Guide
Bisexual vs Pansexual: What Is the Difference?
Two words that overlap, and why the choice is yours.
Bisexual means attraction to more than one gender. Pansexual means attraction to people of any gender, or regardless of gender. The two overlap a great deal: Stonewall and bi.org both count pan under the bi umbrella, and someone attracted to all genders might use either word. Which one fits is up to the person using it.
What Bisexual Means
Bi and LGBTQ+ groups define bisexual by attraction to more than one gender. Stonewall’s version is short: bi “Refers to someone who is attracted to more than one gender.” The Bisexual Resource Center adds that the attraction “could be physical, romantic, and/or emotional” and may feel different for different genders.
Notice what none of these says: two. They say more than one gender, so bisexual does not have to mean only men and women. Our guide to what bisexuality actually is goes deeper.
What Pansexual Means
The Trevor Project explains that “Pansexuality is defined as an attraction to people of any gender or to people regardless of their gender, with the prefix pan- coming from the Greek prefix for ‘all.’” Stonewall says pan “Refers to a person whose attraction towards others doesn’t regard sex or gender.” Bi.org describes it as “attraction to all genders, with a political emphasis on trans and non-binary gender identities”.
In plain words: for a pan person, gender is not what decides who they fancy.
Bisexual and Pansexual Side by Side
| Question | Bisexual | Pansexual |
|---|---|---|
| Attracted to | More than one gender | Any gender, or regardless of gender |
| Does gender play a part? | It can, and attraction may differ by gender | Gender is not the deciding factor |
| Under the bi umbrella? | It is the umbrella term | Yes, for Stonewall, bi.org and the Bisexual Resource Center |
| On a My Bisexual Secret profile | The Bisexual tag | The Bisexual tag, or say pan in your own words |
Nobody has to pass a test for either word. The table shows how the sources describe them, not a rule about who may use which. Still working out whether either fits? Try Am I bisexual?
Where Bi and Pan Overlap
Quite a lot, according to the people who write the definitions. The Bisexual Resource Center puts it plainly: “Pansexual and bisexual are identities that overlap and have nuanced differences, and someone who is attracted to all genders or regardless of gender might also identify as bisexual.” The Trevor Project agrees that “Some people may use the words bisexual and pansexual interchangeably, and others use only one word exclusively to describe themselves.”
Bi.org sees the overlap as useful. It calls bisexuality “an umbrella term that covers a wide range of identities, terms, attractions, and behaviors”, lists pansexual under it alongside polysexual, multisexual, omnisexual, fluid and unlabelled, and says these labels help because “they allow people to describe their sexuality in ways that feel more comfortable or precise.”
Why People Choose One Word Over the Other
Because the meanings overlap, the choice tends to come down to what feels right. Some of the things that might sway you:
- Pan can feel right if gender plays no part in who you fancy, or if you want to make clear your attraction includes trans and non-binary people, the emphasis bi.org describes.
- Bi can feel right if it is the word you first recognised yourself in, if gender does play some part for you, or if you like the bi flag and the history behind it.
- Both is fine. Using the two interchangeably, as the Trevor Project describes, is as valid as picking one.
- Neither is fine too. Fluid, queer or no label at all sit under the same umbrella.
Whatever you choose, it is yours to change. On a dating profile, plain words often say more than any label: who you fancy, what you are looking for and what you are not. Our bisexual dating terms glossary covers the rest of the vocabulary.
Bi or Pan? Your Questions
Am I bi or pan?
Only you can say. If attraction to more than one gender describes you, bisexual works; if gender barely figures in who you fancy, pansexual may feel closer. Someone attracted to all genders could honestly use either, and some people use both.
Is pansexual part of the bi umbrella?
Stonewall, bi.org and the Bisexual Resource Center all count pansexual under the bi or bi+ umbrella. Whether a pan person wants to be filed there is up to them.
Does bisexual mean only men and women?
No. Stonewall, the Bisexual Resource Center and Robyn Ochs all describe bisexuality as attraction to more than one gender, not to two.
Can you be bisexual and pansexual at the same time?
Yes. The Trevor Project notes that some people use the two words interchangeably, and the Bisexual Resource Center says someone attracted to all genders might also identify as bisexual.
Can pansexual people join My Bisexual Secret?
Yes. Everyone 18 or over is welcome, and the sign-up lets you tick who you would like to meet: men, women, couples and CD/TRANS members, as many as you like.
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