What exactly is the difference between pan and bi? If they’re the same why was the pan label added?

I guess technically bi means you're only attracted to cisgender men and cisgender women and no one else?
I am definitely pan in the sense that I can be attracted to people of any gender but I just don't really use the term because it is even more misunderstood than bi...

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but my understanding is:

Bisexual = attracted to both men and women but gender is still an aspect of the attraction. i.e I find women attractive because of X, Y and Z qualities, but I find men attractive because of A, B and C. Liking both but for different reasons.

Pansexual = attracted to men and women but gender isn't a factor. That it's about as relevant as someone's socks.

 

This would be the correct distinction. However, what if a Pansexual person has a strong fetish for a specific brand and type of sock? Would that make them Bisoxual? *cheesy grin*

 

No. Since when? Bisexuality isn't exclusive. That's a paranoid approach to assume that people won't accept someone trans or be attracted or whatever unless they go out of their way to signal that.

I also have that impression when speaking with people. Alternatively they call themselves pansexual if they're attracted to all the gender identity and assigned gender combinations out there to an equal degree. With the stress that they want to date trans people. Trans people often identifybas pansexual and find more of a connection with other trans people when it comes to dating.

And I call myself bisexual exactly for the reason that the two attractions to masculinity and femininity feel different. Although I have dated both cis and trans people.

 

I was about the dictionary definition of the word, not the way it's actually used - "bisexual" literally means attracted to two genders - hence the need for adding the term "pansexual" which better describes most bi people in reality.

 

I meant to say "I was talking about the dictionary definition..."

 

The definition of bisexuality I subscribe to is being attracted to genders one's own and different, whereas the definition of pansexuality that makes most sense to me is being attracted to people regardless of gender. There is definitely some overlap, but there are also differences.

 

My wife says I take things too literally and I think she's probably right but "bi" means "two" right? Like bicycle or bicentennial.. I think that's what confuses me.
I think it's hard for me to understand what some people mean by "bisexuality" because I AM pan... Someone's gender to me is like an eye colour or something - it's not that I don't notice it, it just doesn't affect the attraction..
But I use the term bi because almost no-one knows what pan means!

 

I agree totally! By definition labels divide people don't they? That's their purpose! So we can categorise things...
I feel comfortable with the term bi and slightly uncomfortable with the term pan - but only really because of my perception of how other people will interpret it.. I have heard people make ridiculous claims about what they think "pansexual" means...
So I go with what I'm comfortable with. But I guess don't understand the real definition..?! Like you say - confusion and stress!

 

Yes it's tricky isn't it? You kind of need a label for yourself and another label that you feel will convey the right meaning to other people (which kind of assumes you know what they'll assume..!)

 

I think people can easily overthink this. To me Pansexual is a far easier thing to understand because the definition hasn't changed, where the definition of Bisexual keeps changing depending on what year it is, and who you are talking with. Even Bisexuals can't agree on what it specifically means anymore. As it's been eluded to by others above, it's about how we see, or more precisely, do NOT see gender as a determining factor in attraction. It can be summed up in a word, "Genderblind." A truly Pansexual person doesn't take gender into the equation when considering a romantic partner. To simply say that Pan is attraction to everyone, is an oversimplification because then someone can come along and say, "That's my definition of Bi."