I'm pan, and I think of it like this:
Pan means you're attracted to people regardless of their gender. Bi means you're attracted to more than one gender.
No hate though, if anyone else defines them differently. That's just how I see it.
this post was submitted on 22 Aug 2025
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Yea, pan here, too. That’s how I always understood it. Gets a bit more nuanced though, when you include omnisexuality.
Omnisexuality??? Ok, I accept that as Gen X I’m old. I grew up stating I was Bi because that’s the term we had at the time. Now I still say Bi, but clarify “or really Pan as the kids call it nowadays because I believe all the toys in toy box are fun to play with and I value the person (and personality) over plumbing”. Now what is Omni?
Omni people don’t like mixing Greek and Latin.
Or they really hate flutes
Generally, it’s described as:
Bi: attraction to more than one gender
Pan: attraction regardless of gender
Omni: attraction to all genders
The difference between pan and omni is small and they’re often used synonymously. Most people I know, that fall into this category, identify as either bi or pan. Omni is exceedingly rare but it’s also not that new. I remember it already being an established thing when I first read about it almost a decade ago.
Edit: formatting
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bisexual.py:
def is_sexually_attracted_to(self, other):
return other.gender in self.preferred_gender
pansexual.py:
def is_sexually_attracted_to(self, other):
# TODO: factors based on other traits TBI
return True
Close enough?
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I think of it like this: bi is attraction to masc men and fem women.
Pan is attraction to all configurations of gender, genitals, and presentation.
Nah, people like twinks and femboys also more likely to call themselves bi.
That definition of bisexuality would exclude 100% of the bisexual people I know, including myself. I don't think it's grounded in any sort of reality for bisexual people.
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I never thought of that because I never tried to define it. I'm just happy you found something that makes you happy.
Debating identity definitions 😞
Accepting that identities are fluid definitions we made up 😎
Correct! "Whatever floats your boat as long as it's consensual, just be safe and have fun" should be the only thing we need.
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Easy: bisexual people are REALLY into cycling and pansexual people can't contain their lust for Andean flute music.
From my experience this is honestly as good as any other definition in this thread.
Basic answer: Bi likes two and maybe more, where Pan explicitly likes any, which you use just show's your starting point.
Real answer: Those who resonate with using Bi as a label likely started or wants to start on a common level of understanding of LGBT, whereas people who resonate with Pan start deep into LGBT discourse.
True answer: It's which flag you like better.
My understanding is that the bi in bisexual never refered to two genders, it's always been about homo- and heterosexual
True answer: It's which flag you like better
My bi ass feels called out by this, so I'm going to say that makes you based
I spent a while trying to find a simple answer to this. I think it's most easily interpreted as:
Bi: Implies you like both of the genders. No real preference.
Pan: implies you recognize there is a range of masculinity and femininity, and of course cis and trans, and thus you are attracted to a range of genders. Not explicitly feminine or masculine, but likes anyone on the spectrum of genders.
bisexuality isn't inherently transphobic!
not saying you're necessarily implying that, but it's a general stereotype which, while it can be true on an individual level, certainly isn't when taken as a whole
here's the bisexual manifesto, also, since it goes hard: https://bitheway.carrd.co/#manifesto
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How about pansexuals who just say bisexual because there is better chance that people will actually know what you're talking about
(Just in casual conversation with strangers, obviously.)
I honestly think this is the most common scenario. Both people who self-describe as bi and pan will have varying preferences, and I think it's typically more about audience and communication than any universally definable difference.
This is similar to how a binary bi or pan person who tends to date people of the same sex or gender might self-describe as gay; they're not creating a binding contract when they do so, rather they're providing an easily-digestible description of their sexual or romantic character to others.
Hi, that's me.
Although even "pansexual" is a shortcut. I think my actual sexuality needs hyperbolic geometry to explain.
Ah, a Lobachevskysexual.
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One is sexually attracted to bicycles and the other one is in to cookware. I can't remember which is which.
Bisexuals are attracted to cookware (think "biscuits"), and pansexuals are attracted to bicycles (think "panniers").
Is that why the gay girl in my circle of friends keeps announcing that she got a new toaster oven?
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I suspect in the long ago, there may have been some drama about bi implying only two, and people taking exception to that but we have since moved on after realizing it was a stupid argument. There were far more important things to argue about, like kink at pride.
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Is your stalac tight or full of might?
In my opinion they mean the same thing. I identify as bi because I like the flag more.
Same. Also, "bi" is only two letters and I'm lazy.
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It's so funny that the queer community debates this when we could really just ask the average non-queer person to clarify it for us, and you'll find out that it really just means that we're confused and actually we're just gay.
Hey now, that's not always true! Some of us are confused and just seeking attention.
Yeah, back in the day people really cared whether someone was octoroon or mulatto.
Today, many people are going to have to look up those terms.
People should know their antiquated slurs. They're always fun to pepper in a conversation.
Hello my fellow quadroons
People are debating this because they are approaching this labels as descriptive point of view, instead of descriptive point of view.
Have you considered the descriptive point of view though?
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Bi means someone finds male and female genders attractive (masculine or feminine). They probably aren’t attracted to androgyny or less “traditional” genders (since it becomes pan).
Pan means gender doesn’t matter. Enbies, trans people, and anyone else could be attractive.
In other words, Pan is Bi++
If we aren’t splitting hairs, they are mostly used synonymously, but “pan” is more precise for folks that open to partners regardless of their gender.
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David: "I do drink red wine, but I also drink white wine and I've been known to sample the occasional rose and a couple summers back I tried a merlot that used to be a chardonnay which got a bit complicated."
Bisexuals know what pan means.
I have no interest in participating in freaky alien sex as their 43rd gender partner.
LOOK AT YOURSELF, PANS, THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE SKIN
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