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so let's talk about the "Bi vs Pan" 'debate' and why we're having it AT ALL: a thread.
As my corner of twitter tends to judge ppl's right to speak on a subject based on their personal stake in the matter: I'm a bisexual transmasc w/pan friends.
limiting replies on this.
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As my corner of twitter tends to judge ppl's right to speak on a subject based on their personal stake in the matter: I'm a bisexual transmasc w/pan friends.
limiting replies on this.
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spoilers for the conclusion of this thread:
bisexuals & pansexuals were initially pitted against one another by exclusionists & radical feminists ***specifically to sow disunity in LGBT+/queer communities.***
here's some ways this has played out/been accomplished:
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bisexuals & pansexuals were initially pitted against one another by exclusionists & radical feminists ***specifically to sow disunity in LGBT+/queer communities.***
here's some ways this has played out/been accomplished:
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but first, let's establish some basics here.
'bi' means 'attracted to more than one gender (romantically &/or sexually)'
'pan', as defined by my closest pan friend, means 'attracted to all genders (romantically &/or sexually)'
as you can see, these identities have overlap.
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'bi' means 'attracted to more than one gender (romantically &/or sexually)'
'pan', as defined by my closest pan friend, means 'attracted to all genders (romantically &/or sexually)'
as you can see, these identities have overlap.
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both 'bi' and 'pan' fall under the common umbrella of multisexual attraction (attraction to more than one gender).
Some ppl argue that 'bi' & 'pan' are interchangeable labels.
some feel that they overlap, but are not identical in meaning.
either way: they are BOTH valid.
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Some ppl argue that 'bi' & 'pan' are interchangeable labels.
some feel that they overlap, but are not identical in meaning.
either way: they are BOTH valid.
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(I've also seen 'pan' defined by pan ppl as 'attraction to multiple genders' (as opposed to 'attraction to *all* genders').
this definition also has clear, possibly massive, overlap with the 'bi' label, but could be considered different nonetheless.)
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this definition also has clear, possibly massive, overlap with the 'bi' label, but could be considered different nonetheless.)
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the considerable potential overlap in experiences of sexual/romantic attraction among 'bi' & 'pan' ppl can & has been a point of solidarity between bi&pan ppl.
however, it also has a history of being exploited to pit members of the LGBTQ+ community against each other.
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however, it also has a history of being exploited to pit members of the LGBTQ+ community against each other.
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example 1: "'bisexual' means 'attracted to exactly 2 genders'"
in what I'd like to think was an effort to make sure that all the letters of the Pride alphabet soup had distinct meanings, some popular tumblr posts in the mid-2010's defined 'bisexual' as narrowly as possible->
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in what I'd like to think was an effort to make sure that all the letters of the Pride alphabet soup had distinct meanings, some popular tumblr posts in the mid-2010's defined 'bisexual' as narrowly as possible->
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->shoving everything other than 'exactly-2-genders' under 'pansexual attraction'.
This was unintentionally biphobic at best, & malicious at worst. either way, the bi community spent literal years fighting this redefinition of our sexuality.
it also kicked off 'bi' vs 'pan'.
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This was unintentionally biphobic at best, & malicious at worst. either way, the bi community spent literal years fighting this redefinition of our sexuality.
it also kicked off 'bi' vs 'pan'.
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... I probably shouldn't say 'kicked off' bc idk for sure
but having non-bisexual ppl redefine 'bisexual' specifically so that 'pansexual' could have a distinct (& far more expansive) definition ... certainly encouraged ppl think of 'bi' & 'pan' in opposition to each other.
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but having non-bisexual ppl redefine 'bisexual' specifically so that 'pansexual' could have a distinct (& far more expansive) definition ... certainly encouraged ppl think of 'bi' & 'pan' in opposition to each other.
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ex. 2: "'bi' is nb-phobic &/or transphobic while 'pan' is nb/trans-friendly"
I saw this argument for the first time in the mid-2010's on tumblr, & I think it was one of the most deliberate & malicious attacks on bi ppl that set up 'pan' as the 'good cousin' label.
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I saw this argument for the first time in the mid-2010's on tumblr, & I think it was one of the most deliberate & malicious attacks on bi ppl that set up 'pan' as the 'good cousin' label.
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this biphobic argument is/was also based on the "'bisexual' means 'attracted to 2 genders exactly'" misinformation that dominated tumblr for quite some time.
I believe it was egged on by tumblr radfems, who hate bi women b/c they 'could be lesbians' but 'choose not to be'.
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I believe it was egged on by tumblr radfems, who hate bi women b/c they 'could be lesbians' but 'choose not to be'.
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though radfems are, as a rule, pushing transphobic rhetoric (whether they realize or not), they were happy to use talking points like 'bi ppl are transphobic' as a springboard to 'bi ppl in straight relationships aren't part of the community', etc. (exclusionists ate it up).
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exclus & radfems using the 'pan' label as a bludgeon against bi ppl was, I suspect, enabled by a couple of things:
a) cultural biphobia / reluctance to label as 'bisexual' among celebs
b) the popularity of the 'pan' label in the mid-2010's among younger community entrants
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a) cultural biphobia / reluctance to label as 'bisexual' among celebs
b) the popularity of the 'pan' label in the mid-2010's among younger community entrants
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b/c 'pan' & 'bi' DO have overlapping definitions, celebs *may* have ID'd as pan (instead of bi) out of internalized biphobia.
that, in turn, *may* have led to more young ppl in the 2010's ID'ing as pan instead of bi on tumblr.
but the HEART of the problem-->
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that, in turn, *may* have led to more young ppl in the 2010's ID'ing as pan instead of bi on tumblr.
but the HEART of the problem-->
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-->is that radfems EXPLOITED the 'pan' label to further their biphobic ends, encouraging many young ppl - including pan ppl - to become exclusionists.
all those biphobic arguments would soon be copy-pasted into ace exclusionism - and, eventually, pan exclusionism.
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all those biphobic arguments would soon be copy-pasted into ace exclusionism - and, eventually, pan exclusionism.
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exclusion of asexual people from the LGBTQ+ community came on the heels of the anti-microidentity push on tumblr - itself an nb/transphobic movement that recruited transmedicalists to work alongside radfems & TERFs to humiliate young queer ppl out of hyperspecific labels.
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insisting that only big banner identities 'counted', exclusionists successfully convinced many young queer tumblrites that
(a) Pride is defined by 'same-sex attraction' &/or experiencing gender dysphoria
(b) the only 'legit' labels were L, G, B, T, P, & N.
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(a) Pride is defined by 'same-sex attraction' &/or experiencing gender dysphoria
(b) the only 'legit' labels were L, G, B, T, P, & N.
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ace exclusion has raged for years, using biphobic arguments but replacing 'bi' w/ 'ace'. they included things like 'if you're attracted to the 'opposite sex', then you're not LGBT(PN)'.
(Pan (& bi!) exclusionists don't seem to realize the same argument could apply to them.)
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(Pan (& bi!) exclusionists don't seem to realize the same argument could apply to them.)
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(discuss that another time.)
the anti-microlabel crusade led to a lot of queer people avoiding hyperspecific labels & iding as nonbinary, pansexual, &/or queer, using these 3 labels as umbrellas for complicated genders & orientations.
exclusionists. HATE. umbrellas.
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the anti-microlabel crusade led to a lot of queer people avoiding hyperspecific labels & iding as nonbinary, pansexual, &/or queer, using these 3 labels as umbrellas for complicated genders & orientations.
exclusionists. HATE. umbrellas.
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all the mocking stereotypes of 'tucutes' - trans ppl who don't want surgery/don't experience gender dysphoria - & 'snowflakes' - microidentified ppl, hyperspecific pronouns, etc - were recycled for use against exclusionists' newest target: queer ppl (primarily) & nb/pan ppl.
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Radfems are the source of the primary rhetorical argument against identifying as 'queer' ('queer is an unreclaimed slur that can never be reclaimed'), & they team up with other exclusionists to attack queer people regularly.
'queer' is an ornery label that must be crushed.
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'queer' is an ornery label that must be crushed.
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& all three labels - queer, nonbinary, and pan[sexual/romantic] - are now just as excluded from the Pride acronym as 'Asexual', cut down to 'LGBT' - not even a '+' at the end.
but both 'pan' and 'nonbinary' are not being crushed: they're just being ... reclassified.
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but both 'pan' and 'nonbinary' are not being crushed: they're just being ... reclassified.
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'nonbinary' is frequently called a sublabel of 'trans' (i.e. 'all nonbinary people are trans'), even though there are people who identify as nonbinary & don't identify as trans.
similarly: 'pan' is now being called a sublabel of 'bi': just a 'subset' of the bi umbrella.
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similarly: 'pan' is now being called a sublabel of 'bi': just a 'subset' of the bi umbrella.
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(& yes, this is all leading to the eventual exclusionist push to jettison both 'bi' and 'trans' from Pride b/c they're just 'labels straight ppl use to sneak into Lesbian & Gay communities'.
but I digress.)
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but I digress.)
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all this to say: in the last couple of years, exclusionists have (predictably) reversed themselves for the sake of divisiveness.
embracing 'bi' as one of the four 'legitimate' identities, they've switched to picking on pan ppl by accusing them of harming bi ppl by existing.
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embracing 'bi' as one of the four 'legitimate' identities, they've switched to picking on pan ppl by accusing them of harming bi ppl by existing.
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example 1: "identifying as pansexual is biphobic."
as discussed higher up the thread, cultural biphobia & misinformation probably contributed to some multi-gender-attracted ppl identifying as 'pan' instead of 'bi'. but the labels, while similar, are NOT the same-->
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as discussed higher up the thread, cultural biphobia & misinformation probably contributed to some multi-gender-attracted ppl identifying as 'pan' instead of 'bi'. but the labels, while similar, are NOT the same-->
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-->and thus there's no way to know why or how a pan person settled on 'pan' as a descriptor of their orientation.
identifying as 'pan' is not spitting on the 'bi' label. claiming this unfairly burdens pan ppl with responsibility for the entire biphobic culture.
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identifying as 'pan' is not spitting on the 'bi' label. claiming this unfairly burdens pan ppl with responsibility for the entire biphobic culture.
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example 2: "'pan' and 'bi' mean the same thing"/"'pan' is a type of bisexuality"
again: they have overlap, but are not necessarily the same.
(and who says that we can't have two labels for the same/similar things?)
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again: they have overlap, but are not necessarily the same.
(and who says that we can't have two labels for the same/similar things?)
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and finally:
the very fact that we frame 'bi' and 'pan' as labels that exist in opposition to one another.
asking bi ppl 'why don't you id as pan?' is biphobic
& asking pan ppl 'why don't you id as bi?' ... is panphobic!
someone could identify as both if they wanted!
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the very fact that we frame 'bi' and 'pan' as labels that exist in opposition to one another.
asking bi ppl 'why don't you id as pan?' is biphobic
& asking pan ppl 'why don't you id as bi?' ... is panphobic!
someone could identify as both if they wanted!
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the ONLY reason we're fighting over these completely compatible, closely related sexual &/or romantic orientations ... is b/c of exclusionists.
& the bestest buddy of exclusionists: radfems.
that way only lies queerphobia, transphobia, & bigotry.
tl;dr #BiPanSolidarity
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& the bestest buddy of exclusionists: radfems.
that way only lies queerphobia, transphobia, & bigotry.
tl;dr #BiPanSolidarity
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Replies/reacts to this thread can go here: https://twitter.com/freetofic/status/1329209292692578304
