Main Difference
If we look the meaning of bisexual and pansexual in dictionary then we will find nearly the same meaning of both sexual terms. However, both are entirely different from each other. The main difference between bisexual and pansexual is that bisexual means attraction with two genders men and women (as denoted in ‘bi’). One the other side, pansexual means (as denoted in ‘pi) attraction with all genders: men, women, transmen, transwomen, genderqueer, bi-gendered, etc.
Bisexual
Bisexual refers to the romantic and sexual attraction toward both males and females. This term basically stand for human attraction or sexual feeling for both men and women. It is not necessary that in bisexual there is only sexual attraction to one gender. Bisexual people feels attraction towards men and women equally. It has been observed in various human societies and also in animal kingdom. Like hetro and homosexuality the term bisexuality was introduced in 19th century. The American Psychological Association states that “sexual orientation falls along a continuum. In other words, someone doesn’t have to be exclusively homosexual or heterosexual, but can feel varying degrees of both. Sexual orientation develops a person’s lifetime-different people realize at different points in their lives that they are heterosexual, bisexual or homosexual.”
Pansexual
Pansexual refers to the romantic and sexual attraction toward any sex or gender either it is men, women, transmen, transwomen, genderqueer or bi-gendered, etc. In short it can be said that pansexual are gender-blind as they feel romantic with every kind of sexual gender. Pansexual people in fact rejects the gender binary, the “notion of two genders and indeed of specific sexual orientations” It is more inclusive rather than conclusive term as compare to bisexual. The word ‘pan’ in pansexual emerges from an Ancient Greek term that means ‘all’ or every. Go Ask Alice states: although the term’s literal meaning can be interpreted as attracted to everything, people who identity as pansexual don’t include paraphilias, such as: bestiality, pedophilia, and necrophilia, in their definition and that they stress that the term pansexuality describes only consensual adult sexual behaviors.”
Key Differences
- Bisexual means attraction with two genders men and women (as denoted in ‘bi’). One the other side, pansexual means (as denoted in ‘pi) attraction with all genders: men, women, transmen, transwomen, genderqueer, bi-gendered, etc.
- Both bisexual and pansexual have different symbols, logos, and flags.
- The term pansexual is more inclusive as compare to bisexual.
- Pansexual is a wider and gender blind term as compare to bisexual.
- Bisexual celebration day is observed on September 23 while pansexual and panromantic awareness and visibility day is observed on May 22.