Pansexual vs. Bisexual: What’s the Difference?
The terms pansexual and bisexual both describe attraction to more than one gender, and there’s some overlap between the two, though they’re ultimately different. Bisexuality is most often described as attraction to more than one gender. [1] Pansexuality is most often described as attraction that isn’t based on a person’s sex or gender at all. [2]
In practice, many people who use these labels describe their attractions and experiences as very similar, and some use both terms depending on the situation. [1]
If you’re navigating sexuality alongside anxiety, trauma, or substance use, Element Q offers pansexual and bisexual-affirming treatment in San Diego, with an all-LGBTQIA+ clinical team.
Need To Know
- Bisexuality is typically described as attraction to more than one gender, while pansexuality is usually described as attraction regardless of sex or gender.
- Many bisexual and pansexual people describe similar attractions and experiences.
- Some people use both terms, or switch between them depending on context or who they’re talking to.
- Pansexual people make up a smaller portion of the LGBTQIA+ community than bisexual folx, though both identities have grown more visible in recent years.
- Bisexual and pansexual people can face distinct forms of stigma, including within their own LGBTQIA+ communities. Both can benefit from identity-affirming care.
Understanding Bisexuality vs. Pansexuality
Bisexuality is most often defined as attraction to more than one gender, which can include people of the same gender and people of a different gender. [1] Pansexuality is generally defined as attraction that isn’t based on someone’s sex or gender at all, meaning gender simply isn’t a factor when it comes to who a pansexual person might be attracted to. [2] A slogan sometimes used within the pansexual community is “hearts not parts” helps capture this idea.
In the real world, the distinction between pansexual and bisexual can get subtle. Bisexual people sometimes describe their attraction in ways that sound a lot like pansexuality, and the opposite can happen too, with pansexual people describing experiences that overlap with bisexuality. [1]
Researchers have noted that pansexuality is sometimes considered a more expansive term, since it explicitly includes attraction to people who are transgender, nonbinary, or intersex, without needing to name each identity separately. [2]
Understanding Bisexuality vs. Pansexuality
Bisexuality is most often defined as attraction to more than one gender, which can include people of the same gender and people of a different gender. [1] Pansexuality is generally defined as attraction that isn’t based on someone’s sex or gender at all, meaning gender simply isn’t a factor when it comes to who a pansexual person might be attracted to. [2] A slogan sometimes used within the pansexual community is “hearts not parts” helps capture this idea.
In the real world, the distinction between pansexual and bisexual can get subtle. Bisexual people sometimes describe their attraction in ways that sound a lot like pansexuality, and the opposite can happen too, with pansexual people describing experiences that overlap with bisexuality. [1]
Researchers have noted that pansexuality is sometimes considered a more expansive term, since it explicitly includes attraction to people who are transgender, nonbinary, or intersex, without needing to name each identity separately. [2]
Why the Line Between Pan vs Bi Isn’t Always Clear
There are real reasons why the difference between these two terms can be fuzzy, and a lot of it relates to how community members themselves might uses these terms somewhat loosely. Research on how pansexual and panromantic people understand their own identities found that many described pansexuality as related to, but different from, bisexuality. [1] Participants described using bisexual and pansexual language somewhat purposefully or strategically, choosing whichever term felt clearer in the moment, without that reflecting any change in who they’re attracted to. [1]
Ultimately, there’s nothing wrong with this. If both terms feel true in different contexts, there is no requirement for any person to commit to one label or the other. Sexual identity can be described however feels most accurate to the person experiencing it.
How Common Is It To Be Bisexual or Pansexual?
Currently, bisexual identity is more commonly reported than pansexual identity within LGBTQIA+ communities. One analysis of national poll data found that 57% of LGBTQIA+ people identified as bisexual, compared with roughly 2% of LGBTQIA+ people ages 18 to 34 who identified as pansexual. [2]
Pansexual identity tends to skew younger, too. The same analysis found pansexual identification was notably more common among Gen Z respondents than older age groups. [2] So, this may help explain that discrepancy.
Although bisexuality is more commonly reported, that doesn’t make it any more valid than pansexuality. Visibility and familiarity sometimes lag behind lived experience, especially for identities that have only recently entered wider cultural conversation.
Mental Health and Discrimination Differences
Bisexual and pansexual people don’t have identical experiences when it comes to stigma, even though both face discrimination tied to being attracted to more than one gender. [3] Some of that stigma comes from outside the LGBTQIA+ community itself, while some comes from within.
Inside LGBTQIA+ spaces, the stigma typically stems from the idea that being attracted to more than one gender, rather than only to the same sex, makes someone’s identity somehow less real or less legitimate. [4] This kind of erasure can leave bisexual and pansexual people feeling like they have to justify their place in queer community, not just to the outside world.
Outside the community, one study comparing bi+ adults, a term covering bisexual, pansexual, and queer identities, found that people who primarily identified as pansexual reported more discrimination from heterosexual people, and higher rates of depression, than people who primarily identified as bisexual. [3]
This doesn’t mean being pansexual alone causes worsening mental health, but rather, is a reflection of how unrecognized pansexuality can still be, even within spaces meant to be LGBTQIA+ affirming. Pansexual, and even bisexual folx, may sometimes feel they have to justify their identities both within and outside of their own communities.
Why Affirming Language and Support Are Important
We know that both bisexual and pansexual individuals can have their identity dismissed, misunderstood, or questioned, including by people within LGBTQIA+ community spaces. [3]
Constantly having to explain or defend your identity or sexuality is exhausting. When it comes to healthcare settings, this constant stress can make it particularly hard to focus on what matters—healing and treatment. The best thing family, friends, and providers can do is take someone at their word about their own identity, without asking them to prove or explain it first.
How Element Q Can Help
At Element Q, our team is made up of LGBTQIA+ community members, so you’ll never have to prove or explain your identity to be taken seriously. We already get it, because most of us have lived it ourselves.
Whether that shows up as anxiety, depression, or substance use, or you’re just sorting out which words fit you best, our therapists meet you using whatever language feels right, without any test to pass first.
Contact our compassionate admissions team at 858-422-1860 or verify your insurance to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between abrosexual and bisexual?
Abrosexual generally describes a sexual orientation that shifts or changes over time, sometimes moving between attraction to one gender, multiple genders, or no gender at all. Bisexuality, on the other hand, describes a more consistent pattern of attraction to more than one gender. The two terms aren’t mutually exclusive. Attraction can be fluid for many people, regardless of the label they might use at any given time.
Can a pansexual girl date a guy?
Yes. Pansexual attraction isn’t limited to a specific gender, so dating a man doesn’t make someone “less pansexual” or less a part of the LGBTQIA+ community. A pansexual person’s relationships can include partners of any gender over time.
Who is a famous pansexual?
Several public figures have spoken openly about identifying as pansexual, including musician and actress Miley Cyrus and comedian Joe Lycett. [1] Public disclosure and visibility like this has helped bring more attention to pansexuality as its own identity.
Can pansexuals be straight?
Most people who identify as pansexual describe their attraction as not being limited by gender, which means they may be attracted to members of the same or opposite sex, as well as transgender and nonbinary individuals, etc. This differs from heterosexuality or “straightness,” which is typically defined as attraction to the opposite sex. It’s important to remember that sexuality is personal and can be fluid or overlap for many people.
Is it okay to use both "bisexual" and "pansexual" to describe yourself?
Yes. Many people use both terms, sometimes choosing one over the other depending on who they’re talking to or how much explanation they want to give. [1] There’s no rule that says you have to pick a single, permanent label.
Sources
[1] Hayfield, N., & Křížová, K. (2021). It’s like bisexuality, but it isn’t: Pansexual and panromantic people’s understandings of their identities and experiences of becoming educated about gender and sexuality. Journal of Bisexuality, 21(2), 167–193.
[2] Pismenny, A. (2023). Pansexuality: A closer look at sexual orientation. Philosophies, 8(4), 60.
[3] Feinstein, B. A., Hurtado, M., Dyar, C., & Davila, J. (2023). Disclosure, minority stress, and mental health among bisexual, pansexual, and queer (bi+) adults: The roles of primary sexual identity and multiple sexual identity label use. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 10(2), 181–189.
