Pansexuality, Omnisexuality, and Bisexuality are so often confused. I will be defining and clearing up some things about each.
Pansexuality:
Being attracted to someone regardless of gender/having no preference of gender, sometimes referred to as being gender-blind.
Omnisexuality:
Being attracted to all genders, with preferences.
Bisexuality:
Being attracted to two or more genders. (NOT the same as polyamory, which is when you are attracted to two or more people at one time.)
PAN VS BI
Despite what Wikipedia may tell you, Pansexuality and Bisexuality are two very different things. I would like to start off by saying that Bisexuality is NOT an umbrella term. The shortened version, Bi, encompasses bisexuals and biromantics. Bisexuals may, or may not have preferences as to gender, however not all of them are ONLY attracted to men and woman, Bi means two OR MORE. Bisexuality can sometimes be conceived as being "binary", or enbyphobic, which is not at all true, and can be very invalidating and harmful towards nonbinary bisexuals or biromantics. Sometimes bi people are told to "choose one gender" by others. For example, bi men can often be told that they are just gay and trying to hide it, bi women can be told that they are just straight and looking for attention. Many bi people are told that it's "just a phase" and that it'll "be over soon" however, this is not true. Bi people are often accused of being enbyphobic, simply because they aren't attracted to all genders. Just because they aren't attracted to all genders, doesn't mean that they aren't attracted to many, which may even include nonbinary people. Another misconception about being Bi is that we are the least discriminated against, which is complete BS, because 1. Who's counting? I mean is a Bi person not allowed to have pride because someone thinks that they aren't as discriminated against as others? and 2. Bi people are discriminated against not only from outside the LGBTQIA+ community, but also from within. There are other sexualities and gender identities that also discriminated against within the community, but for now I will circle in on Bi people. On this topic I come from experience, as I knew a gay man who openly shamed bi people, saying, "I wish you were gay." and "If only I could make you a pure gay." Sometimes he would say things like, "Why are you Bi though? Like, just be gay, it's more pure." I also have seen that some lesbians (not all though) refuse to be with a Bi person because they may have been with a man. Now moving on to Pansexuality. First things first, Pansexuals are NOT attracted to pans. Yes, Pansexuality is a REAL sexuality, and a valid one. No, Pansexuals are not just looking for attention. One of the most common misconceptions about Pan people is that because they are attracted to all genders, they are attracted to all people. They are NOT. Just because someone is into more than one gender doesn't mean they're into every single person on Earth. Pan people are often thought of as people who want attention, or who are attracted to everything, which is like saying just because I like strawberries, cheese, AND ranch, I want them all at the same time. So to conclude this segment, being Bi and being Pan are two very different things that are often assumed to be the same, when really, they are both just their own thing.
PAN VS OMNI
Pansexuality and Omnisexuality are a bit more similar than Bisexuality is, but they still have many differences. We've already talked about misconceptions toward Pan people, now we'll talk about Omni people. Omnisexuality is not as widely known about as Pansexuality or Bisexuality, but it is just as real and valid as they are. Omnisexuality and Pansexuality are so often confused and assumed to be the same thing because they both mean being attracted to all genders, however they are not. Omnisexuals have preferences, while Pansexuals do not. Often Omni people are accused of not being able to settle down with one person, which is the same assumption that is often made about Bi and Pan people, which we have already talked about, and how it is not true. To conclude this shorter segment, Omnisexuality and Pansexuality are two different things that share some similarities.
OMNI VS BI
Omnisexuality and Bisexuality are much less widely confused, however I still feel the need to emphasize that they are two seperate things. Hopefully the last two segments have cleared up all of the misconceptions you may have earlier believed.
Vocab:
Bi- Shortened term of Bisexuality or Biromantic, Pan- Shortened term for Pansexuality or Panromantic, Omni- Shortened term for Omnisexual or Omniromantic, Non-binary- Not identify as male or female, Enby- Shortened version on Non-binary.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed and learned something new. :)
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