| Revision as of 23:23, 24 January 2017 view sourceEvergreenFir (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Administrators129,299 edits Reverted 1 pending edit by 213.205.193.54 to revision 761190018 by 203.79.119.108: unsourced← Previous edit | Revision as of 14:36, 25 January 2017 view source Gaymcgay (talk | contribs)2 edits i changed some facts m8Tags: references removed Visual editNext edit → | ||
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| '''Pansexuality''', or '''omnisexuality''',<ref> – Fourth Edition. Retrieved February 9, 2007, from Dictionary.com website</ref> is not real | |||
| '''Pansexuality''', or '''omnisexuality''',<ref> – Fourth Edition. Retrieved February 9, 2007, from Dictionary.com website</ref> is the ], ] or emotional attraction towards people regardless of their ] or ].<ref name="mental health">{{cite book|title=Mental health issues in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities |last1=Hill |first1=Marjorie J. |last2=Jones |first2=Billy E. |year=2002 |publisher=American Psychiatric Pub |isbn=978-1-58562-069-2 |page=95 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0NxXRsIfcpgC |accessdate=28 February 2011}}</ref><ref name="Sex and society">{{cite book|editor=Marshall Cavendish|title=Sex and Society|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YtsxeWE7VD0C&pg=PA593|accessdate=July 28, 2013|volume=2|year=2010|publisher=]|isbn=978-0-7614-7907-9|page=593}}</ref> Pansexual people may refer to themselves as ], asserting that ] and sex are insignificant or irrelevant in determining whether they will be sexually attracted to others.<ref>Diamond, L., & Butterworth, M. (2008). Questioning gender and sexual identity: Dynamic links over time. ''Sex Roles''. Published online March 29, 2008.</ref><ref>The '']'' defines pansexual as: "Not limited in sexual choice with regard to biological sex, gender, or gender identity".{{cite web|url = http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/pansexual |title = definition of pansexual from Oxford Dictionaries Online |publisher = Oxford Dictionaries |date = |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150210180124/http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/pansexual |archive-date = 2015-02-10 | dead-url = no |access-date=2015-05-31}}</ref> | |||
| Pansexuality may be considered a ] in its own right or a branch of ], to indicate an alternative ].<ref name="Sex and society"/><ref name="Firestein">{{cite book |last=Firestein |first=Beth A. |title=Becoming Visible: Counseling Bisexuals Across the Lifespan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1pCKkZmBU1EC&pg=PA9 |accessdate=July 28, 2013 |year=2007 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=978-0-231-13724-9 |page=9}}</ref><ref name="Soble">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IMTEiTtqqPcC |title=Sex from Plato to Paglia: a philosophical encyclopedia |volume=1 |page=115 |last=Soble |first=Alan |isbn=978-0-313-32686-8 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |year=2006 |chapter=Bisexuality |accessdate=28 February 2011}}</ref> Because pansexual people are open to relationships with people who do not identify as strictly ] or ], and pansexuality therefore rejects the ],<ref name="Sex and society"/><ref name="Soble"/> it is often considered a more inclusive term than ''bisexual''.<ref name="Bi-Gay-Pansexual">{{cite web|title=Bi, gay, pansexual: What do I call myself?|publisher=]|date=February 26, 2015|accessdate=October 3, 2012|url=http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/bi-gay-pansexual-what-do-i-call-myself}}</ref><ref name="Eisner">{{cite book|last=Eisner|first=Shiri|title=Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution|publisher=]|isbn=1580054757|accessdate=April 14, 2014|year=2013|pages=27–31|url=https://books.google.com/?id=CbJaZIosLwQC&pg=PT27}}</ref> To what extent the term ''bisexual'' is inclusive when compared to the term ''pansexual'' is debated within the ], especially the ].<ref name="Eisner"/> | |||
| ==Etymology== | ==Etymology== | ||
| The prefix '']'' comes from the ] word for "all, every", ''πᾶν''; '']'' comes from Latin word for "all", ''omnis''. ''Pansexual'' and ''pansexualism'' were first attested in 1917, denoting the idea "that ] plays the primary part in all human activity, mental and physical",<ref name="Bi-Gay-Pansexual"/><ref name="etymonline.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=pansexual |title=Online Etymology Dictionary |publisher=] |date= |accessdate=June 20, 2012}}</ref> a reproach (credited to ]) levelled at early ].<ref name="Bi-Gay-Pansexual"/><ref name="etymonline.com"/><ref>Another early definition was "the pervasion of all conduct and experience with sexual emotions"; as in ''''.</ref> | The prefix '']'' comes from the ] word for "all, every", ''πᾶν''; '']'' comes from Latin word for "all", ''omnis''. ''Pansexual'' and ''pansexualism'' were first attested in 1917, denoting the idea "that ] plays the primary part in all human activity, mental and physical",<ref name="Bi-Gay-Pansexual">{{cite web|url=http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/bi-gay-pansexual-what-do-i-call-myself|title=Bi, gay, pansexual: What do I call myself?|date=February 26, 2015|publisher=]|accessdate=October 3, 2012}}</ref><ref name="etymonline.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=pansexual |title=Online Etymology Dictionary |publisher=] |date= |accessdate=June 20, 2012}}</ref> a reproach (credited to ]) levelled at early ].<ref name="Bi-Gay-Pansexual"/><ref name="etymonline.com"/><ref>Another early definition was "the pervasion of all conduct and experience with sexual emotions"; as in ''''.</ref> | ||
| ==Comparison to bisexuality and other sexual identities== | ==Comparison to bisexuality and other sexual identities== | ||
| <!-- Deleted image removed: ] --> | <!-- Deleted image removed: ] --> | ||
| ]<ref name="Washington">{{cite web | url=https://thecenter.wsu.edu/resources/pansexuality/ | title=Gender Identity/Expression and Sexual Orientation Resource Center - Pansexuality | work=] | accessdate=17 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="mashable">{{cite web | url=http://mashable.com/2014/06/13/lgbt-pride-symbols/ | title=A Storied Glossary of Iconic LGBT Flags and Symbols | date=13 June 2014 | accessdate=17 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="GLAAD">{{cite web | url=http://www.glaad.org/blog/mashable-publishes-date-compilation-lgbt-flags-and-symbols | title=Mashable publishes an up-to-date compilation of LGBT flags and symbols | work=] | date=16 June 2014 | accessdate=17 July 2014}}</ref>]] | ]<ref name="Washington">{{cite web | url=https://thecenter.wsu.edu/resources/pansexuality/ | title=Gender Identity/Expression and Sexual Orientation Resource Center - Pansexuality | work=] | accessdate=17 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="mashable">{{cite web | url=http://mashable.com/2014/06/13/lgbt-pride-symbols/ | title=A Storied Glossary of Iconic LGBT Flags and Symbols | date=13 June 2014 | accessdate=17 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="GLAAD">{{cite web | url=http://www.glaad.org/blog/mashable-publishes-date-compilation-lgbt-flags-and-symbols | title=Mashable publishes an up-to-date compilation of LGBT flags and symbols | work=] | date=16 June 2014 | accessdate=17 July 2014}}</ref>]] | ||
| A literal ] of '']'', due to the prefix '']'', is sexual or romantic attraction to two ]es (]s and ]s), or to two ]s (] and ]).<ref name="Bi-Gay-Pansexual"/><ref name="Eisner"/><ref name="glaad">{{cite web|title=GLAAD Media Reference Guide |accessdate=March 14, 2012 |publisher=] |url=http://www.glaad.org/document.doc?id=99 |archivedate=January 1, 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101043203/http://www.glaad.org/document.doc?id=99}}</ref> Pansexuality, however, composed with the prefix '']'', 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 ] or outside the ].<ref name="Sex and society"/><ref name="Bi-Gay-Pansexual"/><ref name="Eisner"/> | A literal ] of '']'', due to the prefix '']'', is sexual or romantic attraction to two ]es (]s and ]s), or to two ]s (] and ]).<ref name="Bi-Gay-Pansexual"/><ref name="Eisner">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/?id=CbJaZIosLwQC&pg=PT27|title=Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution|last=Eisner|first=Shiri|publisher=]|year=2013|isbn=1580054757|pages=27–31|accessdate=April 14, 2014}}</ref><ref name="glaad">{{cite web|title=GLAAD Media Reference Guide |accessdate=March 14, 2012 |publisher=] |url=http://www.glaad.org/document.doc?id=99 |archivedate=January 1, 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101043203/http://www.glaad.org/document.doc?id=99}}</ref> Pansexuality, however, composed with the prefix '']'', 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 ] or outside the ].<ref name="Sex and society">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YtsxeWE7VD0C&pg=PA593|title=Sex and Society|publisher=]|year=2010|isbn=978-0-7614-7907-9|volume=2|page=593|editor=Marshall Cavendish|accessdate=July 28, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Bi-Gay-Pansexual"/><ref name="Eisner"/> | ||
| ] states that pansexuals can be attracted to ], ], intersex and ] people, and that the term ''pansexual'' "is generally considered a more inclusive term than ''bisexual''".<ref name="Bi-Gay-Pansexual"/> Volume 2 of ]'s ''Sex and Society'', however, states that "although the term's literal meaning can be interpreted as 'attracted to everything,' people who identify as pansexual do not usually include ]s, such as ], ], and ], in their definition" and that they "stress that the term pansexuality describes only consensual adult sexual behaviors".<ref name="Sex and society"/> | ] states that pansexuals can be attracted to ], ], intersex and ] people, and that the term ''pansexual'' "is generally considered a more inclusive term than ''bisexual''".<ref name="Bi-Gay-Pansexual"/> Volume 2 of ]'s ''Sex and Society'', however, states that "although the term's literal meaning can be interpreted as 'attracted to everything,' people who identify as pansexual do not usually include ]s, such as ], ], and ], in their definition" and that they "stress that the term pansexuality describes only consensual adult sexual behaviors".<ref name="Sex and society"/> | ||
| The definition of pansexuality can encourage the belief that it is the only ] that covers individuals who do not cleanly fit into the categories of male or man, or female or woman.<ref name="mental health"/><ref name="Soble"/><ref name="Eisner"/> 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 gender as well, it can include attraction to more than two genders.<ref name="Eisner"/><ref name="bisexual.org">{{cite web|title=Doesn’t identifying as bisexual reinforce a false gender binary?|publisher=]|date=2014|accessdate=May 27, 2014|url=http://bisexual.org/qna/doesnt-identifying-as-bisexual-reinforce-a-false-gender-binary/}}</ref> Gender is considered more complex than the state of one's sex, as gender includes genetic, hormonal, environmental and social factors.<ref name="Sex and society"/> Furthermore, the term ''bisexual'' is sometimes defined as the romantic or sexual attraction to multiple genders.<ref name="Eisner"/> The ], 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",<ref name="biresource.net">{{cite web |url=http://www.biresource.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/BRC_Brochure_2010.pdf |last =Bisexual Resource Council/] |title =BRC Brochure 2010 |year =2010 |accessdate =7 January 2017}}</ref> while the ] states that the term ''bisexual'' "is an open and inclusive term for many kinds of people with same-sex and different-sex attractions"<ref name="bisexual.org2">{{cite web|title=What is the difference between bisexual and terms like pansexual, polysexual, omnisexual, ambisexual, and fluid?|publisher=]|date=2014|accessdate=May 27, 2014|url=http://bisexual.org/qna/what-is-the-difference-between-bisexual-and-terms-like-pansexual-polysexual-omnisexual-ambisexual-and-fluid/}}</ref> and that "the scientific classification ''bisexual'' only addresses the physical, biological sex of the people involved, not the gender-presentation."<ref name="bisexual.org"/> According to the ], 25% of American transgender people identify as bisexual.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thetaskforceblog.org/2013/06/05/wonky-wednesday-trans-people-sexual-orientation/|last=Harrison|first=Jack|title=Wonky Wednesday: Trans people & sexual orientation|date=5 June 2013|publisher=|accessdate=7 January 2017}}</ref> | The definition of pansexuality can encourage the belief that it is the only ] that covers individuals who do not cleanly fit into the categories of male or man, or female or woman.<ref name="mental health">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0NxXRsIfcpgC|title=Mental health issues in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities|last2=Jones|first2=Billy E.|publisher=American Psychiatric Pub|year=2002|isbn=978-1-58562-069-2|page=95|last1=Hill|first1=Marjorie J.|accessdate=28 February 2011}}</ref><ref name="Soble">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IMTEiTtqqPcC|title=Sex from Plato to Paglia: a philosophical encyclopedia|last=Soble|first=Alan|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|year=2006|isbn=978-0-313-32686-8|volume=1|page=115|chapter=Bisexuality|accessdate=28 February 2011}}</ref><ref name="Eisner"/> 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 gender as well, it can include attraction to more than two genders.<ref name="Eisner"/><ref name="bisexual.org">{{cite web|title=Doesn’t identifying as bisexual reinforce a false gender binary?|publisher=]|date=2014|accessdate=May 27, 2014|url=http://bisexual.org/qna/doesnt-identifying-as-bisexual-reinforce-a-false-gender-binary/}}</ref> Gender is considered more complex than the state of one's sex, as gender includes genetic, hormonal, environmental and social factors.<ref name="Sex and society"/> Furthermore, the term ''bisexual'' is sometimes defined as the romantic or sexual attraction to multiple genders.<ref name="Eisner"/> The ], 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",<ref name="biresource.net">{{cite web |url=http://www.biresource.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/BRC_Brochure_2010.pdf |last =Bisexual Resource Council/] |title =BRC Brochure 2010 |year =2010 |accessdate =7 January 2017}}</ref> while the ] states that the term ''bisexual'' "is an open and inclusive term for many kinds of people with same-sex and different-sex attractions"<ref name="bisexual.org2">{{cite web|title=What is the difference between bisexual and terms like pansexual, polysexual, omnisexual, ambisexual, and fluid?|publisher=]|date=2014|accessdate=May 27, 2014|url=http://bisexual.org/qna/what-is-the-difference-between-bisexual-and-terms-like-pansexual-polysexual-omnisexual-ambisexual-and-fluid/}}</ref> and that "the scientific classification ''bisexual'' only addresses the physical, biological sex of the people involved, not the gender-presentation."<ref name="bisexual.org"/> According to the ], 25% of American transgender people identify as bisexual.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thetaskforceblog.org/2013/06/05/wonky-wednesday-trans-people-sexual-orientation/|last=Harrison|first=Jack|title=Wonky Wednesday: Trans people & sexual orientation|date=5 June 2013|publisher=|accessdate=7 January 2017}}</ref> | ||
| Scholar Shiri Eisner states that terms such as ''pansexual,'' ''omnisexual,'' ''],'' '']'', 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 ] 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.<ref name="Eisner"/> | Scholar Shiri Eisner states that terms such as ''pansexual,'' ''omnisexual,'' ''],'' '']'', 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 ] 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.<ref name="Eisner"/> | ||
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| The American Institute of Bisexuality argues that "terms like ''pansexual'', ''polysexual'', ''omnisexual'', and ''ambisexual'' also describe a person with ] and ] 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."<ref name="bisexual.org2"/> The institute believes that the notion that if a person identifies as bisexual, then it is a reinforcement of a false gender binary is a notion that "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."<ref name="bisexual.org"/> | The American Institute of Bisexuality argues that "terms like ''pansexual'', ''polysexual'', ''omnisexual'', and ''ambisexual'' also describe a person with ] and ] 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."<ref name="bisexual.org2"/> The institute believes that the notion that if a person identifies as bisexual, then it is a reinforcement of a false gender binary is a notion that "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."<ref name="bisexual.org"/> | ||
| 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 relationships".<ref name="Sex and society"/> 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'".<ref name="Firestein"/> Polysexuality is similar to pansexuality in definition, meaning "encompassing more than one sexuality," but not necessarily encompassing all sexualities. This is distinct from ], which means more than one intimate relationship at the same time with the knowledge and consent of everyone involved. American Institute of Bisexuality stated, "The term ''fluid'' expresses the fact that the balance of a person's homosexual and heterosexual attractions exists in a state of flux and changes over time."<ref name="bisexual.org2"/> | 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 relationships".<ref name="Sex and society"/> 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'".<ref name="Firestein">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1pCKkZmBU1EC&pg=PA9|title=Becoming Visible: Counseling Bisexuals Across the Lifespan|last=Firestein|first=Beth A.|publisher=Columbia University Press|year=2007|isbn=978-0-231-13724-9|page=9|accessdate=July 28, 2013}}</ref> Polysexuality is similar to pansexuality in definition, meaning "encompassing more than one sexuality," but not necessarily encompassing all sexualities. This is distinct from ], which means more than one intimate relationship at the same time with the knowledge and consent of everyone involved. American Institute of Bisexuality stated, "The term ''fluid'' expresses the fact that the balance of a person's homosexual and heterosexual attractions exists in a state of flux and changes over time."<ref name="bisexual.org2"/> | ||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
Revision as of 14:36, 25 January 2017
| Sexual orientation |
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| Sexual orientations |
| Related terms |
| Research |
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Pansexuality, or omnisexuality, is not real
Etymology
The prefix pan- comes from the ancient Greek word for "all, every", πᾶν; Omni- comes from Latin word for "all", omnis. Pansexual and pansexualism were first attested in 1917, denoting the idea "that the sex instinct plays the primary part in all human activity, mental and physical", a reproach (credited to Sigmund Freud) levelled at early psychology.
Comparison to bisexuality and other sexual identities
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). 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 or outside the gender binary.
Go Ask Alice! states that pansexuals can be attracted to cisgender, transgender, intersex and androgynous people, and that the term pansexual "is generally considered a more inclusive term than bisexual". Volume 2 of Cavendish's Sex and Society, however, states that "although 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".
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. 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 gender as well, it can include attraction to more than two genders. Gender is considered more complex than the state of one's sex, as gender includes genetic, hormonal, environmental and social factors. Furthermore, the term bisexual is sometimes defined as the romantic or sexual attraction to multiple genders. 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", 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" and that "the scientific classification bisexual only addresses the physical, biological sex of the people involved, not the gender-presentation." According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, 25% of American transgender people identify as bisexual.
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.
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." The institute believes that the notion that if a person identifies as bisexual, then it is a reinforcement of a false gender binary is a notion that "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."
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 relationships". 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'". 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. American Institute of Bisexuality stated, "The term fluid expresses the fact that the balance of a person's homosexual and heterosexual attractions exists in a state of flux and changes over time."
See also
.svg){kind=small}
- Third gender
- Bisexual erasure
- List of pansexual people
- Gender neutrality
- Heteroflexibility
- Human sexuality
- LGBT
- Transcending Boundaries Conference
References
- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language – Fourth Edition. Retrieved February 9, 2007, from Dictionary.com website
- ^ "Bi, gay, pansexual: What do I call myself?". Go Ask Alice!. February 26, 2015. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
- ^ "Online Etymology Dictionary". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
- Another early definition was "the pervasion of all conduct and experience with sexual emotions"; as in The Free Dictionary.
- "Gender Identity/Expression and Sexual Orientation Resource Center - Pansexuality". Washington State University. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
- "A Storied Glossary of Iconic LGBT Flags and Symbols". 13 June 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
- "Mashable publishes an up-to-date compilation of LGBT flags and symbols". GLAAD. 16 June 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
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