Bisexual people can be attracted to people with the same gender identity, and with different gender identities from their own – including non-binary people. Similarly, the existence of pansexuality does not mean that bisexual people are only attracted to men or women. This is a dangerous and untrue myth! Pansexuality is attraction regardless of gender, so a pansexual person’s attraction to someone has nothing to do with whether they are trans or cis. One of the biggest misconceptions about pansexuality is that pansexual people are somehow being transphobic by stating that they’re attracted to trans people while bisexual people aren’t, because they don’t see trans people as men or women. “I’ve heard that pansexuality is transphobic.” Our identities are personal and specific to each and every one of us – that’s what makes us all unique! 2. Others may use pansexual and bisexual interchangeably. There may be individuals who align with the way pansexuality is defined yet identify with the term ‘bisexuality’, and that’s completely valid. The prefix pan- means “all”, so pansexuality is an attraction to all gender identities or attraction regardless of gender identity, while bisexuality is the attraction to multiple gender identities. While there are many overlaps between pansexuality and bisexuality, the official definitions differ in their approach to gender. “Aren’t pansexuality and bisexuality the same thing?” So today, on Pansexual Visibility Day, I’m going to explore and debunk some of the common misconceptions about this beautiful segment of the LGBTQ+ community: 1. But – as with many other terms – pansexuality has long been misunderstood. Pansexuality is just another shade in the colourful spectrum of human diversity, existing in harmony alongside all the other palettes. Using the term “pansexual” allows me to revel in the expansive nature of my being, and acknowledge that I form connections with people, regardless of the gendered ways in which they might be perceived by society. This doesn’t mean that I don’t find people physically attractive – just that this attraction doesn’t fall into categories that are related to gender. I see beauty in someone’s entire being, just like I see beauty in nature and in the world around me. The concept of gender doesn’t relate to the ways in which I’m attracted to others – I’m simply attracted to those with the right energy. For me, being pansexual means that my attraction to people has no correlation with their gender. Sexual orientation, like all other parts of our identities, is very personal and varies from one individual to another. Visibility and representation can help the mental wellbeing of LGBTQ+ people who might feel isolated, and open doors to finding community. While visibility alone won’t solve everything, it can go a long way towards helping individuals understand their feelings, and to feel seen. With our understanding of the diversity of human experience expanding – and people feeling more able to live as their true selves – it’s so important for those with more marginalised identities to be visible. News Blog Communities This Pansexual Visibility Day, we’re exploring what it means to be pansexual, and debunking 5 common myths about pansexuality.
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