Pansexuality
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Pansexuality or anthrosexuality (anthro- literally meaning human, human sexual) (sometimes referred to as omnisexuality[1]) is a sexual orientation characterized by the potential for aesthetic attraction, romantic love and/or sexual desire for people, regardless of their gender identity or biological sex. Thus, pansexuality includes potential attraction to people (such as transgender individuals) who do not fit into the gender binary of male/female. Some pansexuals suggest that they are gender-blind; that gender and sex are insignificant or irrelevant in determining whether they will be sexually attracted to others.[2]
The word pansexual is derived from the Greek prefix pan-, meaning "all". "All" is specifically in reference to human genders. In its simplest form, pansexuality denotes the potential of sexual attraction to all genders. It is intended to negate the idea of two genders (as expressed by bi-).
Because pan- refers only to human genders, and not to sexual practices or people in general, pansexuality does not signify automatic attraction to all people. Similarly, it also does not signify acceptance of all sexual behaviors, such as paraphilias (for example, incest, bestiality, or necrophilia) or fetishes. As with more common sexual identities such as homosexuality and heterosexuality, pansexuality refers to the role of gender in sexual attraction, and not to the role of sexual acts and behaviors.
The adjective pansexual may also be applied to organizations or events. In this context, the term usually indicates an openness to the involvement of people of all genders and sexual orientations in said organization/event, and not to the pansexual sexual identity.
[edit] Pansexuality versus bisexuality
The terms "pansexual" and "bisexual" are not mutually exclusive. Pansexuality is inclusive of bisexuality (attraction to both males and females) but additionally includes attraction to other genders and sexes such as those identifying as transgender, genderqueer, bigender, intersex, or genderfuck.[3] In this sense, it necessarily rejects the concept of a gender binary, which some bisexuals may not reject. Pansexuality has been described as a "means to skip the binaries and essentialism of 'bi'."[4]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language - Fourth Edition. Retrieved February 9, 2007, from Dictionary.com website
- ^ Diamond, L., & Butterworth, M. (2008). Questioning gender and sexual identity: Dynamic links over time. Sex Roles. Published online March 29, 2008.
- ^ Haritaworn, Jin, Chin-ju Lin, and Christian Klesse. "Poly/Logue: A Critical Introduction to Polyamory." Sexualities 9.5 (2006): 515-29.
- ^ Susan Pell, "Inescapable Essentialism: Bisexually-Identified Women's Strategies in the Late 80s and Early 90s" thirdspace 2/1 (November 2002): 40 pars.
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