Hi so, honestly, there isnt a difference between bi and pan, bi is attraction to all genders, we have two labels that describe the same orientation.

Basically, the pan label was popularised online in the early 2000s. at the time there was a pervasive idea tht bisexuals were only attracted to cis men and women. This is from the first post on the 2002 Livejournal community, I Am Pansexual:

“… [T]his community is for pansexuals, as described in the user info. Pansexuals love people of all genders, male and female, but unlike bisexuals, pansexuals love transgendered, androgynous and gender fluid people, people who don’t fit into the categories of male or female.”

you can find the source for that quote and read more info on the history of pansexuality here. Those who IDed with the pan label back then used pan to mean attraction to cis men, cis women, and trans people. This definition is transphobic, trans men and women arent different genders to cis men and women and therefore, they dont fall under a separate attraction, nonbinary people arent a new third gender that you need a whole new and different sexuality in order to be attracted to. This is generally what people are referring to when they say the pansexual label has transphobic origins, but there have also been several redefinitions of pan that have also been transphobic.

I reccomend watching this youtube video which addresses the narrative that bi activism has a history of ‘rampant transphobia’.

Since 2002 the label has gone through several changes in definition, but the most common one lately seems to be that pan is attraction to all genders (regardless of gender); while bi is attraction to 2 or more (gender is a factor in attraction).

But if we look back at bi history, we can see that bisexuality has never been limited by gender, bisexuals were never fixated on the bi = 2 definition. its also useful to know that when people first started iding as bisexual (Stephen Donaldson, also known as Donny the Punk, was one of the first people to id as bisexual in around 1966 and the label gained popularity in the 70s), it meant something similar to unisex.

Bisexuals have been describing their bisexuality as attraction regardless of gender since the 70s;

“Being bisexual does not mean they have sexual relations with both sexes but that they are capable of meaningful and intimate involvement with a person regardless of gender”

Janet Bode, The Pressure Cooker, View From Another Closet (1976)

“I am bisexual because I am drawn to particular people regardless of gender. It doesn’t make me wishy-washy, confused, untrustworthy, or more sexually liberated. It makes me a bisexual.”

The Bisexual Community: Are We Visible Yet?, By Lani Ka’ahumanu (1987)

and The 1990 Bisexual Manifesto:

“Bisexuality is a whole, fluid identity. Do not assume that bisexuality is binary or duogamous in nature: that we have "two" sides or that we must be involved simultaneously with both genders to be fulfilled human beings. In fact, don’t assume that there are only two genders.”

evidences that bisexuals were aknowledging nonbinary genders (although they would have used genderqu**r or genderfuck instead of nonbinary as nonbinary was coined as a gender term more recently than the 90s) and including them in their bisexuality a decade before the I Am Pansexual community even existed. This is one of the many reasons why the pan label is also biphobic, because it trys to redefine bisexuality against bisexuals will, so that pan can mean attraction to all genders instead of bisexual.

If you want to read more about how different definitions of pansexual are based in biphobia i reccomend this article.

Here is the current defintion of bisexuality, as used by the American Institute of Bisexuality, and the Journal of Bisexuality. from the bi.org website:

"There are as many ways to be bi as there are bi people. No one word can fully capture the nuances of personality, culture, beliefs, or personal preference; no word should try to. The term bisexuality makes no such pretense—  it is a general and inclusive term that encompasses everyone; all sexes and all genders. That does not mean that bi people are attracted to everyone, merely that bi people’s attractions aren’t limited by sex or gender."

“Please also note that attraction to both same and different means attraction to all. Bisexuality is inherently inclusive of everyone, regardless of sex or gender.“

If you want to read more about bi history then this article; The Bisexual History They Don’t Want You to Know by @mediumkravitz is a good place to start. Kravtiz has also written; Does Liking a Nonbinary Person Make You Bi or Pan? Not Necessarily. which might clear up any confusion on where attraction to nonbinary genders fits into sexuality.

send me the name of a character, and i’ll reply with:

B A S I C S

full name:

gender:

sexuality:

pronouns:

O T H E R S

family:

birthplace:

job:

phobias:

guilty pleasures:

M O R A L S

morality alignment?:

sins - lust/greed/gluttony/sloth/pride/envy/wrath

virtues - chastity/charity/diligence/humility/kindness/patience/justice

T H I S - O R - T H A T

introvert/extrovert:

organized/disorganized:

close minded/open-minded:

calm/anxious:

disagreeable/agreeable:

cautious/reckless:

patient/impatient:

outspoken/reserved:

leader/follower:

empathetic/unemphatic:

optimistic/pessimistic:

traditional/modern:

hard-working/lazy:

R E L A T I O N S H I P S

otp:

ot3:

brotp:

notp:

  Alright, here we go– I put together a list of questions about OCs that you can reblog and have people send in asks for you! I set it up so you can be like, “A3″, “D2″, et cetera… Keep checking in here to the original post in case I add some more to the list! In the meantime, I hope y’all have some fun with this and maybe use it to learn a little bit more about your OCs or get to share things about them!! A. Psychology

What of the Meyers-Briggs personality types they most fit into? INFP, ENFT, et cetera…

What alignment are they? Chaotic neutral, lawful evil, et cetera…

Do they have any emotional or psychological conditions? Are they aware of it? Do they try to treat it? 

Are they a pessimist or an optimist? 

Are they good at handling change in their life?

Does your OC tend to assume their interpretation of events and reality is correct, or do they question it? I.e., “I’m sure that’s what you said” versus “It’s possible I misheard you.”

Is your OC confident in their reactions to life in general, or do they get embarrassed or easily shamed for it? I.e., if something startles them, do they insist it WAS scary? When they cry, do they feel like they overreacted?

Is your OC a martyr?

Does your OC make a lot of excuses? For themselves? Others? 

Does your OC compromise easily? Too easily?

Does your OC put others’ needs before their own?

Does your OC have any addictions? If so and problematic, have they admitted it to themselves? 

Does your OC have any phobias? If so, where did they come from?

Is your character empathetic?

Is your character observant?

Does your OC have to go through their own trials to learn a lesson, or do they listen and learn from observation and lecture? I.e., does your OC listen when someone tries to tell them the importance of budgeting, or do they have to go experience what happens if you don’t budget first?

What’s one of your OC’s proudest moments of themselves?

Do they get jealous easily? Do they feel bad if they do?

What instantly irritates them or puts them in a bad mood?

Are they harsh on themselves?

Do they make excuses often?

Is your OC intended to be found generally attractive? Unattractive? Average? Is there a reason why?

Does your OC place much importance on their appearance? Do they feel confident in it?

What are some of your OC’s biggest personal obstacles? This could be emotional, physical, social… Are they aware of it? Are they trying to overcome it?

B. Social

Do they believe you have to give respect to get it, or get respect to give it?

Do they get frustrated when lines at places like pharmacies, check-outs, delis, banks, et cetera, are moving slowly?

Under what situations would they get angry at servers, staff, customer service, et cetera?

Do they tip well? How easily can they be moved to not leave a tip?

Do they hold doors open for people?

Would your OC let someone ahead of them in line if your OC had a big cart and the person behind them had very few items?

How do they respond to babies crying in public?

Is your OC considered funny? Do they believe they’re funny?

What kind of humor does your OC like the most? Slapstick, ironic, funny sounds, scare pranks, xD sO rAnDoM…

Does your OC find any “bad” or “mean” humor funny? Do they wish they didn’t?

Your OC is running late to meeting someone: Do they let the other person know? Do they lie about why they’re late?

Your OC orders something to eat and gets their order done in a pretty wrong way, something they can’t just pick off or whatnot to correct, or something major is missing. What do they do?

Do they have a large or small group of friends?

Do they have people they are genuinely honest with about themselves?

Does your OC enjoy social events, such as parties, clubs, et cetera..?

Does your OC like to be the center of attention or more in the mix?

C. Morality

Does your OC have a moral code? If not, how do they base their actions? If so, where does it come from, and how seriously do they take it?

Would your OC feel bad if they acted against their morals? If not, would they find a way to excuse themselves for it?

Is it important for them to be with people (socially, intimately, whatever) whose major ideological tenets align with their own?

Do they consider themselves superior or more important than anyone else? Lesser?

Do your OC’s morals and rules of common decency go out the window when it comes to those they don’t like, or when it’s inconvenient? Aka, are their morals situational?

What do they do when they see someone asking for money or food? If they ignore them, why? If they help, how so?

Do they believe people change over time? If so, is it a natural process or does it take effort? 

Is your OC more practical or ideal morally? I.e., do they hold people to high expectations of behavior even if it’s not realistic for the situation, or do they have a more realistic approach and adapt their morality to be more practical?

D. Religion and Life and Death

How religious is your OC? What do they practice, if anything? If they don’t associate with any religion, what do they think of religion in general?

Do they believe in an afterlife?

How comfortable are they with the idea of death?

Would they like to be immortal? Why, why not? If they are immortal, would they rather not be?

Do they believe in ghosts? If not, why? If so, do they think they’re magical/tie into their religion, or are they scientifically plausible?

E. Education and Intelligence

Would you say that your OC is intelligent? In what ways? Would your OC agree?

Which of the nine types of intelligence is your OC strongest in? Weakest? (Linguistic, existential, naturalist, et cetera)

How many languages do they speak?

Did they enjoy school if they went to it?

What’s their highest education level? Do they want to continue their education?

Do they enjoy learning? Do they actively seek out sources of self-education?

Are they a good note-taker? Are they a good test-taker? Do exams make them nervous?

What’s one of your OC’s biggest regrets?

F. Domestic Habits, Work, and Hobbies

What sort of home do they live in now, if at all? How did they end up there?

What’s their ideal home look like? Where is it?

Could they ever live in a “tiny home”?

How clean are they overall with home upkeep?

How handy are they? Can they fix appliances, cars, cabinets, et cetera?

How much do they work? What do they do? Do they enjoy it?

What’s their “dream career” or job situation?

How often are they home?

Are they homebodies and enjoy being home?

Do they engage in any of the arts? How good do you intend them to be? Would they agree they are?

What are some of their favorite things to do for recreation? How did they get into it? What part of it do they like the most?

Would they enjoy a theme park?

G. Family and Growing Up

Is your OC close to their family?

Who makes up your OC’s family, at least the more important members to them?

Does your OC find their family supportive? If not, what would be an example why not?

What kind of childhood did your OC have?

Did they go through any typical phases growing up?

Do they have any favorite childhood memories?

Do they have any childhood memories they’d rather forget or be less affected by?

H. Romance and Intimacy

What is your OC’s orientation, romantic and/or sexual? Has it ever been a source of stress for them? Have they always been pretty sure of their orientation?

Is your OC a thoughtful partner, in whatever aspect of that you want to cover?

Does your OC believe there’s only one ideal partner (or multiple ideal if not monogamous) for everyone, or that there are many people who could be right?

Does your OC believe in love in first sight?

Does your OC believe in marriage (or their culture’s equivalent)?

Has your OC ever cheated on anyone or been cheated on?

What do they look for in partners? (Emotionally, mentally, physically..)

What’s your OC’s idea of a perfect date?

What are some things that your OC finds to be an instant turn-off in potential partners?

I. Food

What are their favorite kinds of flavors– Sweet, salty, sour, spicy, creamy, et cetera?

Do they have any eating requirements or preferences? Allergies, vegetarian, organic-only, religious restrictions…

Are they vegan/vegetarian (if their overall culture/species generally aren’t)? If so, why? Do they think animal products are wrong in all circumstances?

How often do they cook? Do they order out a lot?

Are they a good cook?

Could they eat the same thing they enjoy over and over and not get bored of it quickly?

J. Politics, Current Events, Environmental Aspects

Where does your OC stand most politically? What would they align with most?

How politically aware are they?

How politically active are they?

Is your OC the sort to fall for fake news? If not, do they ignore it or make a point to clarify that it’s wrong?

Are they or would they protest for a cause they’re passionate about?

How do they react to people whose political viewpoints are very opposite of theirs?

How much interest in environmental health do they have?

In reality-based or applicable worlds, do they believe in global warming? Do they recycle?

K. For OCs in Reality-Based Worlds Who Are Unusual in Paranormal Ways (such as magical abilities, being another species, having a curse like lycanthropy, sci-fi abilities, being from another time, et cetera)– Also for OCs where the scenario is similar even if their universe isn’t based on reality

Does your OC have to keep their paranormal aspect (PA) a secret from general society? If so, how? I.e., they can’t discuss their abilities, they have to hide a tail, they have an alter-ego, et cetera. What would happen if society found out about it?

Are there others in their universe with the same or a similar PA as your OC? I.e., others from different dimensions, others of their same species. Do they know about it?

Does your OC have any friends who know about their PA? Any enemies?

Does your OC ever use their PA to get an advantage? I.e., use their ability to be invisible to steal or get out of things, compete in track while their species is a naturally superior runner, use their invulnerability in careers like police work… If so, do they have any hang-ups about it?

Does your OC feel isolated or unrelatable due to the experience their PA brings with it? If so, how do they deal with it?

Does their PA cause issues in daily life? I.e., if they’re inhuman in a human universe and they can’t go to a doctor or risk the doctor realizing they are not human, super abilities with physical drawbacks, they don’t have control of their abilities and must keep to themselves, et cetera… If so, how do they feel about it?

Does your OC’s PA affect their dietary habits so that they are unusual or problematic by their society’s standards?

What are some routines, if any, of self-care that your OC must engage in that are not typical of their society? I.e., having to file their teeth, maintaining magical rituals, drinking blood…

Does your OC have knowledge that they can’t share with the rest of their world that could improve it if it didn’t cause chaos? I.e., a character from the future knowing about technology not yet invented, but they can’t reveal themselves by sharing it?

Would your OC give up their PA if they could? Why or why not?

L. For the Writer/Owner

How have your characters changed since you created them?

What do you consider the biggest themes in your character, if any?

Did you create the character to be like yourself, did they end up being like yourself, or are they very different from you?

Would you hang out with your OC if you could?

Which OC do you think is the most decent morally or behaviorally?  AKA, which is supposed to a “good guy”?

Which OC do you think is the worst morally or behaviorally? AKA, which is supposed to be a “bad guy”?

Which OC do you think is the most attractive?

What’s the longest you’ve had an OC for?