The Student Room Group

Pansexual? Is it a real thing or just attention-seeking?

A uni friend came out as a pansexual this week what I understand is that he's attracted to anything with a pulse even trans people. This got me thinking that it was pointless to come as pansexual because you can choose to be straight/gay/whateversexual whereas the other sexualities bar bi you have to make a choice and stick with it. Is it attention seeking? My closest friend said that it's an attention-seeking thing? I'm not so sure.

Scroll to see replies

"Pansexual" should not be recognized as a form of sexuality in my books.
We only have two genders,and three sexualities whilst your friend falls under bisexuality.
"even trans people" whys it so shocking that someone would be attracted to a transgender person?

as far as I know, the current definitions within the communities are that pan is attraction to all genders, while bi is attraction to two or more genders but not necessarily all of them.

for some people like myself pan would probably be a better descriptor, but I go with bi because it's easier and a more well known identifier.


Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 3
You've got it wrong. It's been said so many times that sexuality is not a choice. Gays don't choose to like their same gender and then stick with it, they are born that way. And if pansexual is considered a sexuality then no, it's not attention seeking.
Original post by Master Jack
A uni friend came out as a pansexual this week what I understand is that he's attracted to anything with a pulse even trans people. This got me thinking that it was pointless to come as pansexual because you can choose to be straight/gay/whateversexual whereas the other sexualities bar bi you have to make a choice and stick with it. Is it attention seeking? My closest friend said that it's an attention-seeking thing? I'm not so sure.


Anyway who gives a **** if it's attention seeking. You don't get to make a value judgement on how someone else chooses to self-identity. If he chooses to describe himself as pansexual then that's up to him and he is under no obligation to have that decision qualified by you, me or frankly any other person.
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 5
It's not attention seeking.

There is usually some confusion between Bisexuality and Pansexuality. Bisexual means you're attracted to ANY and ALL genders, as opposed to the assumption that because there's 'bi' in the word it means 'two'. There are more than two genders, and it's more of a scale rather than discreet 'types' (But that's for a different topic). Pansexual means you're attracted to someone REGARDLESS of their gender.

Found something that probably explains it better than I would:

Pansexuals are people who are attracted to others regardless of gender. This may seem confusing to some people. “Isn’t that the same thing as bi?” No.
To be bisexual means that you are attracted to the same gender as yourself and other genders. Pansexual is being attracted to people regardless of gender.

To differentiate, some people have preferences. A bisexual person make have a preference for males, females, nonbinary, or any other gender. Pansexuals typically do not. If a pansexual has a preference it may be something like having tatoos, short hair, or really anything that disregards gender. They may also have a preference for masculinity or femininity (which do not identify a persons gender. Males can be feminine and females can be masculine).

Pansexuals aren’t greedy and they don’t call themselves pan to make them feel “more special” than bisexuals. There’s simply a difference between them and they’d like you to respect that!

You can also be panromantic. Panromanic and pansexual are not always paired up together in someon’s identity. You can match any sexuality with any type or romantic attraction. I will use asexuality as an example! One can be asexual and panromantic or pansexual and aromantic.

Basically, everyone should just shut up about other people’s sexualities because it’s none of your business who they like or don’t like in what way or the other? Pansexuals aren’t bi! And people need to stop calling them stupid, monsterous, or fake. Why?

Because

they

are

not.
(edited 9 years ago)
Sometimes; when I see it on here I sometimes get the feeling some people don't even know their sexuality to begin with though personally I don't see the point of pansexuality as a concept because transexual people (sorry if this somehow offends someone...) are not a seperate gender. Isnt that the point of sexuality.
Reply 7
Original post by Master Jack
A uni friend came out as a pansexual this week what I understand is that he's attracted to anything with a pulse even trans people. This got me thinking that it was pointless to come as pansexual because you can choose to be straight/gay/whateversexual whereas the other sexualities bar bi you have to make a choice and stick with it. Is it attention seeking? My closest friend said that it's an attention-seeking thing? I'm not so sure.


This is only because people get stick for saying anything else. People are trying to figure out who they are as they grow up, and while we may originally place someone as a heterosexual boy, they may find themselves to be an asexual trans-girl, but later discover they could actually be demisexual. But since so many people say "that's stupid!" and make them feel awful about themselves, they hide from telling others about it and become depressed and trapped amongst people who just won't understand.

What I'm getting at here is that it doesn't really matter if someone says they're something one day, and something else another, because it really doesn't affect you and everyone should really take the mentality of "You like this? Awesome"

It's not attention seeking, they're figuring themselves out and finding the words to fit it, don't make them feel bad for it.
Reply 8
Original post by Odd socks
"even trans people" whys it so shocking that someone would be attracted to a transgender person?

as far as I know, the current definitions within the communities are that pan is attraction to all genders, while bi is attraction to two or more genders but not necessarily all of them.

for some people like myself pan would probably be a better descriptor, but I go with bi because it's easier and a more well known identifier.


Posted from TSR Mobile



It's strange to be attracted to a trans person it's frankly odd. Is it the fact that they don't identify with their birth assigned gender that a pansexual finds attractive or is it something else? It's very strange.


See bi is something I can comprehend. Pansexual is just random and attention seeking or at least it seems that way to me.
Reply 9
Original post by Master Jack
It's strange to be attracted to a trans person it's frankly odd. Is it the fact that they don't identify with their birth assigned gender that a pansexual finds attractive or is it something else? It's very strange.


See bi is something I can comprehend. Pansexual is just random and attention seeking or at least it seems that way to me.


Why is it strange to be attracted to a transsexual person though? Or is it just the fact that you feel 'cheated' that someone does not have the genitalia you thought they would have? I mean I can understand that thought, you see someone who you think is an attractive looking woman and you're a heterosexual man, and then you find out she's pre-op transsexual. "BAH!" you shout out in your head, she has a penis! A man in disguise has cheated my feelings! I'm not GAY! It's ok, yes they'll be hurt that you'll no longer find them attractive because she's got the same genitalia as you, I've been thinking about this for a while myself as to how I'd feel about it.

However, just because you cannot understand the attraction, this isn't an issue for pansexual people, or bisexual people, I'm sure there cold be other sexualities that even I'm not aware of yet for whom it wouldn't be a problem. I'll repeat what I mentioned in a previous post, what's happening downstairs is not a concern for pansexual people, they don't care, no preference, it doesn't matter. Just as long as they're happy is all that matters.

Bisexual people can have preferences as to the gender they prefer, some may prefer transsexual women, some may prefer men, but pansexual people don't care, they're more likely to have a preference for characteristics such as tattoos, or short hair, practically anything that disregards gender.
How is it attention seeking? Sure I don't agree with "loosely attracted to any/everything," but again, how is it attention seeking?

There are some people who feel the need to be different and falsely claim it, yes.

However... pansexuals having their own flag is a bit much as well; that's like donut lovers having their own flag. Just like what you like and shut up. Heterosexuals don't have a flag. :rolleyes:

That being said, we need one :colone:
I have very, very little time for Tumblrsexualities, but I think there is a useful, if largely academic, distinction to be made between bisexuality and pansexuality.

I think I am bisexual rather than pansexual because the nature of my attraction to girls is different from what it is to guys. I have not the slightest whit of desire to enter into an emotionally involved relationship with another guy and I am highly particular about what sort of guys I like. That looks fetishistic to me. And I have often thought that it might be possible for an expressed sexuality to be the result of either a true orientation or a fetishised attraction.

Oh, and I think it's stupid and facile, not to mention a bit insulting to transsexuals themselves, to repurpose the word "pansexual" to describe those who are attracted to transsexuals.
it seems weird to me being attracted to anything (lol thats human) but then there are some people who dont go by appearance or who arn't bothered on how someone looks and go solely on the individual and what there like as a person inside.
I've always just seen pansexual as a fancy word for a complete bisexual. As in they are both sexually and romantically attracted to men and women. Whereas a lot of bisexuals might have a preference one way or the other. Although I'd always respect someone's choice to call themselves as pansexual. I don't think it is attention seeking, people are free to define themselves as they want.
:lol: all these labels...

**** who you want. (or don't **** at all)

Pan just reminds me of Fauns...
Original post by Master Jack
A uni friend came out as a pansexual this week what I understand is that he's attracted to anything with a pulse even trans people. This got me thinking that it was pointless to come as pansexual because you can choose to be straight/gay/whateversexual whereas the other sexualities bar bi you have to make a choice and stick with it. Is it attention seeking? My closest friend said that it's an attention-seeking thing? I'm not so sure.


You do realise that's not how it works, right? :erm:

Original post by Blue_Mason
Yes it is attention seeking.
"Pansexual" should not be recognized as a form of sexuality in my books.
We only have two genders,and three sexualities whilst your friend falls under bisexuality.


It's nice that you have such a rigid categorisation of sexuality - no doubt because you fall under one of those three - but not all people fit in said sexualities, it seems fairly naive to think otherwise.
Original post by Master Jack
See bi is something I can comprehend. Pansexual is just random and attention seeking or at least it seems that way to me.


If we're going to be farcical about this (which is entirely how I take your 'I don't understand it, therefore it must be wrong and attention seeking' attitude), then I don't particularly understand how microwaves work, therefore I think they only go round heating things up for attention! :rant:


Yes I am pansexual. No, I don't have a clue about gender/sexual/anything to do with being obsessed with whether you have a penis politics, I'm just attracted to people.


Those damn microwaves on the other hand... :mob:
Original post by shadowdweller
You do realise that's not how it works, right? :erm:



It's nice that you have such a rigid categorisation of sexuality - no doubt because you fall under one of those three - but not all people fit in said sexualities, it seems fairly naive to think otherwise.


But at the end of the day if you're attracted to both physical traits of both a male and a female, then you fall under a geniune sexuality that is already familiar in peoples mind.
Its a reduntant term.




Original post by superwolf
If we're going to be farcical about this (which is entirely how I take your 'I don't understand it, therefore it must be wrong and attention seeking' attitude), then I don't particularly understand how microwaves work, therefore I think they only go round heating things up for attention! :rant:


Yes I am pansexual. No, I don't have a clue about gender/sexual/anything to do with being obsessed with whether you have a penis politics, I'm just attracted to people.


Those damn microwaves on the other hand... :mob:


Well the world doesn't need to know what you favour to stick your penis in.
But what kind of people?
Pansexual is a reduntant form of sexuality, I mean if you're attracted to both the physical characteristics of both male and female then why put another label,when what captures your sense of attraction crosses between both genders but it it still falls biologically after one gender?
I mean I could go deeper on this
Original post by Blue_Mason
But at the end of the day if you're attracted to both physical traits of both a male and a female, then you fall under a geniune sexuality that is already familiar in peoples mind.
Its a reduntant term.


Even putting aside pansexuality, there are others outside of the 3 you've stated.

But really the redundancy - or lack thereof - of pansexuality entirely depends on your views on gender. If you regard there to be more than just male and female, then it's not a redundant term.
Original post by shadowdweller
Even putting aside pansexuality, there are others outside of the 3 you've stated.

But really the redundancy - or lack thereof - of pansexuality entirely depends on your views on gender. If you regard there to be more than just male and female, then it's not a redundant term.



But could you list any more genders?

Quick Reply

Latest