bisexuality is, broadly speaking, the attraction to two or more genders. bisexuality is not inherently or transphobic or exclusive of non binary genders—note that there are both binary and non-binary trans people who identify as bisexual. it is possible for bisexuals to be attracted to be attracted to anywhere from two to an infinite number of genders. many times, bisexuals will define their own sexuality as the attraction to both similar and different genders (which encompasses all genders). however, it is important to remember that bisexuals can be attracted to multiple genders without being attracted to people of their own gender. for example, an agender bi person may be attracted to women, bigender, and genderfluid people, or a bi woman might be attracted to men and agender people.

i recognize that the prefix bi means two. however, this does not mean bisexuals can only be attracted to people of only two genders, only men and women, or only cis men and women. note that saying bisexuality is the attraction to cis people is transphobic. any arguments about how “bi=2” will be ignored.

polysexuality has a very similar definition—i have seen it defined as the attraction to two or more genders, as well as the attraction to many genders.. like bisexuals, polysexuals have more specific definitions in regards to their own personal sexualities, and may also use the same + different gender definition. polysexuality is not inherently inclusive than bisexuality.

pansexuality is, broadly speaking, the attraction to all genders. sometimes pansexuals will also define their sexuality as attraction undifferentiated by gender, implying that they either (a) don’t generally find one gender more attractive than another or (b) find the same characteristics attractive in people of all genders, though this is not true of all pansexuals. there are sometimes some problems with certain pansexuals describing their sexuality in transphobic or biphobic ways. for example, saying you’re attracted to “men, women, and trans people” is transphobic because it implies that trans men and trans women are not men and women respectively. pansexuals who refer to themselves as “gender blind” are also using some pretty problematic language—read why here. definitions like “hearts not parts” are really, really cissexist—brief explanation here.

so, as you can probably tell at this point, there is a lot of overlap between bi, poly, and pan identities. which you choose to identify as is pretty much a matter of personal preference and what you feel describes your identity best. it’s possible for people to identify as two or three of these as well, so it’s totally okay to identify as both bisexual and pansexual. there’s really no right or wrong answer. 

reasons why some people might prefer to identify as bi:

• the community is larger and more politically active
• they are attracted to different characteristics in different genders (ex, tall men and masculine-perceived people and short women and feminine-perceived people)
• they have a preference for one gender of others (ex, more commonly attracted to women)
• non binary people and trans people may prefer to identify as bi to push back against the idea that bisexuality is exclusive of trans and/or non binary people.

reasons why some people might prefer to identify as poly:

• to ensure people know right off the bat that they are attracted to some/all non-binary genders
• they want to bring attention to the existence of a multitude of genders

reasons why some people might prefer to identify as pan:

• they don’t have a preference for one gender over other
• they are attracted to the same characteristics in all genders
• they want people to know right off the bat that they are attracted to all genders
• the pansexual community is generally less politicized.