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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
June 7th, 2015 11:34am
Pansexuality is the sexual attraction to people of all genders. Many describe themselves as "falling in love with a person, not a gender". Bisexuality is similar, but it is characterised as the sexual attraction to two genders (usually the person in question's own gender and one other one). Bisexuality and Pansexuality are both forms of Polysexuality, which is the sexual attraction to more than one gender.
lovingTree37
April 2nd, 2018 5:23pm
Pansexual= all genders, polysexual=some genders, bisexual= male and female. Thats all I need to say but because it's 100 words minimum I'll just write this sentance
Anonymous
September 10th, 2015 9:04pm
pansexuality is the attraction to someone regardless of gender, including trans, non-binary, agender, etc. bisexuality, however, is the attraction to two different genders, usually female and male but really depends on the person. pansexuality and bisexuality are forms of polysexuality, which means attracted to more than one gender. But really, labels shouldn't matter and you should love who you love. labels only set boundaries.
Anonymous
February 18th, 2015 9:13pm
The term bisexual comes to us from the social sciences and describes a person with both homosexual (lit. same sex) and heterosexual (lit. different sex) attractions. It is an open and inclusive term for many kinds of people with same-sex and different-sex attractions. Terms like pansexual, polysexual, omnisexual, and ambisexual also describe a person with homosexual and heterosexual attractions, and therefore people with those labels are also bisexual. By replacing the prefix bi – (two, both) with pan- (all), poly- (many), omni- (all), ambi- (both, and implying ambiguity in this case), people who adopt these labels seek to clearly express the fact that gender does not factor into their own sexuality. This does not mean, however, that people who identify as bisexual are fixated on gender.
hardtimesbetterlife12
January 12th, 2015 8:50am
Most simple explanation I can think of: Pansexual is capable of having universal love they love who or what they want within legal boundaries regardless of societies views, polysexual is someone who is capable of loving as many people as they want at one time, and bisexual is someone who is is capable of loving the same or opposite gender as themselves. To be clear that's being in love with not just the sexual part of it.
ZoeS96
August 19th, 2015 5:40pm
Pansexuals can feel sexual attraction to any gender. For example, Keisha can feel sexual attraction to any gender, she doesn't have a preference. Polysexuals can feel sexual attraction to many, or most genders. For example, Jamie can feel sexual attraction to men, women, and agender people. Bisexuals can feel sexual attraction to 2 or more genders. For example, Claire can feel sexual attraction to non binary people and men.
Anonymous
January 20th, 2016 4:03am
Pansexuality is when a person is attracted to all genders. Polysexuality is when a person is attracted to some genders. Bisexuality is when a person is attracted to two genders.
Anonymous
February 11th, 2016 5:52pm
Pansexuality is commonly accepted as an attraction to all genders. Some name as attraction regardless of gender. Polysexuality is generally accepted as an attraction to most, but not all, genders. Bisexuality is usually acknowledged as an attraction to one's own gender, and another gender.
muddymud
February 10th, 2016 8:51pm
Valid question! Pansexuality is sexual attraction to people of any gender, polysexuality is attraction to multiple but not all genders, and bisexuality is attraction to two genders. ^^
Anonymous
April 9th, 2015 4:22am
Bisexual is being attracted to boys and girls. Pansexual is being attracted to boys, girls, and trans. Polysexuality is just the attraction to multiple genders.
Anonymous
May 18th, 2015 2:42pm
Pansexual= Sexual attraction to any and all genders Polysexual= Sexual attraction to more than two genders, but not all. Bisexual= Sexual attraction to only two genders
Skyler99
November 1st, 2016 3:55am
Pansexual means that you are attracted to all genders. Polysexual means that you are attracted to multiple genders, but not all. For example, I'm Polysexual, and I'm attracted to girls and non binary people. But I don't like guys. And bisexual means that your attracted to two or more genders. Most people who use the label bisexual are attracted to guys and girls.
kindBubbles47
May 31st, 2015 10:36pm
Pansexuals have an ability to feel sexual attraction to anybody, regardless of gender. Polysexuality is distinct from polyamory, the desire to be intimately involved with more than one person at once, or pansexuality, which is attraction to all genders and sexes. Polysexuality encompasses many, but not necessarily all, sexualities Bisexuals can feel attraction towards both men and women, but do not feel attraction to thoes who do not fit these categories, e.g, non-binary people
Anonymous
May 10th, 2016 1:47am
Pansexuality (pan=all) means you are attract to people of all genders. I like to think of this as hearts, not parts (even though you might have your preferences). Polysexuality (poly=multiple,many) means you are attracted to multiple genders. Not just 1,2, or all, but many off of the spectrum. If you are bisexual (bi=2) that means you are attract to the 2 "main" genders: male/female.
JumpyGoiaba
September 10th, 2018 10:42am
Generally speaking, bisexuality and pansexuality could be described as specific forms of polysexuality (attraction towards more than one gender). a A bisexual will feel attracted to two genders, usually their own and the opposite. Sometimes, it is used as an umbrella term to designate pan and poly people as well, so this may include an attraction towards non-binary gender identities as well. A pansexual, on the other hand, can experience attraction towards all genders, including non-binary identities. Polysexuality is the attraction towards more than one gender. It can include binary and non-binary identities, while not necessarily including all of them.
Anonymous
January 10th, 2016 3:51am
Bisexuality is the easiest to define so I'll start there. Bisexuality means that a person is attracted to males and females in terms of sex and gender in the binary system. Poly- and Pansexuality are both terms for when a person is attracted to anyone regardless of there sex or gender along the spectrum. This means they can be attracted to trans, androgynous and people who don't identify as any gender for example. The only difference between Pan and Poly is what a person prefers to identify as.
Anonymous
November 8th, 2021 11:55am
Pansexuality is sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction towards people regardless of their sex or gender identity they often refer to themselves as gender-blind. A polysexual person is someone who is sexually and / or romantically attracted to multiple genders. However, it is not the same as being bisexual or pansexual. And finally bisexuality is the romantic attraction towards both the male and female gender, sometimes these attractions can be stronger on one side i.e preferring females more than males. In brief Bisexuality is the act of having a romantic attraction toward both males and females Hope this makes sense and helps you out :)
musicalForest17
January 21st, 2016 12:22am
Pansexuality is attraction to all genders, boy, girl, and anyone outside the binary. Polysexuality is the attraction to some, but not all genders. For example, liking all genders except for boys. Bisexuality means liking two genders. Boy and girl, agender and girl etcetera.
EmpathyLoveAndHope
January 11th, 2016 7:14pm
A bisexual will have interest in two specific genders, usually their own and another (example: a female who is attracted to males and females) Polysexual implies that you have interest in several genders, and pansexual is if you have interest in all genders
beautifulLight666
January 10th, 2016 8:07pm
im not sure, but i do not believe in label's, you can love you who you want to love, you shouldn't be label for it ,
MaggieListens00
January 10th, 2016 8:23am
Well they're all similar in the fact of liking multiple genders, the prefix bi means two so it means to like two genders which usually means male and female but not always, the prefix poly means many so it means you are attracted to many different genders like some non binary people but you are not attracted to all, finally pansexual. Pan sexuals are people who don't fall in love with the gender they fall in love with the person meaning they would be attracted to any gender
LoyalLouie
January 10th, 2016 12:04am
The difference is basically about binary/non-binary gender concepts. If you identify as bisexual you believe there are two genders (male/female) and you're attracted to both. Now, pansexuals and polysexuals don't stick to a binary model. A pansexual may say: "There are more than two genders and I'm attracted to all of them", while a polysexual would say: "There are more than two genders and I'm attraced to some of them."
CaseyC
January 9th, 2016 4:28pm
Pansexuality is when one doesn't see boundaries when looking for a sexual or romantic partner in terms of gender. Pansexuality literally means "all-sexual". Polysexuality is attraction to two or more genders, but not all. Bisexuality is the attraction to two genders, but no more than two, as bi- means "two." These two genders are most commonly male and female.
Anonymous
January 7th, 2016 7:50am
Polysexuality is where you like some but not all of the sexes. Bisexuality is you like both male or female. Pansexuality is where you like all of the sexes including transgender male and female
AlwaysFaceForward
August 27th, 2015 2:05am
As far as I'm personally aware (I'm pansexual), Bisexuality is sexual attraction to both binary genders (male and female). Pansexuality is sexual attraction to all genders and sexes, whereas Polysexuality is sexual attraction to multiple genders and sexualities, though not necessarily all.
Anonymous
September 5th, 2015 4:56am
Bisexuality. The prefix "bi" means two so, bisexuality is when someone is attracted to two genders, usually their own gender and the opposite sex gender. The prefix in pansexuality "pan" means all. So pan sexual people are people who are attracted to all genders. A lot of people prefer using the term pan sexual because it includes transgender people and non binary genders. This makes the term more inclusive. Polysexuality is when someone is attracted to multiple genders, but not necessary all. For example: Amy is bisexual because she is attracted to men and women. Peter is pansexual because he is attracted to men,women, transgender men,transgender women, and all non binary genders/gender queer people. Max is polysexual because he is attracted to men,women and gender queer people. I hope that makes a little bit of sense.
delicateDream94
February 10th, 2016 2:09am
Pansexuality is feeling attracted to people reguardless of gender, gender identification, or biological sex, bisexuality is being sexually attracted too both males and females, and polysexuality is a descriptor meaning feeling attraction to more than one gender.
Anonymous
January 23rd, 2016 3:44am
Pansexuality is being attracted to all people of various sexual and gender identities, polysexuality is being attracted to some but not all of the LGBTQ+ spectrum, it varies from person to person, and bisexuality is being attracted to both genders
Anonymous
February 10th, 2016 12:12am
Here's my definitions for the following: Pansexuality is when you're gender blind, and gender is not a thing you look for in a person, you focus more on personality. Polysexualilty is the attraction to multiple genders. Another form of this is polymarous, where you have a romantic relationship with more than one person at a time. Bisexuality is the sexual attraction to two or more genders.
Zhanin
August 28th, 2015 7:09pm
Bisexuality is that you're attracted to men and women. Pansexuality is that you're attracted to men, women, intersexual, gender-queer, transsexual and other gender identities. Polysexuality is that you're attracted to attracted to more than one gender but don't want to identify as bisexual because it infers that there are only two genders.