Since about 2 months ago when I came to EC wondering if I were bisexual, I knew about the lesser-known label pansexuality, but I never even considered it for myself. I have no idea why. But now I'm curious to see if I'm pansexual? I just thougt about it recently and started questioning my orientation again... My understanding of the difference between bisexuality and pansexuality is a bit foggy, so would anyone care to enlighten me? Bisexuality is finding sexual attraction (and romantic attraction, if you group them together) to two genders, usually males and females, right? And pansexuality is loving the two genders that bisexuals love, but also loving genderfluid/androgynous people, bigendered people, trans-males, trans-females, and anyone else I'm missing? If I say who I'm attracted to, will it be easier? Masculine men Feminine men Masculine women Androgynous and genderfluid people Trans-males (including FTMs) I left feminine women and trans-women out for a reason. I am not attracted to them, no offense intended. If there's someone who leans heavily on the feminine side of the spectrum such as feminine cisgender women and trans-women, I'm not attracted. I don't know why. I'm attracted to masculinity really, no matter the gender. But because of this, I'm attracted to more genders than a bisexual person and less than a pansexual? Where do I fit in? Getting back into that confused state... Please correct me if any of my thinking is wrong.
If there's a specific gender you aren't attracted to, you're not technically pan, but bisexual means more than just male and female! It means being attracted to people of two or more genders. However, honestly, if the only real gender you don't like is MTF(and I guess you don't like them because they're not masculine) then I think if you prefer, you could introduce yourself as pan to avoid explaination (with people familiar with LGBTQ+, that is. With random people, pan never saves explaination.)
Pansexual means being attracted to people, not their gender. So I would say pan, because you are attracted to masculine people, not genders traditionally associated with masculinity. Call yourself whatever you want, though.
Basically pansexual. You are allowed to prefer stuff and you don't have to like everything. I probably prefer more feminine traits myself.
I *love* how you've processed this, and I find this very clarifying somehow. You've described a set of attractions that make perfect sense and yet that somehow I've never heard expressed before. Honestly, I love it. Basically, you are a male who is attracted to men, but you are flexible in your understanding of what "man" can mean. To me, that is what the word "homoflexible" *should* mean. And its companion "heteroflexible" *should* mean attracted to the opposite sex, but open regarding what it means to be part of that sex. Sadly, heteroflexible seems to have been co-opted to mean "bisexual, but low on the Kinsey scale and don't want to identify as bisexual." Perhaps something like homo-pansexual would make similar sense? What I particularly admire is that you went about this by examining the groups to whom you're attracted, and *then* looked for a label that made sense to describe that. Too many people start with labels and then try to fit themselves into one or another box.
I think you might be polysexual? Being polysexual means being attracted to multiple (but not all) genders/sexes. Google it if you want to know more because I kinda suck at explaining
Thanks, everyone! ---------- Post added 16th Aug 2014 at 01:20 PM ---------- I'm glad I made it clear. :eusa_danc The term homoflexible seems very fitting to me, but I'm questioning my gender all the time as well, so I think I'll go with pan for now. I wan to make sure I don't come out as something wrong, so that's why I used my preferences rather than trying to fit into a label first. ---------- Post added 16th Aug 2014 at 01:23 PM ---------- I looked it up and to me, I hate to say this, but it sounds like polysexuals are players, haha. The definition that I found said that they enjoy many relationships at a time. I don't know if that's the real definition, but that doesn't sound like me.
Poly sexuality is often associated with polyamory, and bisexuality can mean the same thing, so I'd stick with pan or bi.
Well, let's be realistic here...you want to stick with what's accurate. Tai clearly doesn't fit either of those boxes (attracted to more than bi, less than pan). Never own a label in order to accommodate *others*...own it because it fits you or not at all (but if it fits you, then I say own it, happily or no).
Polysexual I guess? That just means 'attracted to many genders' right? In order to be pan you have to have to be attracted to ALL genders, and if that isn't true for you you're not pan.
I'm just sticking with pan until I know my gender for sure. I'd have gone with homoflexible because that feels and fits what I am but it indicates a gender. Pan doesn't. Just using it to be easier temporarily when talking to others, because my attractions are a big mess right now.
Pansexuality is loving anybody. No matter the race, gender, sex, or sexuality. I know I'm pansexual because I like feminine boys, feminine girls, manly boys, transgender boys and girls, and people from different races, religions, and/or ethnicities. :love:
