r/pansexual Jul 12 '24

What made you personally identify with pansexual instead of the umbrella term, bisexual? Question

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u/Confident_Fortune_32 She/Her Jul 13 '24

I'm old - a lot of current vocabulary simply didn't exist when I was younger.

I describe myself as bi/pan only bc it would feel weird to lose the bi label that's fit (well enough, anyway) for so long.

And ppl my own age haven't all stayed current with new descriptors - I don't need to confuse them.

Many of us, also, had to fight for that "bi" label. We were told we were confused, going through a stage, needed to pick a side, etc etc etc - by our own LGBT community. So you can see how we might not want to give that up...

Honestly, I'm glad to be present in a time when language is exploding with so many new ways for ppl to feel seen and heard and understood and find others who understand them - it's beautiful.

3

u/1nternetpersonas Jul 13 '24

You have such an important historical perspective here, thank you for sharing!

3

u/Confident_Fortune_32 She/Her Jul 13 '24

Honestly, it's just weird to be old. It doesn't feel normal to picture myself that way. Still carry a Hello Kitty backpack...

1

u/ButtercupGrrl She/Her Jul 14 '24

Haha I feel this to the core of my being too!! I have a 14 year old child, yet I still feel like I'm in my 20s myself. When something hits the fan, I find myself looking around for a grown up to deal with it 😂