Comparing Historical and Modern Descriptions of Bisexuality and Pansexuality
By: Kravitz M.
Tags: Queer, Sexuality, LGBTQ, Kravitz M, History

“Attraction to Men and Women”

Whether you call a person who is able to have sex with a male or female bisexual, AC-DC, a switch-hitter, ambisexual, pansexual, omnisexual, or, in Freud’s words, “polymorphous perverse,” his or her sexual persuasion is certainly nothing new.

Since I came out in the late 90s, I haven’t seen one bi activist organisation define bisexuality as attraction solely to men and women… When I use ‘bi’ to refer to two types of attraction, I mean attraction to people of my gender and attraction to people of other genders.

Pansexual: A person who is romantically and/or sexually attracted to both men and women.

Because they discarded the dichotomous understanding of gender, participants rejected the ideas that they were attracted to ‘both’ men and women, arguing that they did not perceive gender as the defining feature in their attraction.

Some discuss the difference between the two [sexualities] as focused on gender, such as this statement: “[Pansexuality is] different from bisexuality. Bisexuality refers to people attracted to men and women. With more people identifying across the gender spectrum between men and women, pansexuality has emerged as a catch-all that includes everyone else.”

Hardly anyone in the bisexual community defines bisexuality as attraction to just men and women.

“Attraction Regardless of Race or Age”

I don’t care if I fall in love with a black or a white or a man or a woman or an old or young person. I just care that they have a good heart…

…the very wealth and humanity of bisexuality itself: for to exclude from one’s love any entire group of human beings because of class, age, or race or religion, or sex, is surely to be poorer — deeply and systematically poorer.

“Attraction to (or Inclusion of) Trans People”

[P]ansexuals may be attracted to… those who are transsexual or transgender. This differentiates pansexuality from bisexuality, which denotes attraction to people of just two different sexes — male and female.

John Wojtowicz, a former bank teller [and self-identified bisexual], was sentenced today to [a] 20‐year prison term for the armed robbery of a Brooklyn bank — a holdup that he said he had committed to obtain money for a sex‐change operation for his [transsexual] “wife.”

A newer term, pansexual, has been adopted to include transsexuals…

The first wave of people who started the [San Francisco] Bi Center [opened in 1976] were political radicals and highly motivated people. The group was based on inclusivity… for example, in the women’s groups, anybody who identified as a woman had the right to be there, so a lot of transgender people started coming to the Bi Center.

Pansexual means an attraction to individuals of any of the five sexes (male, female, intersexed, transsexed); additionally, it is a term which goes beyond the self orientation identity of bisexual to include the orientation of transensual [i.e., attraction to transgender people].

I have talked to the bisexual practicers of pre-op transsexuals who feel they have the best of both worlds because their lover embodies woman and man together. […] With respect to our integrity as bisexuals, it is our responsibility to include transgendered people in our language, in our communities, in our politics, and in our lives.

Just like bisexuality, pansexuals are sexually attracted to men and women. But the key difference is that pansexual people tend to consider themselves as more ‘gender fluid.’ They may also be drawn to those who identify as intersex, third-gender, androgynous or transgender.

In the last two years, transgendered people have begun to catch my attention (before they didn’t). I am excited by the masculine (in men, women, and trans) and the feminine (also in men, women, and trans).

Bisexual is attracted to both sexes by both men and women — Attractiveness is related to gender… Pansexual is attracted to all, including transsexuals — Sex does not play any role.

My fellow bisexuals… I stand before you as an unapologetic, outspoken, bisexual activist who has intimately loved women, men and transgender persons throughout my life span of 72 years… I have the capacity and the desire to love men as well as women as well as transgender persons.

It never felt right for me to identify as bisexual. I know so many people who are asexual or two-spirited, and I’m open to being with someone who is trans.

I have a very inclusive definition of bisexuality that isn’t restricted to traditional binary gender roles and doesn’t exclude trans people (I believe that a ftm trans man is a man, not a separate category).

“Attraction to Androgyny”

Pansexuals love people of all genders, male and female, but unlike bisexuals, pansexuals love transgendered, androgynous and gender fluid people, people who don’t fit into the categories of male or female.

The Bisexual Center is united in struggling for the rights of all women and men to develop as whole, androgynous beings.

A pansexual person can love not only the traditional male and female genders, but also transgendered, transsexual, cross-dressing, androgynous and gender-fluid people.

Others are attracted to masculinity and/or femininity, regardless of a person’s sex. Some of us who identify as bisexual are in fact “gender-blind.” For others — in fact for me — it’s androgyny or the blending of genders that compels.

“Attraction to Intersex People/All Sexes”

The term pansexual attractions is a liberating and newly coined reference to individuals who are primarily attracted to all individuals and all sexes.

…bisexual usually also implies that relations with gender minorities [defined here as “not male or female” and described as intersex people] are possible.

Pansexual means an attraction to individuals of any of the five sexes (male, female, intersexed, transsexed)…

And there are some bisexuals who do prefer hermaphrodites, or would if we could find them…

Pansexuality encompasses attraction to members of all sexes and gender identities. It is broader than bisexuality, which implies that one can only be attracted to biological males and females.

Even if they do not identify as bisexual, [transgender people] may feel more comfortable in a bi community in which attraction to all sexes and genders is accepted.

“Attraction Regardless of Genitalia”

Pansexual/omnisexual: Attracted to “people, not parts”.

Many bisexuals, myself included, feel we are attracted to people for qualities other than biological equipment.

Others extend even this broad definition by delineating pansexuality as being not about the sexual equipment of the individual…

“Gender indifferent” bisexuals often annoy others by claiming to “love people, not genitals” — implying that gays, lesbians, and hets care only about whether someone has a cock or a cunt.

Pansexuality basically means it’s about hearts, not parts.

My bi identity is not about who I am having sex with; it is not about the genitals of my past, current, or future lovers; it is not about choosing potential partners or excluding partners based on what is between their legs.

As a pansexual person, as well as fancying males, females, and other genders, I feel I experience sexual attraction differently to the average person. I never look at someone and think, ‘I wonder what it’d be like to fuck them? I wonder what their genitals look like.’ That thought doesn’t enter my head.

The professor of that class, bisexual herself, perfectly captured the essence of bisexuality: “It’s not a set of genitals walking up to me, it’s a person.”

“Rejecting the Sex/Gender Binary”

[A]ll my friends had been what I would call pansexual, avoiding the older term bi-sexual, which is meaningless when you can count more than two sexes.

As one who views herself as a feminist bisexual woman… I must challenge yet a third aspect of sexism which has not yet been challenged, at least not on a large scale. I call this aspect two-genderism, a rather clumsy term upon which I hope someone will improve. […] Literature which insists that there are only women and men is conspiring unconsciously with sexist forces to crush those in between.

I don’t identify as bisexual for a few reasons… I firmly believe there are not two genders. So identifying as bisexual is counterproductive to my gender politics. So when people ask me, “Are you bisexual? gay?” I’m like, “I’m equal opportunity. I sleep with people of all genders.”… I identify with pansexual.

Do not assume that bisexuality is binary or duogamous in nature… don’t assume that there are only two genders.

Though many might describe [Mary] Gonzalez’s orientation as bisexual, pansexuals don’t believe in a “gender binary,” and hence can be attracted to all gender identities.

I myself recently received a party invitation that read “for men, women, and others.” What your mother probably never told you is that not everyone is 100% female or 100% male. Many of us may have two or more personas or parts of our personalities that transcend traditional gender constraints and roles — not phony ones to please our parents and bosses — but roles of self-expression, self-exploration, and fun.

[P]ansexual means that you are capable of being attracted to any and all genders. What makes it different to bisexuality is the acceptance that people exist outside the gender binary.

…there is a distinct subset of the bi community which experiences bisexuality as a lived protest against gender categories, whose members appreciate cross-gendered and genderbending partners not only for fine gender-neutral qualities but precisely because with them we can have “maleness” and “femaleness” in the same person… The gender players tend to see gender roles and identities as fluid vs. immutable, transgressable through sexual play even if oppressive in daily life.

[Pansexual] has since been adopted by some people as a more inclusive term than bisexual, a term that implies that there are only two genders (male and female).

As bisexuals, we are necessarily prompted to come up with non-binary ways of thinking about sexual orientation. For many of us, this has also prompted a move toward non-binary ways of thinking about sex and gender.

“Attraction Beyond the Gender Binary”

Since, however, there are more than two genders, some people do not self-identify as bisexual, finding themselves attracted to people across a spectrum of genders. These people have adopted different terms, including pansexual…

Herself a bisexual woman, [Nan Goldin] found that drag queens, to her a third gender, were perfect companions. By transgressing the bounds of the binary, they had created identities that were infinitely more meaningful.

Pansexuals describe their attraction as different from bisexuality, which only considers the gender binary — if you are bisexual, by definition you are attracted to either men or women.

And all the while, busy bisexuals are having sex: with women, with men, with partners whose gender is unclear, fluid, or mixed…

[Pansexuals can] love all people and don’t look at gender as being the most important aspect. [They] can be sexually and/or romantically attracted to someone who is transgender, non-binary, or gender fluid.

“Hello, my name is Jaqueline Applebee… if you want to see me later, or just want a kiss, let me know as I’m bisexual, and you’re all gorgeous!” […] I have loved men, women, and those who don’t identify with any gender.

“Attraction to All Genders”

Pansexuals love people of all genders, male and female, but unlike bisexuals, pansexuals love transgendered, androgynous and gender fluid people, people who don’t fit into the categories of male or female.

Who is this group for exactly? Anyone who identifies as bisexual or thinks they are attracted to or interested in all genders… This newly formed [support] group is to create a supportive, safe environment for people who are questioning their sexual orientation and think they may be bisexual.

Pansexual or Pan: is used to describe anyone romantically and sexually attracted to people of all genders.

Similarly, the modern bisexual movement has dissolved the strict dichotomy between ‘gay’ and ‘straight’ (without invalidating our homosexual or heterosexual friends and lovers.) We have insisted on our desire and freedom to love people of all genders.

Thus, someone who is omnisexual or pansexual can be attracted to all genders, or a variety of gender identities.

Bisexual — being emotionally and physically attracted to all genders.

[T]hough many might describe [Mary] Gonzalez’s orientation as bisexual, pansexuals [like Gonzalez] don’t believe in a ‘gender binary,’ and hence can be attracted to all gender identities.

The bisexual community seems to be disappearing. Not that there won’t always be people around who like to have sex with people of all genders, the community, as I’ve discussed in this book, is a different matter altogether.

It is often confused with or included within the definition of bisexuality, but it is a more fluid and much broader form of sexual orientation in which the pansexual individual experiences sexual attraction towards members of all genders.

I call myself bisexual because it includes attraction to all genders (same as mine; different from mine).

“Attraction Regardless of Gender”

The term pansexual refers to individuals that feel sexual attraction to an array of individuals regardless of sex, gender or gender identity.

Being bisexual does not mean they have sexual relations with both sexes but that they are capable of meaningful and intimate involvement with a person regardless of gender.

Pansexuality- Is the sexual attraction towards people regardless of gender[,] also known as omnisexuality[.]

In the midst of whatever hardships we [bisexuals] had encountered, this day we worked with each other to preserve our gift of loving people for who they are regardless of gender.

Pansexual: Sometimes referred to as omnisexual, pansexual describes an attraction to a person regardless of sex or gender.

To be bisexual is to have the potential to be open emotionally and sexually to people as people, regardless of their gender.

If you are pansexual you are attracted to people of all genders, not just male and female, and your attraction occurs regardless of gender identity.

Bisexual: A person who is attracted to people regardless of gender (a person does not have to have a relationship to be bisexual!)

“Attraction Without a Gender Preference”

Pan-sexual — Lacking highly specific sexual orientations or preferences; open to a range of sexual activities.

I’m a 31-year-old, non-monogamous (though not into group sex), bisexual (no gender preference for partner) female living in Asheville, NC.

“Attraction Where Gender Is Not a Factor”

“I consider Little Richard to be the most famous pansexual,” said Leon. “He was not about genders. He was about beautiful and not beautiful. If there was a cute boy and a homely girl, he’d talk to the boy. If the girl was pretty, he’d talk to her.

My main feeling is that I want to love human beings; sex and gender should not be determining factors.

Pansexual is basically a more liberal version of bisexual. It means you don’t care about someone’s gender or identity or sexuality, you just like them for them.

Some women who call themselves ‘bisexual’ insist that the gender of their lover is irrelevant to them, that they do not choose lovers on the basis of gender.

Often confused with bisexuality, pansexuality is where gender isn’t factored into attraction at all. In contrast, those who identify as bisexual are attracted to both genders.

Respondent #495 recalled that “the best definition I’ve ever heard [for bisexuality] is someone who is attracted to people & gender/sex is not an issue or factor in that attraction.”

While bisexuality’s definitions vary, the common thread is that a bi person’s attraction is influenced by gender. In a positive way, gender is still a factor that informs their attraction. Pansexuality, on the other hand, doesn’t hinge on gender, and our attraction to others has nothing to do with our own gender identity.

But there are also many bis, such as myself, for whom gender has no place in the list of things that attract them to a person. For instance, I like people who are good listeners, who understand me and have interests similar to mine… “Male” or “female” are not anywhere to be found in the list of qualities I find attractive.

“Attraction to People, Not Genders”

They are gathering… with an open-ended attitude of genuinely caring for each other but I-don’t-care-what-you-call-me, polymorphous perverse, any thing-that-feels-good-goes pansexuality. This is the Third Sex. Whether physically girlish boys or boyish girls, the members of the third sex are attracted to people, their auras, vibrancies, minds and good looks, not to genders. Fuck genders. Make love to people.

*If the author believes the “third sex” has an independent sexual orientation, it would likely be “pansexual,” but he never clearly says this. Including this quote as a definition of pansexuality — which isn’t directly defined on its own in this text and also used to describe “attitudes” about sexuality— was very tentative.

It’s easier, I believe, for exclusive heterosexuals to tolerate (and that’s the word) exclusive homosexuals than [bisexuals] who, rejecting exclusivity, sleep with people not genders…

[S]ome pansexuals refer to themselves as gender blind as to them gender is insignificant in determining whether they will be sexually attracted to others.

[S]ome bisexuals say they are blind to the gender of their potential lovers and that they love people as people… For the first group, a dichotomy of genders between which to choose doesn’t seem to exist[.]

People who use this label [“pansexual”] may describe themselves as ‘gender blind’…

The probability is that your relationship is based on, or has nestled itself into something based more on the relationship between two identities than on the relationship between two people. That’s what we’re taught: man/man, woman/woman, woman/man, top/bottom, butch/femme, man/woman/man, etc. We’re never taught person/person. That’s what the bisexual movement has been trying to teach us.

Aside from who pansexuals are attracted to, they also see gender and sexuality differently [from bisexuals]. More specifically, they do not see it…

I see a person, not a gender… I demand to be free to legally marry anyone without regard to their gender.

For example, a bisexual cis woman might be attracted to a cis man or woman, whereas a pansexual would be attracted to a cis person. That’s why some people use the term ‘gender blind’ to explain pansexuality.

Loving a person rather than a man or a woman: this is Runa Wehrli’s philosophy… ‘I fall in love with a person and not a gender,’ she says.

“Attraction to Personality”

People who [identify as pansexual] may describe themselves… as being attracted to a person’s personality rather than his or her sex.

[W]riters, artists, and musicians especially ‘cultivated bisexuality out of a delight with personality, regardless of race or class or sex.

Thorne described her sexuality as favoring someone’s personality more than their body. “You like beings,” she said. “You like what you like. Doesn’t have to be a girl or a guy or a he or she or they or this or that. It’s literally you like personality. You just like a being.”

Results supported the hypothesis that gender is not a critical variable in sexual attraction in bisexual individuals. Personality or physical dimensions not related to gender and interaction style were the salient characteristics on which preferred sexual partners were chosen.

Pansexual: …Sexual orientation associated with desiring/loving a person’s personality primarily, and specific bodily features secondarily.

We [bisexuals] like people based on personality[,] not gender.

”Potential Attraction to Anyone”

In 1963 [Rita Mae Brown] was kicked out after agitating for greater racial integration, but what the school authorities actually nailed her for was her “pansexuality,” as she puts it. “I was open to loving anybody.”

[B]eing bisexual means I could potentially find myself sexually attracted to anybody.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re male, female, trans male, trans female, nonbinary — everyone’s hot to me.”

For me bisexuality means I don’t stop attraction, caring or relationship potential based on gender; I can have sex, flirtation or warm ongoing love with anyone (not everyone, okay? That part’s a myth).

“All Forms of Human Sexuality”

Pansexuality includes all kinds of sexuality that can exist in a human

being, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transexual, transgender, heterosexual,

tendencies that may prevail either permanently or occasionally.