Among the most well-known sexual orientations are heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, and pansexuality.
However, bisexuality and pansexuality are sometimes confused with one another, or used interchangeably.
To learn bisexuality, and how they differ from one another, continue reading.
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What Is Pansexuality?
People who are pansexual can feel attracted to people regardless of their gender or sex.
This includes people who may not identify as a specific gender.
However, this does not mean they are attracted to everyone by default.
What Is Bisexuality?
Theres no rigid definition of bisexuality, and it can mean different things to different people.
But, generally speaking, bisexuality refers to the attraction to more than one gender.
Some people may consider bisexuality to refer exclusively to attraction to males and females.
Others may incorporate multiple gender identities into their definition.
However, many bisexual people acknowledge the existence of genders beyond the male/female binary.
However, there are some differences.
Whereas pansexuality refers to attraction to all genders, bisexuality refers to attraction tomultiple genders not necessarily all.
Often, bisexuality is taken to refer to the two binary genders, male and female.
They both fall under the bi+ umbrella, but they are not the same thing, says Clodfelter.
Straight people and gay people oftenexclude the bisexual person.
Like heterosexual people, not all bisexual or pansexual people are monogamous, but many are.
But as Clodfelter says, you don’t have to have had relationships with every gender to be valid.
Based on the typical definitions of pansexuality and bisexuality, this would make them bisexual.
Likewise, if a gender fluid person felt attraction to people of all genders, theyd be pansexual.
This includes bisexuality, pansexuality, polysexuality, multisexuality, and omnisexuality, to name a few.
Ultimately, its up to you, and you could use whatever label you feel most comfortable with.
Both are going to take some reflecting.
She suggests asking yourself these questions if youthink you may be pansexual or bisexual.
There are also manyonline resources.
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