Not sure how to put it...uh, pan-curious?

[oedipussy]

OK, so pansexuality is basically bisexuality but the difference is that you just don't care which one you get? I hardly see the need for a different term. Maybe you should just call it "apathiality"?

Whatever does it for you... Your life, your choice. Not sure what exactly you want opinions on here.

[sera300]

Originally Posted by Falcos

I can see what Katie's saying, and philosophically I appreciate the whole 'why label?' concept, but I still would like to know. Katie, your description of how you view your own gender is close to, but not exactly like my own - I would pursue a hetero relationship before going after a guy, but the idea of having a relationship, either sexual or romantic, with someone of my gender doesn't raise any red flags in my head. I'm more comfortable talking with women and initiating contact with women, but if Mrs. Right turned out to be a Mr. and he approached me, I'd go for it. Of course this is all on paper. As that hasn't happened to me, I don't know how I'd react if it actually happened.

This isn't really a life-changing decision for me right now, but I am very curious about this. While I appreciate Katie's help, I could still use more input.

Try both, use proper protection to prevent disease or pregnancy, and make your own informed choice.

[dancingdoc2]

Homo-, Hetero-, Bi- sexuality all define themselves by whom a person is physically and emotionally attracted to. Pan- seems to blur the criteria and make it more about the physical than the emotional.

[sera300]

Originally Posted by dancingdoc2

Homo-, Hetero-, Bi- sexuality all define themselves by whom a person is physically and emotionally attracted to. Pan- seems to blur the criteria and make it more about the physical than the emotional.

SO have the sex, figure out what you like, experiment, them choose a life long partner which suits you.

[katiebug]

Falcos,

I agree with the others that I don't really understand why you feel the need to know exactly what your sexuality is. How could you possibly know that without any real life experiences? Wait until you've had more time and more experience to try to figure out exactly what you like, and where your desires lie. That is why I said you should just keep an open mind and see where your life takes you. If you end up with women, great, if you find a man to experiment with, great. Once you've had the experiences you should be better able to understand your desires and what you will want in the long-term.

[Falcos]

Hmm...yes, alright. I think you (all of you) are right - I don't have enough actual experience to make an informed decision on this. I suppose I'll just put it on the back burner until I have more to work with.

Thanks, all. I didn't really get a solid yes/no answer, but I think I've gotten as far as I can without a field test, as it were.

[oberon]

I think the line that DancingDoc quoted was interesting... it went something like... "if a guy made a move on me romantically or sexually...."

I think the kicker is "romantically". Falcos, if you meant that, then it sounds more like bisexuality to me. But hey, that's just MY definition. Personally, I think sexuality has a much broader range than most people know or will admit. My scale goes something like:

10% Completely Heterosexual
10% Completely Homosexual
80% Bisexual

The 80% has a VERY broad range... from people who would try one or the other if given the opportunity to people who really are true bisexuals that view either sex equally both romantically and sexually.

However, I will state again that this is just MY opinion based on my observation. I don't have statistics to base any of this on. I don't believe that you can have true statistics on sexuality as long as some are discrimnated against.

[BTDTWoman]

"Pansexuality" is not bisexuality.

"Pansexuality" is a term that (attempts to) transcend the rigid categories of sexual identity (sexual orientation, sexual preference) in Western cultures. Pansexuality as a concept challenges the ways in which we as a culture and society assign a single sexual identity to an individual by examining only the sex/gender(s) of that individual's erotic object of desire.

In simpler language, we usually define a gay man as a male/man who is sexually aroused by male bodies, has sex with men, and who "falls in love" with men. The gay man's sexual identity is determined by his sexual attraction to males, being sexually active with men, and falling in love with men. If females and women were his objects of desire, we would push him over into the straight category. The categories are predefined and we squeeze individuals into one of the categories.

The person who has a pansexual approach to sexuality does not wish to be defined by the sex or gender of a specific object of desire. Pansexuality is rooted more in "polymorphously perversity" than bisexuality because pansexuality does not begin with the unquestioned assumption that all of human sexuality can be reduced to the simplistic sexual identities of straight/bi/gay/lesbian. Pansexuality encompasses all human sexual desire and expression with fewer boundaries, limitations, and identities.

[Brandye]

"Pan," from Latin, means "all." There are two genders. In this case, then, "Bi" (two) is "all." Ipso facto, pansexuality cannot be differentiated from bisexuality except in the head of some budding author trying to make a name for "itself."

Psycho-babble.

[oedipussy]

Props to Brandye for having common sense. High 5!

You post some completely off-the-wall stuff sometimes, BTDTWoman...