pansexual

Psychology

2022

We explain what a pansexual person is and how it differs from someone who is bisexual. Also, their flag and other sexual orientations.

Pansexuals are interested in people regardless of their biological or psychological sex.

What is a pansexual person?

A person pansexual is one who feels romantically, erotically and/or sexually attracted to other people regardless of gender and gender identity that they may have. That is, pansexual people are interested in people regardless of their biological or psychological sex. This type of sexual orientation is often seen as a form of bisexuality.

The term pansexual is made up of the prefix bread-, from ancient Greek, translatable as "everything" and by the word sexual or sexuality in its sense of “sex-affective orientation”. This term began to be used in the West in the 1970s, but it was not until 1990 that it reached its current diffusion and popularity, as a result of the numerous declarations of pansexuality by American artists and celebrities.

Pansexual people, thus, can be romantically or sexually interested in people of any sex, regardless of their established gender identity: cis, trans or non binary.

It is important not to confuse pansexuality, which is a sexual orientation, with gender identities. The first has to do with the type of sexual-affective attraction that is experienced, while the second has to do with "psychological sex", that is, with the way in which each individual identifies himself in matters of sexuality. gender.

pansexual flag

Each color represents a possible gender of attraction: feminine, non-binary, and masculine.

The pansexual community identifies itself as a collectivity and has chosen a flag to represent its interests as a group. This flag is rectangular and consists of three thick stripes: one pink, one yellow, and one blue, in that specific order. Each one represents a possible gender of attraction: feminine, non-binary and masculine.

Differences between pansexuality and bisexuality

Traditionally, bisexuals are understood as people who show romantic and erotic attraction to both men and women, which can be understood as a sort of intermediate category between hetero and homosexuality.

Instead, pansexuality not only refers to the sexual definition of individuals, but also to their gender identity: cis, trans, agender, non binary, among other. Pansexual people, thus, are attracted to others regardless of their gender.

This distinction makes a lot of sense if one thinks about overcoming the binary scheme of sexuality and gender identity, given that the traditional idea of ​​bisexuality refers only to men and women. cis.

Other sexual orientations

In addition to pansexuality, there are other sexual orientations, such as:

  • heterosexuality. It is understood as sexual and romantic attraction to people of the opposite sex.
  • Homosexuality. It is understood as sexual and romantic attraction to people of the same sex.
  • Bisexuality. It is understood as sexual and romantic attraction to people of the same sex and the opposite sex.
  • asexuality. It is understood as the absence of sexual attraction in any sense.
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