Pan, Bi, and Omni: Definitions, Differences, and Intersections

Definitions

The Trevor Project defines bi- (romantic/sexual) as " attraction and/or relationships to more than one gender." This definition is more readily accepted than the definition of “attraction to both men and women" (implying a binary) and the Merriam-Webster dictionary has since updated their definition to "sexual or romantic attraction to people of one's own gender identity and of other gender identities.”

Pan-(romantic/sexual) can be defined as having an "attraction to people of any gender or to people regardless of gender."

Omni-(romantic/sexual) can be defined as "the attraction to people of all sexes and gender identities, wherein gender plays a role in one's attraction." Even though omni- individuals recognize the gender of those to whom they feel an attraction, it may not play a huge factor in their choice of partner.

Differences

People who identify as bisexual may be pansexual, but not necessarily. All pansexual folks can be classified as bisexual (being attracted to “all” fits into the description of “2 or more”), but not all bisexual folks are pansexual (not all bisexual folks are attracted to all genders).

Those who identify as pansexual may feel attraction to people without noticing their gender, while omnisexual people recognize the gender of potential partners.

Intersections

Some people may prefer to identify as bisexual even if they may be pansexual simply because the term “bisexual” is more commonly recognized. Omni- and Pan- also implies an attraction to all genders.

These definitions are not meant to be restrictive, and people can choose which one best describes themselves. Some might be used interchangeably, while others are used uniquely, since one's knowledge and familiarity with each term can affect their usage. I myself am still exploring ways to describe myself, and have found this research insightful.

From left to right: The bi- flag, the pan- flag, and the omni- flag.