Pansexuality

[Princess Luna]

I have considered my bisexual for the last few years, but about 10 minutes ago I found out I am actually pansexual. I always thought being attracted to both genders as well as people who fall outside the traditional binary alignment of male and female, was just a extension of bisexuality. But apparently bisexuality is only being attracted to males and females, and pansexuality is being attracted to people regardless of gender.

[Tenka]

I wonder if there's a word for being attracted exclusively to people who fall outside the binary. Anyway, I think pansexuality is sort of the unacknowledged "default orientation" -- certainly more plausible than heterosexuality, if we're to believe there's such thing as a "default".

(edit: second half of post sort of irrelevant, lazy rambling I put in for lack of anything substantial to add. sry)

[Azraella]

I have considered my bisexual for the last few years, but about 10 minutes ago I found out I am actually pansexual. I always thought being attracted to both genders as well as people who fall outside the traditional binary alignment of male and female, was just a extension of bisexuality. But apparently bisexuality is only being attracted to males and females, and pansexuality is being attracted to people regardless of gender.


Well it can be more complicated than that:

Heterosexual: sexually attracted to those of genders other than your own (usually the opposite and only one)

Homosexual: sexually attracted to those of the same gender

Pansexual: sexually attracted to people regardless of gender

Bisexual: sexually attracted to females and males (can include trans men and women)

Demisexual: sexually attracted only to those with whom a strong emotional/romantic connection preexists

Asexual: not sexually attracted to anyone

Gray-asexual: on the asexual spectrum, but not fully sexual

Straight: sexually or romantically attracted to those of the “opposite” gender

Gay: sexually or romantically attracted to those of the same gender

Queer: not straight

Heteroromantic: romantically attracted to those of genders other than your own (usually the opposite and only one)

Homoromantic: romantically attracted to those of the same gender

Panromantic: romantically attracted to people regardless of gender
Biromantic: romantically attracted to males and females

Demiromantic: romantically attracted only to those with whom a strong emotional connection built up over much time exists/experiencing romantic attraction very rarely

Aromantic: not romantically attracted to anyone

Techincally I'm a demi and pan-romantic and demi-sexual. Edit: The point is is that romantic attraction might not mesh with sexual attraction.

[gorillafuck]

I actually think that bisexual covers everything. it means you're attracted to both biological sexes. people that are non-gendered still have a biological sex.

[9]

TBH, all of the various sexual orientations seem pretty artificial to me.

[9]

particularly when they turn into some kind of "identity". I really dont get the whole concept of basing your identity on the sort of people you prefer to have sex with.

[Leftsolidarity]

I would be considered pansexual but whenever it comes up I just say "queer" or "bi-sexual" because it's easier. It's little details that don't really matter in life. I like people, simple as that.

[Quail]

I guess really I would be pansexual, but I tend to call myself bisexual because I only recently heard of the term pansexual.

I'm not really sure what the real, actual difference between the two labels is, to be honest. If a bisexual person is attracted to people who are male and people who are female, doesn't that really cover all bases? Men can be all along the spectrum from masculine to feminine, as can women. I don't see why people who don't identify with either gender would necessarily be unattractive if you like people all across the spectrum.

[kuros]

I'm pretty sure being pansexual is to be attracted to all kinds of people regardless of gender, sex, age etc.

[Landsharks eat metal]

I might be pansexual, but I've heard a lot of people use that label in a way that seems to be calling those who don't identify with it shallow. Very often, I hear, "I'm attracted to personalities, not bodies" or shit like that. Yeah, because everyone who identifies as something else always say, "There's a hot [person of specific gender(s) the speaker is attracted to]! WE HAVE TO FUCK RIGHT NOW!!"

I know not everyone uses the label like that, but it really rubs me the wrong way.

[Philosophis Pony]

Okay, I have self identified as pansexual for over a year so I might be able to shed some light on this.

I wonder if there's a word for being attracted exclusively to people who fall outside the binary. Anyway, I think pansexuality is sort of the unacknowledged "default orientation" -- certainly more plausible than heterosexuality, if we're to believe there's such thing as a "default".

(edit: second half of post sort of irrelevant, lazy rambling I put in for lack of anything substantial to add. sry)

There is, its called Polysexuality technically, though polysexuality doesn't only mean non-binary, it can mean attraction to multiple genders in general.


I actually think that bisexual covers everything. it means you're attracted to both biological sexes. people that are non-gendered still have a biological sex.

This statement is a perfect example of heteronormativity and ignorance. There are not only two biological sexes, there are intersex people also and they go widely unnoticed by the public. Also, many people who are bisexual may disagree with the further statement in your post.



I guess really I would be pansexual, but I tend to call myself bisexual because I only recently heard of the term pansexual.

I'm not really sure what the real, actual difference between the two labels is, to be honest. If a bisexual person is attracted to people who are male and people who are female, doesn't that really cover all bases? Men can be all along the spectrum from masculine to feminine, as can women. I don't see why people who don't identify with either gender would necessarily be unattractive if you like people all across the spectrum.

You are assuming that every person who has a non-binary gender is pansexual in this post. Bisexuality means to be attracted to male and female genders, male and female is not the entire spectrum and thus bisexuality does not mean an attraction to all genders across the spectrum.
Note also that masculine and feminine are not necessarily the border lines of characteristics or sex/gender, there are many people, some that I even know of, that do not fit anywhere between those lines, and may look genderless, or ambiguous or even a mix.

[RedAtheist]

I indentify as straight, but there is a specific feature that I have a fettish for and am attracted to that feature wherever I see it on men or women. Would I be considered pan-sexual?

[CommunityBeliever]

Anyway, I think pansexuality is sort of the unacknowledged "default orientation" -- certainly more plausible than heterosexuality, if we're to believe there's such thing as a "default".The default is asexuality. For about 2.5 billion years all organisms were asexual.

[Crux]

I might be pansexual, but I've heard a lot of people use that label in a way that seems to be calling those who don't identify with it shallow. Very often, I hear, "I'm attracted to personalities, not bodies" or shit like that. Yeah, because everyone who identifies as something else always say, "There's a hot [person of specific gender(s) the speaker is attracted to]! WE HAVE TO FUCK RIGHT NOW!!"

I know not everyone uses the label like that, but it really rubs me the wrong way.
Hahaha, yeah I remember hearing that line often a few years back. My response was always, I am attracted to bodies not personalities. I mean I'm not banging your personality, am I?

[Quail]

You are assuming that every person who has a non-binary gender is pansexual in this post. Bisexuality means to be attracted to male and female genders, male and female is not the entire spectrum and thus bisexuality does not mean an attraction to all genders across the spectrum. Note also that masculine and feminine are not necessarily the border lines of characteristics or sex/gender, there are many people, some that I even know of, that do not fit anywhere between those lines, and may look genderless, or ambiguous or even a mix.
I didn't assume that every person who has a non-binary gender is pansexual. What I was trying to say is that I can't think how anyone could be attracted to people identifying as men and women, but not people who don't identify as either. I meant that because there is such variety in the way that men and women express their gender, I can't think what would make someone who doesn't identify with a gender unattractive purely based on their gender identity. Does that make more sense?

[gorillafuck]

This statement is a perfect example of heteronormativity and ignorance. There are not only two biological sexes, there are intersex people also and they go widely unnoticed by the public. Also, many people who are bisexual may disagree with the further statement in your post.I know about intersex. sorry.

and I can't imagine a bisexual person not being attracted to someone on the basis of gender identity. that sounds like gender theory mumbo jumbo that makes assumptions about bisexual people that aren't actually true.

[28350]

I called myself bisexual when I considered myself in terms of others' sexual orientation. Then it was pansexual when I found out there was more than Man and Woman.
Now I don't classify myself with these kinds of words. They're bullshit built on the delusion of gender. There is so much more to one's sexuality than the genitals/identity of their preferred partner.

[Ostrinski]

Demisexual: sexually attracted only to those with whom a strong emotional/romantic connection preexistsNever heard of this before. Think I might be this.

Back OT, I think a lot of the lines drawn here are arbitrary.

[Fawkes]

It's a lot easier to just forgo lame categories and love/fuck/do/act who/what/however you want.


That's why I identify myself entirely in a negative sense. I'm queer, i.e. not hetero(sexual/normative).

[gorillafuck]

tbh identifying yourself as a heterosexual/bisexual/homosexual/pansexual/etc. is useful in that if you know what someone else identifies as, then you have knowledge as to whether they would potentially be interested in you. y'all revolutionaries shouldn't be so quick to dismiss it.

[Crux]

To be honest, there can always be potential, if the circumstances are right. I say this from experience.

[Lanky Wanker]

I've had a question on my mind about these sexual orientation labels for a while, so where better to ask than here.

Let's say Bob is attracted to "actual" women as well as hermaphroditic people who lean more towards being "female" (to be explicit, "females" with penises), what would that make him? People seem to look at so-called hermaphrodites in different ways, in that some will claim no human can actually be a hermaphrodite, whereas other accept the general idea that penis = not female and vagina = not male, so I'm not sure if this comes under heterosexuality or not.

[Landsharks eat metal]

GK95:
From what I’ve read, humans cannot truly be called hermaphrodites, at least not in the formal sense of the word, having the reproductive characteristics of both sexes. The proper term for someone born with ambiguous genitalia is intersex. (A lot of what you’re saying, although I could be misinterpreting it, sounds like you’re mixing up transgender and intersex, too). If you don’t want to be a bigoted asshole, you go by the person’s gender they identify with, whether or not that person is intersex . For example, a lot of guys seem to be worried that if they’re attracted to a pre-operation trans woman, that makes them gay or whatever, but a trans woman, who calls herself a woman, is a woman, no matter what genitalia she has. Same with any other gender identity. A straight girl who is attracted to me is no less straight because I have a vagina, since I identify as male.
Also, note that many children born intersex are given corrective surgeries soon after birth.
Also, I’d recommend you avoid terms like “actual woman”. Hope this helps, but this was probably way more information than you wanted :)

[Lanky Wanker]

GK95:
(A lot of what you’re saying, although I could be misinterpreting it, sounds like you’re mixing up transgender and intersex, too)


Yeah, when referring to 'male' and 'female' I was actually referring to biological sex, not gender. It is hard to say I'm avoiding gender and sticking purely to sex when talking about sexual orientation though.



Also, I’d recommend you avoid terms like “actual woman”. Hope this helps, but this was probably way more information than you wanted :)

I apologise if I gave off the wrong idea by saying that. I used quotation marks because I know it's not a good term, I was just using it loosely. People generally seem to agree that a woman with a penis isn't an "actual woman" and, sadly, view her as some kind of 3rd position monster. It's hard for me to talk about topics like this and stay on track with correct terminology/meaning. I'm not very articulate as you can tell. :D

[Landsharks eat metal]

Did what I say answer your question, though? If not, what can I say to help?
(By the way, sorry if you got the impression that I was calling you a "bigoted asshole" in there anywhere; that was definitely not my intention.)

[Lanky Wanker]

Did what I say answer your question, though? If not, what can I say to help?
(By the way, sorry if you got the impression that I was calling you a "bigoted asshole" in there anywhere; that was definitely not my intention.)

Yeah it did, thanks. Sorry for skipping the main point. And don't worry, I understand what you meant. Takes a lot more than a couple of words to offend me anyway, I'm hard as steel dawggg. :cool: