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What is the difference between pansexuality, polysexuality and bisexuality?

201 Answers
Last Updated: 11/08/2021 at 11:55am
What is the difference between pansexuality, polysexuality and bisexuality?
★ This question about LGBTQ+ Issues was starred by a moderator on 5/12/2016.
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Top Rated Answers
Anonymous - Expert in LGBTQ+ Issues
August 28th, 2015 7:28pm
All three are terms for experiencing sexual attraction to multiple genders. Bi- means two, poly- means many, pan- means all. Someone who is pansexual, then, experiences sexual attraction to all genders or regardless of gender. Someone who is polysexual experiences sexual attraction to many genders, but maybe not all of them. Someone who is bisexual experiences sexual attraction to two genders by definition, but since it's the most well-known label of these three, it's often defined as attraction to two *or more* genders. Someone whose pattern of attraction matches poly or pan can use bi and be no less accurate. It all comes down to which label feels right to the person using it.
indigo24
January 10th, 2016 10:34pm
Pansexuality is the attraction to towards people of any sex or gender identity. Polysexuality is the attraction to multiple genders. Bisexuality is the attraction to both male and female genders or attraction to any gender.
courageousTree32
January 10th, 2016 7:29pm
Well with bisexuality you only like make and females. With pansexuality you like all gender (transgender is a gender but likening a transgender person doesn't make you pansexaul. And with polysexuality you like everyone no matter if they have a gender or no
Anonymous
January 10th, 2016 10:58am
Bisexuality is about being sexually atracted to male and female people. Pansexuality is about being sexualy atracted to people regardles of ther biological sex or gender identification. polysexuality is about being atracted to bunch of gender identifications but also being not attracted to some... i hope this was correct
philosophycoffee
December 18th, 2015 10:13pm
Bisexuality= to be towards male and females Pansexuality= to be attracted to people of all genders, sexualites , and sexes after you have formed a very strong bond with them polysexuality- to be in a realtionship with more then i partner
Em
December 19th, 2015 5:48am
Great question! Bisexuality is an ability to be attracted to the same genders and also different genders. Pansexuality is an ability to be attracted to all genders ("pan" = all) Polysexuality is an an ability to be attracted to multiple genders at the same time ("poly" = multiple). Bisexuals like the same and other genders, polysexuals like multiple genders, and pansexuals like all genders. People can even identify as a blend of the three. It really all depends on you. :)
SockMonkey25
December 19th, 2015 6:12pm
Pansexuality is the attraction to all genders. Polysexuality is the attraction to multiple genders, but not necessarily all. Bisexuality is the attraction to both males and females.
Anonymous
December 19th, 2015 8:41pm
'Pansexuality' is the attraction to 'all' sexes. 'Polysexuality' is the attraction to 'multiple' sexes. 'Bisexuality' is the attraction to 'both' sexes which refers to the two binary sexes, male and female.
Anonymous
December 23rd, 2015 2:05am
Pansex is for open-minded people that explore all forms of persons and sexes. Bisex normally is a two way street, comparing 2 males and 2 females, and reverse at times. Polysex are attracted to many different people at one time and can have multiple relationships at one time.
SpookyBlue
December 24th, 2015 8:11pm
A person who is bisexual usually considers themselves sexually attracted to the two most well-known genders: cisgender (meaning they identify with the gender they were assigned at birth) men and women. Pansexual people usually agree that they can find themselves sexually attracted to anyone on the gender spectrum, meaning transgendered people, cisgender people, nonbinary people, and more. Polysexual people can be attracted sexually to more than one person at a time.
FromBrazil
December 27th, 2015 5:53am
Bisexuality implies that it exists only two genders, which is a much debated concept. If you consider that there are more than 2 genders, a polysexual is attracted by more than one gender and a pansexual one is attracted to any gender that exists.
SamTheReader
December 30th, 2015 2:04am
The difference between pan, poly, and bi is this. Pan and poly are the same, meaning attracted to all genders, while bi means only two.
Anonymous
December 30th, 2015 9:18am
Pansexuality is when you are sexually, emotionally and romantically attracted to all genders. Polysexuality is when you're attracted to multiple genders. Bisexuality is when you're attracted to more than one gender.
ManzanaDeAmor
December 30th, 2015 2:47pm
Pan sexuality is where you are sexually attracted to people of ALL genders (male, female, trans, gender fluid etc) PolySexual is an attraction to MULTIPLE but NOT ALL genders. Bisexuality is sexual attraction to both male and female but no one else.
DelightfulGalaxies
December 30th, 2015 8:15pm
Pansexuality means you care about their personality, not their looks. And this applies to any gender. Polysexuality means you're attracted to multiple genders, male, female, and others. Bisexuality means you're attracted to both males and females.
heartshapedboxes
December 31st, 2015 8:31am
A pansexual is attracted to ALL genders, a polysexual is attracted to several genders, and a bisexual is attracted to both traditional binary genders.
WaltzingRavens
January 1st, 2016 4:23pm
Pansexuality is being sexually attracted to any sex or gender (lust/for looks). Polysexuality is being is being attracted to multiple or any sex or gender (fluff/for who the person is non related to body). Bisexuality simply means you are attracted in a general sense (romantic or sexual) to two sex or genders, usually men and women (why that is almost always the case, bisexuality could also mean for example, men and hermaphrodite)
calmingCat38
January 2nd, 2016 12:57am
You are bisexual if you are attracted to your own gender and the opposite one. You are pansexual if you are attracted to all genders and you are polysexual if you are only attracted to a few genders.
Anonymous
January 2nd, 2016 2:56am
Pansexuality is being interested in others regardless of gender. Polysexuality is the attraction to multiple genders, and bsexuality is the attraction to both men and women.
Anonymous
January 2nd, 2016 5:52am
Pansexuality: sexually attracted to all genders. Polysexuality: sexually attracted to multiple (but not all) genders. Bisexuality: sexually attracted to two or more genders. Many people use bisexual interchangeably with pansexual; it just depends on the person.
bubblingCaramel
January 3rd, 2016 1:40pm
Pansexuality is romantic or emotional attraction to any sex or gender. polysexuality is attraction to multiple sexes or genders. Bisexuality is attraction to both females and males.
somerandomer999
January 3rd, 2016 2:50pm
Bisexuality is sexual attraction to two genders. Polysexual is attracted to multiple genders and pansexual is attracted to all genders.
AlexCaresAboutYou
January 6th, 2016 2:35am
Pansexual-attraction regardless of gender Polysexual-attraction to three or more but not all genders Bisexual-attraction to two or more but not all genders
findthebeautythatsleft
January 6th, 2016 3:14am
Great question! Bisexuality is most commonly defined as being attracted to two different genders (traditionally males and females but this isn't always the case. Polysexuality typically means you are attracted to many or all genders, and pansexuality is when someones genitals, sexuality and gender expression don't matter or to someone- primarily those of us (like me!) who are pansexual care mostly about someones personality.
Emmastylinson21
January 6th, 2016 3:38pm
Pansexuality is when someone is attracted to anyone regardless of gender, Bisexuality is the attraction of typically only male and female people. Polysexuality is when a person doesn't mind being in a relationship with more than one person, at once.
Anonymous
December 17th, 2015 10:17pm
Bisexuality means being attracted both to males and females, polysexuality means being attracted to multiple genders (which includes also MtF or FtM for example) while pansexuality means being attracted to ALL gender and sexes. I hope I helped at least a little bit :)
Anonymous
September 3rd, 2015 12:38am
The difference between these three sexuality is the feeling about who you are interested in romantically and sexually attracted to.
Angelynn
May 23rd, 2016 1:39am
Bisexuality is when one person is attracted to two genders. Pansexual is when a person is attracted to all genders, and polysexuality is when someone is attracted to some genders. For example, A polysexual person could be attracted to males, asexuals,and gender-noncomforming people but lack attraction to females along with other genders.
Anonymous
August 23rd, 2015 4:10pm
Pansexuality is when a person is attracted to every gender (including non-binary people). Polysexuality is when a person can be in a relationship with more than one person. And bisexuality is when a person is attracted to men and women but not to non-binary people.
TheGreyFixer
February 12th, 2016 10:07am
Pansexuality is being interested in any and all genders (though of course you can still have preferences). Bisexuality is being interested in only two genders- the argument currently is whether that's just male and female, cis-male and cis-female or any two genders (e.g. gender-fluid and androgyne). Polysexuality (which I had to look up, because I was still slightly confused myself) just means you're attracted to more than one gender. Which is actually simple enough, when you think about it.