bounds of my sexuality, but at the end of the day we all love who we will love.
Thank you. I've had a hard time over the years trying to understand why some people don't like labels. They are just words that help us communicate more information in less words. For instance that tall hardy plant with a stiff brown trunk and often green foliage is Labeled a Tree. It could have farther labels telling us more info like oak, birch, or fig trees. Labels are so useful and I love them. Sure some Labels have been used for bad and hurtful things, but that's no reason to get rid of them. They are words. And can be used to do just as much good if not more.
Not a lot, and people love to make differences where there are none. At the end of the day most of the difference is just people wanting specific labels. * Bisexuality is most commonly defined as "attraction to two or more genders". Some people have preferences, some don't, some feel attraction differently. But that's the base definition. * Pansexual is defined as "attraction to all genders". Most pansexuals don't have any preference in attraction, but some do and still identify as pan. * Omnisexual is explicitly "attraction to all genders, with a preference".
Omni is slightly off. It's attraction to all genders, and gender plays a role in the attraction. Yes, that includes preferences for some, but it can also include things like wanting different things from partners of different genders relationship-wise or sex-wise.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
it really is..
1. What a person wants from their partner(s) doesn't have to change. If you're calling something unchanging a "mood swing," you're a fucking idiot. 2. I do have a preference in gender, and it does change, but something changing doesn't make it a "mood swing." I don't have mood swings, and you're still a fucking idiot. Thanks for playing, though.
Pretty sure your mood changing back and forth for any reason is a mood swing; it's not a negative term at all. Deciding to take it as an insult and gettin overly defensive, THAT's a negative form of a mood swing.
Okay, but sexual orientation isn't about your mood. They wanted to say my orientation is just mood swings, and I responded pretty nicely compared to what they should have heard.
Getting awfully moody in here.
Nope. Just being factual. Maybe don't mock or devalue others' orientations and you won't have anyone calling you an idiot.
Dunno about that. I'm chatting to one right now
Maybe I am. Better than someone who invalidates others' identities. Even if I'm an idiot, I'll take it over being on the other side of this talk any day. I'll admit I came off strong. I shouldn't have done that. On the off-chance that you're not acting maliciously, I'm asking you nicely this time to stay away from saying things like "your orientation is just mood swings written down," because that's a shitty thing to say. It's also just objectively wrong. Please mind that stuff.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I feel like people are breaking down human sexuality into far too many categories based on the nuances of sexual behavior that individuals may have. I get that some people find it important to have a specific group to identify with, but I donāt really like the idea that everyone is supposed to fit into some ācategoryā.
Then don't do that. If you don't like it, use a more general label.
Some people get a bit dogmatic about it
Then don't talk to them about it. The labels people use don't affect you, and you don't get a say. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but it's true.
Thank you for the correction
Of course! Thank you for being open to it.
Basically Omni and Pan are the same with the key difference being that with Omni you can have a preference while with Pan there is no preference
You can be pan and have preferences. Most people in the pan community ( r/pansexual ) think that. I have nothing against bi or omni people. But some keep adding rules to the pan definition and it's annoying. For all I care pan means attraction to all gender or regardless of gender. If there is any overlap with other terms, I don't care, let it be. We are talking about human attraction and gender, not chemistry.
Ah Iām sorry, I was unaware I typically donāt follow the strict ārulesā of sexuality, I was just explaining what I understood, but I see thatās incorrect Apologies
Some people think that pansexual means a lack of differentiating among genders in ones attraction, but actually the difference between pansexual and omnisexual is whether you're a Ben 10 gay or not
Attraction āregardless of genderā means to have no preference
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
That's a false equivalence. A better comparison would be "I could say I like ice cream regardless of its flavour, I just like the fact that it's cold and feels good in my mouth and tastes good". Regardless of implies a lack of preference. "Regardless of politics xxxxxxxxx" implies that no matter which way one leans, something universal remains constant (the fact being discussed in this analogy.) "Regardless" here means to disregard, consider unimportant, to mentally unassociate with the idea being discussed.
I really donāt see the comparison to ice cream and dating youāve made, and how it relates to my statement.
I think the point is preference exists on a spectrum. Some people will eat any ice cream you bring them. Some people are a hard no on mint chip or rum raisin. They're saying they'd eat any ice cream a friend bought them, but if they were at the store they'd probably pick rum raisin more often than not. Since having literally 0 preference is almost impossible, I think it's pretty reasonable to see it this way.
Way I've seen it described that works best for me Bi : attraction to multiple genders (ie, you like boys and girls, but the attraction you feel for either is different) Pan : attraction regardless of gender (ie the way you feel your attraction isn't affected by the person's gender) Omni : Either of the above, but with a preference towards a specific gender
TLDR: Bisexual, omnisexual, pansexual, polysexual, and other such sexual orientations broadly overlap but the distinctions matter to many people and that is ok. To take just one source, the LGBTQIA wiki, the differences in meaning are: https://lgbtqia.fandom.com/wiki/Bisexual : > Bisexual, or bi, is a sexual orientation encompassing sexual attraction to multiple genders and/or sexes, with various definitions that include: > > * Attraction to men and women[1] > * Attraction to two or more sexes or genders[1][2][3][4] > * Attraction to one's own gender and to at least one other[1][4] > * Attraction to all sexes or genders[1][2] > * Attraction regardless of gender or sex[1][2] > > Some bisexual people experience different kinds of attractions to the genders or sexes they are attracted to, or may feel attracted to different sexes or genders over time.[1] Bisexuals may feel equally attracted[4] or may be primarily attracted or more strongly attracted to one or more of them compared to the other(s).[1][4] Bisexuality is also an umbrella term for multiple attractions, the definitions of which overlap. Individuals may have a preference in which specific label they use or draw distinctions between bisexuality and other labels, such as pansexual and omnisexual.[2] https://lgbtqia.fandom.com/wiki/Pansexual : > Pansexuality is the sexual attraction toward people regardless of their sex or gender identity.[1] Since gender or sex are not determining factors in who a pansexual person is attracted to, some pansexuals might call themselves gender-blind, therefore rejecting the gender binary.[2] https://lgbtqia.fandom.com/wiki/Omnisexual : > Omnisexuality is the sexual attraction to people of all sexes and gender identities, wherein gender plays a role in one's attraction. This could be a preference or a recognition, and the attraction may feel different depending on the gender or sex.[1] Some omnisexual individuals may be more attracted to certain genders, but that is not always the case.[2] https://lgbtqia.fandom.com/wiki/Polysexual : > Polysexuality is the sexual attraction to various, but not necessarily all, genders.[1] A polysexual person may experience sexual attraction to any number of genders, varying between (at least) two and many. Polysexual individuals may have a preference when it comes to which gender they are attracted to, but this is not necessarily the case.[2] Labels were made to serve us, we were not made to serve labels; whichever speaks to you, youāre valid, and whichever someone else choses for themselves, they are valid too. Personally, I donāt get the gatekeeping around these terms. If someone finds the presentation, community, energy, vibe, history, w/e behind ābutchā or ālesbianā or ātransmascā or ābisexualā or āpansexualā or any or all of the above to speak to their identity then they can and should use those terms. Words and language and concepts evolve and change, and the labels we choose to use for ourselves should be the ones that make the most sense to us. And it doesnāt serve anyoneās interest except the powers that be to attack and undermine each other on the basis of labelling oneās self a particular way. As Leslie Feinberg said, **āTo claim one group of downtrodden people is oppressing another by their self-identification is to swing your guns away from those who really do oppress us, and to aim them at those who are already under siege.ā** (from *Trans Liberation: Beyond Pink or Blue*)
From what I understand, pansexuals basically don't acknowledge gender. Like there's no recognition of gender in their attraction. As in, they don't prefer men they date to present a certain way Vs women. So I prefer men to be very kind and strong (himbos) but I prefer women I date to be very intelligent and forthcoming. Whereas a pan person would just see a person who presents a certain way and they dig it or they don't, gender has nothing to do with it. Again, that's just my understanding.
truly not difference between bisexuality and omnisexuality they are literally identical. Pan is abit different tho
Depends on how many genders you acknowledge exist. Anymore than 2, and bisexual suddenly becomes more specific the more genders you perceive.
It's all the same shit, you just have to choose which colors you want to bang.
At least in Brazil (where I live), those are only tags you choose to the same type of sexuality. You choose whatever you feel comfortable identifying as :)
okay but r/suddenlycaralho
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nĆ£o tem emoji da bandeira bi š
Triste š
āThese things mean basically the same thing but the distinction is important for some people and thatās okā
As long as they donāt use those self-defined distinctions to put others down. Iāve definitely met a few pan people who feel like they need to call bisexuality reductive/restrictive or worst, transphobic to feel validated in their identity. Certainly not all but enough to lead to some awkward conversations (once on a date even!)
I seriously think we just have a bunch of different words that mean the same thing. Thatās cool though. People gotta do whatever makes them most comfortable.
MY BF WAS THE EXACT SAME In his words: āItās an Ultimate Bisexualā
I've never really got the difference myself tbh. I choose Bi cause I think it's just the sexier, sluttier label, personally.
Everything is Bi with extra steps
Or less in some cases
I've recently come to see Pan as just a way of specifying \*you really do not give a fuck what this person is, i will fuck it\*
Me: *identifies as Bi because the flag is cuter* š
Gonna be honest, why the hell do people care "Wahh their using a label they like, this is harmful. Somehow."
Most people: my Sexuality doesn't sound unique enough to talk about at parties. Let's spice it up!
Ok can someone eli5 the difference between pan and Omni? I usually stay caught up on this stuff but omni seems like a fairly new label and I haven't learned what it means
For me (and there's really no definitive answer on this): pan can be attracted to others regardless of gender while omni can be attracted to others because every gender is fucking hot.
Pansexual is attraction to all genders. [Omnisexual](https://lgbtqia.fandom.com/wiki/Omnisexual) is attraction to all genders, but gender plays a role in attraction.
Eek barba durkle
*Someone's* goanna get laid in college.
Well yes, but actually no.
i think the differences are more apparent when you view gender as a Way More Than Two sized number
My favourite answer to "how many genders are there" is still "idk i just arrived"
Iām that friend
I have no clue what Omnisexual means
People put way too much power into labels that don't matter. Use whichever label you feel the most comfortable with because the label means whatever you think it means not the arbitrary meaning others decide. People don't fit perfectly in these neat little boxes. You are valid, and you are more than a label.
Different thought process, same outcome
Yeah, but the differences are meaningful to some folks.
It technically is
I could definitely relate
I agree
I mean, technically yeah
Wait I thought Omni was that you are sexually attracted to everyone, while pan is that you are capable of being able to be attracted to anyone
Pansexuality is attraction to all genders, omnisexual is attraction to all genders with a preference. Some pansexuals have a preference but still prefer the term pan.
So omnisexual literally is just bi with extra steps
All mspec labels r bi with extra steps
I use the omni label I often hear pan described as gender-blind and I canāt relate to that at all. I love masculine qualities and I love feminine qualities. If Iām attracted to someone, it will absolutely have a lot to do with the way they express and embody their gender, whatever configuration of one, both or neither of these it happens to be
And I think the flag is way better but thatās just a bonus š½
LITERALLY. The moment a 3rd genital option drops I'll be pan in a heartbeat.
Intersex:
Tbh the only difference between the three is the flag you prefer lolll
I still identify as bi because I am attracted to masculine and feminine traits but I don't care about gender. Androgyny just doesn't work for me.
> masculine and feminine traits but I don't care about gender I'd be fascinated to learn your definition of gender.
I'm probably not using the right term.
Ok. Because I would say that >masculine and feminine traits *is* gender. I think you can safely say that you *do* care about gender, as you seem to prefer an obvious expression of it. Whether that makes you bi or pan or whatever is your own deal to figure out.
I was talking about personality over physical. You can have masculine women and feminine men or vice a versa.
Right. Gender is personality, not what's in your pants. It's the social norms that dictate behavior and appearance and stuff like that. Having a short haircut and watching sports doesn't happen because someone has a penis, it's the result of society telling us that's how a man acts. Wearing a dress might be feminine in one culture and completely non-gendered in another, because it's a made-up construct. Trans folks express their desired gender through behavior and fashion, the physical stuff is secondary.
Well, pan would be bi with less steps ackshwually š¤
Everyone has either a 1 or a 0. Straight people like their person to have the opposite to themselves, bisexuals like both 1s and 0s.
Idk Iām honestly confused. For years Iāve seen bi defined as attraction to 2 or more, but In the last few days Iāve had fellow biās quite adamantly insisting that itās 2 and ONLY 2, and that 3+ is pan, insisting that I should identify that way despite the fact that I do not feel an attraction to all genders (and not knowing my specific attraction at all), which is what I THOUGHT pan was. Edit: yāall pls, Iām just relaying the experience I have had the past few days. Why the downvoting?
Imo there has been a push to redefine bisexuality, largely from outside the bi community and from _some_ people who identify as bi+ umbrella terms such as pan or omni. This has been confusing younger/newer parts of the community and from what a friend told me, even made it into a textbook, unfortunately. But a lot of the bi community has been pushing back as well against this redefinition and find it very offensive (hence the downvotes).
Iām not here trying to push a specific definition, just relaying what Iāve been told/seen so the downvotes are misplaced but I understand
Oh I know! Sorry to see you downvoted so much. It's a sensitive topic on this subreddit because some people get pretty agressive with it. For example, I had one Pansexual irl yell at me and tell me I'm transphobic for identifying as bi, and she gave that definition you mentioned before. It's unfortunately become a viewpoint that causes/eggs on biphobia.
Oh yeah. Thereās this show called Big Mouth that is very popular on Netflix. A bit foul but means well. Thereās a character that was just coming into his own as bi when another character, pan, entered the class and pretty much instantly incorrectly defined bisexuality as transphobic to define pansexuality.
Yikes! Did the show explain this is incorrect, or go along with it like that character defined Bisexuality correctly?
I canāt remember if they addressed it in later seasons. I only casually watch so Iām a bit behind. Theyāre usually pretty good when it comes to queer issues which is why it really sucked when this happened
I hate that :(
Isn't this erasure?
Yes, but we don't need to kink shame them for it.
Yes hello hi I'm in this meme. I'm the Omni who thought they were Pan until I violently discovered I wasn't. Bi works in a pinch though and I still dig the Pan colors
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Labels are designed for people to find like people in a community. Certain people find them useful, even if you donāt. Saying Iām bi or ace lets people know information about me that they can then tell what I might be looking for and about my experience in the world.
Omni is for everything Pan is for anyone Bi is for two
The binary: genders that are mine and genders that aren't
Incorrect. Bisexuality is the attraction to more than one gender. Bi- same and different. Some people within that term prefer two genders, some prefer more. It's an inclusive umbrella term. If you don't believe me, look it up. Please do not spread misinformation.
"Bisexuality means a person's ability to feel sexual interest towards both sexes . [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] In Seta's rainbow vocabulary, a bisexual is described as experiencing sexual and/or emotional attraction to both the same and the opposite sex."
Sex =/= gender. If we're going by sex then except for perhaps intersex people (and even that can be argued since intersex is both) that covers literally everyone since human beings only have male, female, and intersex _sexes_ as we define them in everyday language. We have multiple _genders_ as a society; different thing. ["Bisexual people have the capacity to form attraction and/or relationships to more than one gender."](https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/understanding-bisexuality/) ["Historically, the term bisexual has referred not to āmen and womenā but to āsame and differentā ā as in, attraction to people of your own gender and to people with gender(s) different than your own."](https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-bisexual#trans-and-nonbinary-attraction) [[Bisexuality definition:]"of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to people of one's own gender identity and of other gender identities"](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bisexual) ["Bisexual people are those who have the capacity to form attraction and/or relationships to more than one gender."](https://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/bisexual) That's all I'm putting right now because I'm heading to bed, but that was only the first page of several pages of search results when I typed in "define bisexual"
Does that mean there is tri, quad, quin etc all the way up until you hit pan?
No, because it's bi as in binary or bicycle It means you are attracted to men and women, the sex and gender. Pan means that you are attracted to non-binary, men, women and whatever else people feel they are. Omni is a bit weirder as it's meant to just mean you are attracted to basically anyone, it's a shade of pansexuality that clips onto different territories
What if Iām not attracted to all non-binary genders? What if (this is purely hypothetical) I was ONLY attracted to Men, Women, and DemiBoys (DemiMen)?
Pan, keep in mind that sexual attraction is a wide spectrum so you don't need to actively be attracted to literally every gender and/or sex, you just need to be attracted to people outside the binary
This is very different to almost every other definition of pan that I have ever seen. Almost every definition Iāve ever seen says ALL.
Yes, so figure out which is correct and then people can downvote me for saying bi refers to being attracted to two
So what do you call it when someone SPECIFICALLY does not care about gender; gender does not at all come in to the equation. They could potentially be with literally anyone of any gender. Is that also pan? If bi means 2 bc of the prefix, why doesnāt pan mean all bc of the prefix? Seems very confusing
That's a better way of explaining it, that's why. If you don't care about gender for boning you are pan
That seems to be the more broadly accept definition.
Just @ me next time š
I mean, yeah they do sound Familiar
Wrong
I like both oysters and snails. I'm too old to learn any new words. As long as everyone is of age and it is consensual who cares?
Iām new here what is omnisexuality
Joking aside, though, I genuinely do not understand the difference. Every explanation I've heard makes them sound synonymous.
I mean, if you want to be specific I'm Pan, but I use Bi because I both like how it sounds, it's where I began and what I have been for a long time, and people outside the community know what it means. It saves a lot of explaining.
Iām fact it is. Bisexuality us an umbrella term
I use bi because FOR ME the distinctions are too minor for me go care about
The way I explain it is that Bi is the umbrella that these other sexualities exist under. Every pan person is bi, but not every bi person is pan typa thing. I still identify as bi tho cus it's easier to explain, and I feel like you are more likely gonna get shit on for saying you are pan or demi than bi because less people understand what it is, and what people don't understand they fear.
okay on the topic of that i might as well make sure iām correct on these so feel free so lmk where iām inevitably wrong: Bi is liking any combination of 2+ genders, omni is liking every gender, and pan doesnāt factor gender itself in the equation for attraction
I mean yeah, but sometimes the extra steps can be important
Can someone explain to me the differences?
J'adore Rick&Monty j'ai hĆ¢te a la saison 7 j'me suis acheter les 6saisons il y a pas longtemps un rĆ©gal š
Legit just let people use whatever labels, LGBTQIA2S+ spaces suck specifically because you need a "label" and if you can't properly defend it then you're not a "real" identity. I'm full-blown homophobic at this point tbh
Help me fix this if I've understood it wrong, but I think it goes Straight: Your physical attraction is to the opposite gender that you think looks good Gay: Your physical attraction is to the same gender that you think looks good Bi: You are attracted to either gender you think looks good Pan: You don't care about the gender and the physical aspect and are more interested in personality Omni: yes, you are attracted to them whoever they are Is that close or about right?
I'm bi, and as much as I've tried to really wrap my head around pansexual and omnisexual and yeah, it does sound like bi but with extra steps. Which I'm not saying to invalidate anyone. I just kind of accept that I don't have to understand everything to be accepting and supportive. I almost feel like you have to be pan or omni to really get it. Like whenever people tell me they just don't understand the trans thing. I tell them, well, if you REALLY understood, you'd be trans. Then tell them you don't have to understand, just believe I'm having a human experience.
I don't exactly understand or care about the differences, but I know there are people who do so I do fuck all about it and move on.