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User:JE215/Pansexuality

< User:JE215

Pansexuality

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Important: This reflects the final vision of the article's sections after having been restructured.

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See my post on Talk:Pansexuality to get an idea of why I propose this restructuring. The reason I have included so much content from the present article is to allow comparison between the final vision and current location of content currently in the article. My new contributions to the article outside of this restructuring are underlined below.

Sections of the article not included here have not received restructuring. Additionally, I am considering adding to the lead to reflect this new structure; however, I believe that should wait until after any changes have been published to the main page of the article. All subheadings are new, and I am specifically open to suggestion for the subheading "Gender and the use of pansexuality vs. bisexuality", as something doesn't quite sit right with that one. Additionally, feel free to suggest additional links. I've added a handful within my new contributions, but if there are any that might be relevant or that I missed, let me know.

Definitions (replaces the Etymology header)

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Etymology and origin

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Pansexuality is also sometimes called omnisexuality.[1][2][3] The prefix pan- comes from the Ancient Greek word for "all, every", πᾶν; omni- comes from the Latin word for "all", omnis.[4] Omnisexuality may be used to describe those “attracted to people of all genders across the gender spectrum”, and pansexuality may be used to describe the same people, or those attracted to people “regardless of gender.” [5]

The hybrid words pansexual and pansexualism were first documented in 1914. Written as “pan-sexualism”, the term was coined by American English-speaking opponents of Sigmund Freud’s work,[6] with the term denoting the idea "that the sex instinct plays the primary part in all human activity, mental and physical". [7][8] The term would be translated to German as pansexualismus in Freud’s work Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego.[9] According to social psychologist Nikki Hayfield, “the term pansexuality first came into use during the 1990s, alongside the less recognized pomosexuality (postmodern sexuality),” with pansexuality seeing early use within BDSM communities[5].

Definition compared to bisexuality and other sexualities

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A literal dictionary definition of bisexuality, due to the prefix bi-, is sexual or romantic attraction to two sexes (males and females), or to two genders (men and women).[10][11][12] Pansexuality, however, composed with the prefix pan-, is the sexual attraction to a person of any sex or gender. Using these definitions, pansexuality is defined differently by explicitly including people who are intersex, transgender, or outside the gender binary.[13][10][11]

According to Volume 2 of Cavendish's Sex and Society, despite the fact that "the term's literal meaning can be interpreted as 'attracted to everything,' people who identify as pansexual do not usually 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."[14]

The term pansexuality is sometimes used interchangeably with bisexuality, and, similarly, people who identify as bisexual may "feel that gender, biological sex, and sexual orientation should not be a focal point in potential [romantic/sexual] relationships."[15] Additionally, pansexuality is often used in conjunction with bisexuality, which can pose difficulties in studying differences and similarities in experiences between those who identify as pansexual and those who identify as bisexual and not pansexual.[5] In one study analyzing sexual identities described as alternative terms for bisexual or bi-self labels, "half of all bisexual and bisexual-identified respondents also chose alternative self-labels such as queer, pansexual, pansensual, polyfidelitous, ambisexual, polysexual, or personalized identities such as byke or biphilic."[16] Polysexuality is similar to pansexuality in definition, meaning "encompassing more than one sexuality", but not necessarily encompassing all sexualities. This is distinct from polyamory, which means more than one intimate relationship at the same time with the knowledge and consent of everyone involved. The American Institute of Bisexuality stated, the term fluid (not to be mistaken with genderfluid) "expresses the fact that the balance of a person's homosexual and heterosexual attractions exists in a state of flux and changes over time."[17]

Discussions around bisexuality, pansexuality, and other sexual identities (replaces the Comparison to bisexuality and other sexual identities header)

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Gender and the use of pansexuality vs. bisexuality

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The definition of pansexuality can encourage the belief that it is the only sexual identity that covers individuals who do not cleanly fit into the categories of male or man, or female or woman.[18][19][20] However, bisexual-identified people and scholars may object to the notion that bisexuality means sexual attraction to only two genders, arguing that since bisexual is not simply about attraction to two sexes and encompasses attraction to different genders as well, it includes attraction to more than two genders.[20][21] Gender is considered more complex than the state of one's sex, as gender includes genetic, hormonal, environmental and social factors.[22] In a 2017 study, identifying as pansexual was found to be "most appealing to nonheterosexual women and noncisgender individuals."[23] According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, 25% of American transgender people identify as bisexual.[24]

The American Institute of Bisexuality argues that "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" and that "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", but "this does not mean, however, that people who identify as bisexual are fixated on gender."[25] The institute believes that the idea that identifying as bisexual reinforces a false gender binary "has its roots in the anti-science, anti-Enlightenment philosophy that has ironically found a home within many Queer Studies departments at universities across the Anglophone world," and that, "while it is true that our society's language and terminology do not necessarily reflect the full spectrum of human gender diversity, that is hardly the fault of people who choose to identify as bi. ... The Latin prefix bi- does indeed indicate two or both, however the 'both' indicated in the word bisexual are merely homosexual (lit. same sex) and heterosexual (lit. different sex)." The institute argues that heterosexuality and homosexuality, by contrast, "are defined by the boundary of two sexes/genders. Given those fundamental facts, any criticism of bisexuality as reinforcing a gender binary is misplaced. Over time, our society's concept of human sex and gender may well change."[26]

Scholar Shiri Eisner states that terms such as pansexual, omnisexual, polysexual, queer, etc. are being used in place of the term bisexual because "bisexuality, it's been claimed, is a gender binary, and therefore oppressive, word" and that "the great debate is being perpetuated and developed by bisexual-identified transgender and genderqueer people on the one hand, and non-bi-identified transgender and genderqueer people on the other." Eisner argues that "the allegations of binarism have little to do with bisexuality's actual attributes or bisexual people's behavior in real life" and that the allegations are a political method to keep the bisexual and transgender movements separated, because of those who believe that bisexuality ignores or erases the visibility of transgender and genderqueer people.[27]

One New Zealand 2019 study of a nationally representative group of bisexual and pansexual participants found that younger, gender-diverse, and Maori people were more likely to self-identify as pansexual rather than bisexual.[28] A 2017 study published in the Journal of Bisexuality found that when bisexuals and pansexuals described gender and defined bisexuality, “there were no differences in how pansexual and bisexual people ... discussed sex or gender“, and that the findings “do not support the stereotype that bisexual people endorse a binary view of gender while pansexual people do not.”[29] Dr. Barbara Gormley states that “bi+ people may embody more than one  gender/sex as well as romantically love more than one gender/sex; therefore, we [bi+ people] have no reference point in a binary-gendered universe.”[30]

Bisexuality as an umbrella term for pansexuality and other sexual identities

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The term bisexual is sometimes defined as the romantic or sexual attraction to multiple genders.[31] The Bisexual Resource Center, for example, defines bisexuality as "an umbrella term for people who recognize and honor their potential for sexual and emotional attraction to more than one gender",[32] while the American Institute of Bisexuality states that the term bisexual "is an open and inclusive term for many kinds of people with same-sex and different-sex attractions"[33] and that "the scientific classification bisexual only addresses the physical, biological sex of the people involved, not the gender-presentation."[34] According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, 25% of American transgender people identify as bisexual.[35] According to social psychologist Dr. Corey Flanders, the "bisexual umbrella" is a term used to describe a range of sexual identities and communities that express attraction to multiple genders, often grouping together those who identify as bisexual, pansexual, queer, and fluid, as well as other identities. The term faces issues of balancing inclusivity with cohesiveness where, on one hand, the term can bring together many disparate identities and gather their experiences, and on the other, it can lead to too many sub-groupings and exclude those who identify themselves with more than one sexual identity.[36]

Scholar Shiri Eisner states that “the idea of bisexuality as an umbrella term can emphasize a multiplicity of identities, forms of desire, lived experiences, and politics,” and “resist a single standard” of defining bisexual-umbrella identities and communities, including pansexuality and pansexuals. Eisner also notes that only those who want to be included under the bisexual umbrella should be included.[11] The term plurisexualities is used by Scholar Nikki Hayfield over bisexuality as an umbrella term “to capture additional identities relating to attraction to multiple genders,” while also referring to specific identities like bisexual, asexual, and pansexual. [5]

In contrast to the idea of a bisexual umbrella, Dr. Christopher Belous and Scholar Melissa Bauman propose that pansexuality might be considered more of an umbrella term than bisexuality, arguing that because pansexuality is often defined more broadly than bisexuality, bisexuality may exist under the umbrella of “pansexual orientations.” They noted that more research is necessary to clarify which of the two terms might be more appropriate as an umbrella term. [37]

Scholar Emily Prior questions the use of bisexuality as an umbrella term, noting that “the empirical evidence just isn’t there” to determine whether bisexuality can effectively act as an umbrella term.[38] Social psychologist Dr. Joye Swan states that including other orientations under the bisexual umbrella contributes to bisexual invisibility, invisibility for other sexualities, and presumes that “all or most bisexual people agree with being categorized” under the bisexual umbrella.[38]


  1. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language – Fourth Edition. Retrieved February 9, 2007, from Dictionary.com website
  2. ^ Eisner, Shiri (2013). Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution. New York City: Seal Press. pp. 27–31. ISBN 978-1580054751. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  3. ^ McAllum, Mary-Anne (2017). Young Bisexual Women's Experiences in Secondary Schools. Routledge. p. 2034. ISBN 978-1-351-79682-8.
  4. ^ "Online Etymology Dictionary". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  5. ^ a b c d Hayfield, Nikki (2020). Bisexual and Pansexual Identities: Exploring and Challenging Invisibility and Invalidation. Routledge. pp. 1–17. ISBN 9780429875410.
  6. ^ "pansexual, adj." OED Online, Oxford University Press, March 2021, www.oed.com/view/Entry/136944. Accessed 3 May 2021.
  7. ^ "Bi, gay, pansexual: What do I call myself?". Go Ask Alice!. February 26, 2015. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  8. ^ Another early definition was "the pervasion of all conduct and experience with sexual emotions"; as in The Free Dictionary.
  9. ^ Dot, Wordsworth (January 18, 2020). "Pansexuality has been around longer than you think". The Spectator. Retrieved May 3, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ a b "Bi, gay, pansexual: What do I call myself?". Go Ask Alice!. February 26, 2015. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  11. ^ a b c Eisner, Shiri (2013). Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution. New York City: Seal Press. pp. 27–31. ISBN 978-1580054751. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  12. ^ "GLAAD Media Reference Guide". Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Archived from the original on January 1, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2012.
  13. ^ Sex and Society. Vol. 2. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish. 2010. p. 593. ISBN 978-0-7614-7907-9. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  14. ^ Sex and Society. Vol. 2. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish. 2010. p. 593. ISBN 978-0-7614-7907-9. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  15. ^ Sex and Society. Vol. 2. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish. 2010. p. 593. ISBN 978-0-7614-7907-9. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  16. ^ Firestein, Beth A. (2007). Becoming Visible: Counseling Bisexuals Across the Lifespan. New York City: Columbia University Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-231-13724-9. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  17. ^ "What is the difference between bisexual and terms like pansexual, polysexual, omnisexual, ambisexual, and fluid?". American Institute of Bisexuality. 2014. Archived from the original on May 28, 2014. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  18. ^ Hill, Marjorie J.; Jones, Billy E. (2002). Mental health issues in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association. p. 95. ISBN 978-1-58562-069-2. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  19. ^ Soble, Alan (2006). "Bisexuality". Sex from Plato to Paglia: a philosophical encyclopedia. Vol. 1. Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 115. ISBN 978-0-313-32686-8. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  20. ^ a b Eisner, Shiri (2013). Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution. New York City: Seal Press. pp. 27–31. ISBN 978-1580054751. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  21. ^ "Doesn't identifying as bisexual reinforce a false gender binary?". American Institute of Bisexuality. 2014. Archived from the original on April 10, 2014. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  22. ^ Sex and Society. Vol. 2. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish. 2010. p. 593. ISBN 978-0-7614-7907-9. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  23. ^ Morandini, James S.; Blaszczynski, Alexander; Dar-Nimrod, Ilan (2017). "Who Adopts Queer and Pansexual Sexual Identities?". The Journal of Sex Research. 54 (7): 911–922. doi:10.1080/00224499.2016.1249332. ISSN 0022-4499. PMID 27911091. S2CID 5113284.
  24. ^ Harrison, Jack (5 June 2013). "Wonky Wednesday: Trans people & sexual orientation". Archived from the original on 10 March 2017. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  25. ^ "What is the difference between bisexual and terms like pansexual, polysexual, omnisexual, ambisexual, and fluid?". American Institute of Bisexuality. 2014. Archived from the original on May 28, 2014. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  26. ^ "Doesn't identifying as bisexual reinforce a false gender binary?". American Institute of Bisexuality. 2014. Archived from the original on April 10, 2014. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  27. ^ Eisner, Shiri (2013). Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution. New York City: Seal Press. pp. 27–31. ISBN 978-1580054751. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  28. ^ Greaves, Lara M. (2019). "Comparing Pansexual- and Bisexual-Identified Participants on Demographics, Psychological Well-Being, and Political Ideology in a New Zealand National Sample". Journal of Sex Research. vol. 56, no. 9: 1083–1090. doi:10.1080/00224499.2019.1568376. {{cite journal}}: |volume= has extra text (help)
  29. ^ Flanders, Corey E. (January–March 2017). "Defining Bisexuality: Young Bisexual and Pansexual People's Voices". Journal of Bisexuality. vol. 17, no. 1: 39–57. doi:10.1080/15299716.2016.1227016 – via EBSCOhost. {{cite journal}}: |volume= has extra text (help)CS1 maint: date format (link)
  30. ^ Gormley, Barbara (April 2018). "Liberation of Bisexual Consciousness: Maneuvering Through Hostile Life Environments". Journal of Bisexuality. vol. 18, no.2: 230–248. doi:10.1080/15299716.2018.1450174 – via LGBTQ+ Source, EBSCOhost. {{cite journal}}: |volume= has extra text (help)
  31. ^ Eisner, Shiri (2013). Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution. New York City: Seal Press. pp. 27–31. ISBN 978-1580054751. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  32. ^ Bisexual Resource Council/Bisexual Resource Center (2010). "BRC Brochure 2010" (PDF). Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  33. ^ "What is the difference between bisexual and terms like pansexual, polysexual, omnisexual, ambisexual, and fluid?". American Institute of Bisexuality. 2014. Archived from the original on May 28, 2014. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  34. ^ "Doesn't identifying as bisexual reinforce a false gender binary?". American Institute of Bisexuality. 2014. Archived from the original on April 10, 2014. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  35. ^ Harrison, Jack (5 June 2013). "Wonky Wednesday: Trans people & sexual orientation". Archived from the original on 10 March 2017. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  36. ^ Flanders, Corey E. (January 2017). "Under the Bisexual Umbrella: Diversity of Identity and Experience". Journal of Bisexuality. vol. 17, no. 1: 1–6. doi:10.1080/15299716.2017.1297145 – via EBSCOhost. {{cite journal}}: |volume= has extra text (help)
  37. ^ Belous, Christopher K.; Bauman, Melissa L. (January 2017). "What's in a Name? Exploring Pansexuality Online". Journal of Bisexuality. vol. 17, no. 56: 58–72. doi:10.1080/15299716.2016.1224212 – via LGBTQ+ Source, EBSCOhost. {{cite journal}}: |volume= has extra text (help)
  38. ^ a b Swan, Joye D. (2018). Bisexuality: Theories, Research, and Recommendations for the Invisible Sexuality. New York, NY: Springer. pp. ix–xiii, 49–56. ISBN 9783319715353.
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